McIlroy, Rahm primed to lead Euro assault at Masters

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and first-time Masters starter Jon Rahm, two of Europe's top-rated golfers, will play together for the first two rounds at Augusta National in pairings announced on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Northern Ireland's McIlroy, trying to win a green jacket to complete a career grand slam, and Spain's Rahm, fresh off a runner-up finish at the World Golf Championships Match Play in Austin, Texas, will join Japan's Hideto Tanihara in the third-to-last group teeing off on the famed 7,435-yard layout.

"I've played with a few of the Asian contenders, so I sort of expected one of those guys," McIlroy said. "And then Jon Rahm, I haven't played with him competitively. We played 18 holes, a practice round, in Austin. I'm really impressed with his game."

World No 1 Dustin Johnson will tee off in the final trio alongside fellow Americans Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion, and Jimmy Walker, who won his first major at last year's PGA Championship.

The field of 94 also features some morning groups sure to excite spectators, notably the trio of 2015 Masters and US Open winner Jordan Spieth, two-time major winner Martin Kaymer of Germany and England's Matthew Fitzpatrick.

The group behind them includes five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, trying to become the oldest Masters champion two months shy of his 47th birthday.

The US left-hander will be joined by South Korea's Kim Si-woo and Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

Just behind them, in what will be the final group to begin play in Friday's second round, will be Australia's third-ranked Jason Day, England's Justin Rose and American Brandt Snedeker.

Defending Masters champion Danny Willett of England tees off on Thursday afternoon alongside US Amateur champion Curtis Luck of Australia and American Matt Kuchar.

Europeans once dominated the Masters, winning six times in the seven-year spell from 1988 to 1994, and could surge again this year with a record 11 Englishmen in the field of 94.

Rahm, 22, won his first US PGA title at Torrey Pines earlier this year.

"He's a great young player," McIlroy said. "He'll be a huge asset to our European Ryder Cup team in years to come. I'm looking forward to it."

Rahm will have plenty of pressure as he approaches his first Masters tee shot.

"I'll be very excited on the first tee," Rahm said.

"I know for my first shot I'm going to be really, really pumped up, so I don't know how it's going to go.

"I want that, 'Oh my God, I'm playing in the Masters' moment, to be as short as possible.

"I know it's going to happen. It might take one hole or two holes, but I want it to go away as soon as possible. I don't want to get to my 12th hole and be like, 'OK, we're 3-over par, let's get to work.'"

Sweden's Henrik Stenson says he would never swap his British Open title for love nor money - not even the Masters green jacket.

Stenson, the world No 5, won the Open after an epic battle with Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, at Royal Troon last year.

The first Swede to win the British Open is playing his 12th Masters, but has never done particularly well on the tough Augusta course.

"It is a very difficult golf course, especially if the wind is up, and most likely we'll encounter it on Thursday and Friday," he said.

Asked whether victory at Augusta would count more for him than his British Open crown, Stenson said any win was welcome but some are more special than others.

"Being European, the Open Championship, being some of the first golf that I watched on television when I was a young kid ... that would maybe just be a little bit closer to my heart than any other tournament" he said at a Tuesday media conference.

All four majors are "wonderful", he added, but he has established his own personal ranking.

"I would say, in my pecking order, if you want to have one, I would probably go: (British) Open, Masters, US Open and PGA."

Agence Franc-Epresse