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Spieth, McIlroy, Thomas grouped at Memorial

The top three players in the world – Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy – are all coming into the Memorial Tournament off of wins, and two of the three will be grouped together for the first two rounds. Here are the featured groups at Muirfield Village.

8:15 a.m. Thursday (No. 10 tee), 1:05 p.m. Friday (No. 1 tee): Bubba WatsonRickie FowlerPatrick Reed

Good friends Watson and Fowler have already won this season but have cooled off lately, while Reed is still looking for his first win since Kapalua in 2015.


8:26 a.m. Thursday (No. 10 tee), 1:16 p.m. Friday (No. 1 tee): Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas

World No. 2 Spieth won last week at Colonial, and No. 3 McIlroy won two weeks ago at the Irish Open. Thomas won earlier this season at the CIMB and is coming off a T-3 at The Players.


1:05 p.m. Thursday (No. 1 tee), 8:15 a.m. Friday (No. 10 tee): Hideki MatsuyamaMatt Kuchar,Phil Mickelson

Kuchar, the 2013 Memorial champion, has finished T-3, 3rd, T-6 in his last three starts. Matsuyama, a winner at Muirfield Village in 2014, has three straight top-11 finishes, plus a win earlier this year in Phoenix. Mickelson is still looking for his first win at the Memorial, and he is coming off missed cuts in three his last four starts. However, the last time he made a cut he tied for fourth at Quail Hollow.


1:16 p.m. Thursday (No. 1 tee), 8:26 a.m. Friday (No. 10 tee): Jason Day, David LingmerthJim Furyk

World No. 1 Day is teeing up at his home course, but he has yet to record a top-10 at Muirfield Village. Lingmerth is the defending champion and tied for 22nd last week at Wentworth. Furyk is making his fourth start since returning from wrist surgery. He missed the cut last week at Colonial.

- Ryan Reiterman, Golf Channel, NBC Sports