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• By Maggie MacKenzie

• Updated May 6, 2026 at 10:46am

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Rory McIlroy plays a shot during a practice round ahead of the 2026 Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The PGA Tour heads to Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina this week for the 2026 Truist Championship, with Round 1 set to tee off Thursday in a loaded field ahead of the season’s next major.

Among the headliners, Rory McIlroy returns to one of his most dominant venues, paired alongside Matt Fitzpatrick in one of the marquee groups of the opening round. Other notable names in the field include Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland and more.

With a strong mix of proven winners and rising stars, Thursday’s tee times offer several early must-watch pairings as players look to establish position at one of the Tour’s most demanding stops.

Featured Round 1 Pairings to Watch

• 10:05 a.m. ET — Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick
  McIlroy returns to Quail Hollow, where he has historically dominated, alongside former U.S. Open champion Fitzpatrick in one of the top groups of the day.
• 1:10 p.m. ET — Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg
  Two of the most consistent elite players on Tour headline a strong afternoon pairing.
• 1:20 p.m. ET — Cameron Young, Justin Thomas
  A high-upside group featuring Thomas, who continues to search for peak form, and Young, still chasing a signature victory.
• 1:30 p.m. ET — Sepp Straka, Jordan Spieth
  Spieth’s creativity and course management make this a compelling pairing to follow.
• 12:45 p.m. ET — Nico Echavarria, Viktor Hovland
  Hovland’s ball-striking should play well at Quail Hollow in this mid-day grouping.

Full Round 1 Tee Times (ET)

Tee No. 1

• 7:45 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Taylor Pendrith
• 7:55 a.m. — Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty
• 8:05 a.m. — Jake Knapp, Daniel Berger
• 8:15 a.m. — Mackenzie Hughes, Webb Simpson
• 8:25 a.m. — Aldrich Potgieter, Jhonattan Vegas
• 8:35 a.m. — Matt Wallace, Alex Smalley
• 8:50 a.m. — Tom Hoge, Denny McCarthy
• 9:00 a.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Harry Hall
• 9:10 a.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Maverick McNealy
• 9:20 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Andrew Novak
• 9:30 a.m. — J.J. Spaun, Justin Rose
• 9:40 a.m. — Gary Woodland, Adam Scott
• 9:55 a.m. — Akshay Bhatia, Ben Griffin
• 10:05 a.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy
• 10:15 a.m. — Tommy Fleetwood, Si Woo Kim
• 10:25 a.m. — Alex Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler
• 10:35 a.m. — Corey Conners, Sam Burns
• 10:45 a.m. — Brian Campbell, Min Woo Lee
• 11:00 a.m. — Tony Finau, Andrew Putnam
• 11:10 a.m. — Max Homa, Ryo Hisatsune
• 11:20 a.m. — Patrick Rodgers, Bud Cauley
• 11:30 a.m. — Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Chandler Blanchet
• 11:40 a.m. — Sahith Theegala, David Lipsky
• 11:50 a.m. — Jason Day, Nicolai Højgaard
• 12:05 p.m. — Ricky Castillo, Harris English
• 12:15 p.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Patrick Cantlay
• 12:25 p.m. — Jacob Bridgeman, Brian Harman
• 12:35 p.m. — Nick Taylor, Sungjae Im
• 12:45 p.m. — Nico Echavarria, Viktor Hovland
• 12:55 p.m. — Chris Gotterup, Ryan Fox
• 1:10 p.m. — Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg
• 1:20 p.m. — Cameron Young, Justin Thomas
• 1:30 p.m. — Sepp Straka, Jordan Spieth
• 1:40 p.m. — Alex Noren, Pierceson Coody
• 1:50 p.m. — Lucas Glover, Kristoffer Reitan
• 2:00 p.m. — Michael Kim, Sam Stevens

How to Watch the 2026 Truist Championship (Round 1)

• TV Coverage: Golf Channel (beginning at 2 p.m. ET)
• Streaming: PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ (morning coverage and featured groups)

Final Take

With a deep field and a course that consistently rewards elite ball-striking, the Truist Championship presents an early test for contenders ahead of the PGA Championship.

All eyes will be on McIlroy at Quail Hollow once again, but with several strong pairings throughout the day, Round 1 should offer no shortage of storylines from the opening tee shot.