Masters golf 2016: Rory McIlroy not worried about late tee time at Augusta National

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Phil Casey5 April 2016

Rory McIlroy has insisted he is not worried about his late tee time at Augusta National this week, although he suggested he would have preferred to play earlier.

McIlroy will be the very last man in the 89-strong field to hit his opening tee shot in the Masters after being drawn in the final group at 2:01pm local time for Thursday's first round.

The four-time major winner, who was fourth last year, will partner Ryder Cup team-mate Martin Kaymer and America's Bill Haas in the first two rounds of the year's first major championship.

Asked about his late tee time on Thursday, McIlroy said: "I think it's the third year in a row I've been off last either Thursday or Friday here. I was sort of expecting it.

"I'm not much of a sleeping-in sort of person. I'll get up and I'll probably go to the gym and I'll just do everything that I can to get ready for the day.

"It becomes a long day. On a Thursday morning you're really just wanting to get here and get out and play, so there's probably going to be a little bit of anticipation.

2016 Masters Tournament - the course

"But look, I'm in the Masters field and they can put me off at six o'clock in the evening and I'll still get around and play, so I'll be all right."

McIlroy posted a picture on social media last month of a jigsaw he completed in his hotel room during a recent tournament and added: "I'll play the front nine tomorrow (Wednesday) around noon, try to get off the golf course by 3:00 and try to rest up and take it easy.

"I know that's 24 hours until my tee time, but I have many different ways to pass my time. We are working on another jigsaw puzzle and we brought Monopoly to the house that we're renting, so there's a lot of really fun stuff going on!"

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