Golf: Rory McIlroy will tee it up at the US Masters alongside American Bubba Watson and Argentina's Angel Cabrera, the player who witnessed the Northern Irishman's final round capitulation at the venue last year first hand.

2009 winner Cabrera was paired with McIlroy when he shot an 80 on the fourth day in 2011 to let a four-shot lead and first Major slip through his grasp.

Both are now major champions, of course, after McIlroy won the US Open nearly three months later, and they will be joined by big-hitting left-hander Watson for the first two days, teeing off second from last on day one, at 6.42pm Irish time.

Three-time major winner Pádraig Harrington will have Americans Stewart Cink and Steve Stricker for company, while Open champion Darren Clarke will be joined by Japan’s young hope Ryo Ishikawa and veteran American Fred Couples.

Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, will be playing alongside the Open winner of the same year Louis Oosthuizen and American Mark Wilson.

Oosthuizen arrives at Augusta fresh from a third place finish in the Houston Open, in which he began the final day with a two-shot lead before losing to Hunter Mahan.

Mahan is in the final group on Thursday, with three-time winner Phil Mickelson and Sweden’s Peter Hanson.

Former world number one and four-time winner Tiger Woods is due to play with Sang-Moon Bae of Korea and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez will

British world number one Luke Donald, Italy's Francesco Molinari and American Nick Watney will tee off one group after Woods, while world number three Lee Westwood will set off with 2000 champion Vijay Singh of Fiji and American Jim Furyk.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, who held his nerve when McIlroy didn't last year, has been grouped with PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley and US amateur champion Kelly Kraft.

First off at 7.50 am (12.50pm Irish time), following ceremonial tee shots by golfing greats Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, will be Americans Craig Stadler and Brendan Steele and South African Tim Clark.

Meanwhile, American world number 12 Dustin Johnson is out of the event because of a back injury.

With no reserves for the opening major of the season, Johnson's withdrawal reduces the field from 97 to 96 players.

It comes only a day after he told his followers on Twitter: "Oh yeah ... it's MASTERS week!!!!"

His next message, however, was Tuesday's, in which he said: "First I have to apologize to the fans and sponsors. With heartfelt regret, I won't be playing in the Masters due to a tweaked back.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to walk the fairways at Augusta and fulfill what I've been practicing for!! I'll have to root my buddies!"

The five-time PGA Tour winner underwent off-season knee surgery immediately after the Presidents Cup in November. His last tournament was the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral four weeks ago. He tied for 35th place.

Johnson has played the Masters three times, with a best finish of 30th on his 2009 debut.

Tee-off times for Thursday's first round of The Masters, Augusta National, Georgia. (Players are USA unless stated, Irish in bold, all times Irish)

Starting at hole 1

12.50pm Craig Stadler, Brendan Steele, Tim Clark (Rsa)

1.01pm Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Robert Garrigus, Randal Lewis

1.12pm Larry Mize, Paul Lawrie (Sco), Anders Hansen (Den)

1.23pm Ross Fisher (Eng), Ryan Palmer, Harrison Frazar

1.34pm Ben Crenshaw, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Bryden Macpherson (Aus)

1.45pm Adam Scott (Aus), Bo Van Pelt, Martin Kaymer (Ger)

1.56pm Steve Stricker, Pádraig Harrington (Irl), Stewart Cink

2.07pm Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor), Lucas Glover

2.18pm Kyle Stanley, Jason Day (Aus), Bill Haas

2.29pm Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose (Eng)

2.40pm Tom Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)

3.02pm Matt Kuchar, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Y.E. Yang (Kor)

3.13pm Gary Woodland, Henrik Stenson (Swe), Alvaro Quiros (Spa)

3.24pm Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Keegan Bradley, Kelly Kraft

3.35pm Tiger Woods, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Sang-moon Bae (Kor)

3.46pm Francesco Molinari (Ita), Luke Donald (Eng), Nick Watney

3.57pm Scott Verplank, Sean O'Hair, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa)

4.08pm Chez Reavie, Mark O'Meara, Martin Laird (Sco)

4.19pm Sandy Lyle (Sco), Simon Dyson (Eng), Corbin Mills

4.30pm Ian Woosnam (Wal), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Kevin Chappell

4.41pm Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Mark Wilson, Graeme McDowell (NIrl)

4.51pm Ian Poulter (Eng), Patrick Cantlay, Zach Johnson

5.14pm Kevin Na, Ben Crane, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe)

5.25pm Jonathan Byrd, Paul Casey (Eng), John Senden (Aus)

5.35pm Bernhard Langer (Ger), Jason Dufner, Charles Howell III

5.47pm Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Mike Weir (Can)

5.58pm Vijay Singh (Fij), Jim Furyk, Lee Westwood (Eng)

6.09pm Scott Stallings, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Thomas Bjorn (Den)

6.20pm Fred Couples, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), Darren Clarke (NIrl)

6.31pm K J Choi (Kor), Sergio Garcia (Spa), David Toms

6.42pm Angel Cabrera (Arg), Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy (NIrl)

6.53pm Hunter Mahan, Peter Hanson (Swe), Phil Mickelson

Second round tee times

12.50pm Scott Verplank, Sean O'Hair, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa)

1.01pm Mark O'Meara, Chez Reavie, Martin Laird (Sco)

1.12pm Sandy Lyle (Sco), Simon Dyson (Eng), Corbin Mills

1.23pm Ian Woosnam (Wal), Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Kevin Chappell

1.34pm Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Mark Wilson, Graeme McDowell (NIrl)

1.34pm Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter (Eng), Patrick Cantlay

1.56pm Kevin Na, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Ben Crane

2.07pm John Senden (Aus), Jonathan Byrd, Paul Casey (Eng)

2.18pm Bernhard Langer (Ger), Jason Dufner, Charles Howell III

2.29pm Mike Weir (Can), Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson

2.40pm Vijay Singh (Fij), Lee Westwood (Eng), Jim Furyk

3.02pm Thomas Bjorn (Den), Scott Stallings, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa)

3.13pm Fred Couples, Darren Clarke (NIrl), Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn)

3.24pm David Toms, K J Choi (Kor), Sergio Garcia (Spa)

3.35pm Angel Cabrera (Arg), Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Bubba Watson

3.46pm Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Peter Hanson (Swe)

3.57pm Craig Stadler, Brendan Steele, Tim Clark (Rsa)

4.08pm Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Robert Garrigus, Randal Lewis

4.19pm Larry Mize, Paul Lawrie (Sco), Anders Hansen (Den)

4.30pm Ross Fisher (Eng), Ryan Palmer, Harrison Frazar

4.41pm Ben Crenshaw, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Bryden Macpherson (Aus)

4.52pm Adam Scott (Aus), Bo Van Pelt, Martin Kaymer (Ger)

5.14pm Steve Stricker, Pádraig Harrington (Irl), Stewart Cink

5.25pm Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Lucas Glover

5.36pm Kyle Stanley, Jason Day (Aus), Bill Haas

5.47pm Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose (Eng)

5.58pm Tom Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)

6.09pm Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Matt Kuchar, Y.E. Yang (Kor)

6.20pm Gary Woodland, Henrik Stenson (Swe), Alvaro Quiros (Spa)

6.31pm Keegan Bradley, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Kelly Kraft

6.42pm Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Tiger Woods, Sang-moon Bae (Kor)

6.53pm Luke Donald (Eng), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Nick Watney