Smith starts with ex-Presidents Cup teammates

Aussie golf star Cameron Smith has been grouped with former Presidents Cup teammates Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im for the first two rounds of the Masters.

CAMERON SMITH.
CAMERON SMITH. Picture: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Cameron Smith will play the opening two rounds with former champion Hideki Matsuyama as Masters officials happily grouped the 18 LIV Golf players with the PGA Tour stars.

Like the players who have reunited without fuss this week following months of verbal warfare between the opposing tours, Augusta National had no concerns pairing the big guns from either side of golf's great divide.

In his first major since winning last year's British Open and joining LIV, Smith has a comfortable first-round morning tee time with Matsuyama and fellow former Presidents Cup teammate Sungjae Im.

Ten years after his watershed win at Augusta, Adam Scott will start his quest for a second green jacket with Americans Patrick Cantlay and Kurt Kitayama.

Guaranteed a big gallery and lots of noise, Scott is in the group immediately behind Tiger Woods, who tees off at 10.18am local time with great mate Xander Schauffele and Norwegian ace Victor Hovland.

Sydney amateur sensation Harrison Crowe will make his Masters debut alongside fellow Australian Min Woo Lee after the pair practised together on Tuesday with Scott.

Veteran Augusta native Larry Mize, who broke Greg Norman's heart with a playoff chip-in win in 1987, is also in the 9am starting group with Crowe and Lee.

Jason Day will play his first two rounds with 2007 champion Zach Johnson and American amateur Gordon Sargent.

After missing last year's Masters following his controversial move to the LIV league, three-time champion Phil Mickelson has been grouped with PGA Tour players Tom Hoge and Si Woo Kim.

NOTABLE FIRST-ROUND GROUPINGS AT THE MASTERS (all times AEST):

THURSDAY 11pm: Min Woo Lee (AUS), Harrison Crowe (AUS), Larry Mize (USA)

FRIDAY 12.18am: Tiger Woods (USA), Viktor Hovland (NOR), Xander Schauffele (USA)

12.30am: Adam Scott (AUS), Patrick Cantlay (USA), Kurt Kitayama (USA)

12.42am: Jon Rahm (ESP), Justin Thomas (USA), Cameron Young (USA)

12.54am: Cameron Smith (AUS), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Sungjae Im (KOR)

2.24am: Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Hoge (USA), Si Woo Kim (KOR)

2.48am: Jason Day (AUS), Zach Johnson (USA), Gordon Sargent (USA)

3.12am: Dustin Johnson (USA), Corey Conners (CAN), Justin Rose (ENG)

3.36am: Scottie Scheffler (USA), Max Homa (USA), Sam Bennett (USA)

3.48am: Rory McIlroy (NIR), Tom Kim (KOR), Sam Burns (USA)

4am: Jordan Spieth (USA), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Tony Finau (USA).