--- title: "2026 Truist Championship Round 1 Tee Times" description: "Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young and Justin Thomas headline Thursday’s first-round pairings at Quail Hollow." url: https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/2026-truist-championship-thursday-tee-times-round-1-pairing-moued711 published: 2026-05-16T08:26:47.983348+00:00 updated: 2026-05-16T14:03:16.481087+00:00 author: "Kostadin Stamboliev" publisher: "Pineido" site: "Sportopod" language: en topics: ["golf"] --- # 2026 Truist Championship Round 1 Tee Times > Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young and Justin Thomas headline Thursday’s first-round pairings at Quail Hollow. The 2026 Truist Championship starts Thursday, May 7, at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, with Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young and Justin Thomas among the headline names in Round 1. Golf.com published the full Thursday tee sheet, with PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ beginning early coverage at 7:30 a.m. ET and Golf Channel airing the first round from 2-6 p.m. ET. The cleanest way into Thursday is through the two groups that carry the most obvious weight. McIlroy, listed by Golf.com as the betting favorite and a four-time champion at the Quail Hollow event, goes out at 10:05 a.m. ET with Matt Fitzpatrick. Young, now World No. 3 according to Golf.com, starts at 1:20 p.m. ET with Justin Thomas, whose Quail Hollow history includes winning the 2017 PGA Championship there. This is the first round of a Signature Event, so the tee sheet is compact and loaded with useful viewing windows. Golf.com’s list has all players starting from Tee No. 1. J.T. Poston and Taylor Pendrith open the day at 7:45 a.m. ET. The final listed group, Michael Kim and Sam Stevens, goes at 2:00 p.m. ET. That gives streaming viewers a full morning runway before the television window begins in the afternoon. Golf.com’s Kevin Cunningham framed Young as one of the central players to watch. Young entered last year’s Truist Championship still chasing his first PGA Tour win, but Golf.com notes that he now has wins at the 2025 Wyndham Championship, the 2026 Players Championship and last week’s Cadillac Championship. That surge puts him into Thursday with a sharper spotlight and a late tee time next to Thomas, one of the field’s most recognizable names. McIlroy’s placement is just as important for fans planning the day. Golf.com reports that this is McIlroy’s first start since winning the 2026 Masters in April. He is paired with Matt Fitzpatrick at 10:05 a.m. ET, a morning slot that lands well before the Golf Channel television broadcast begins. Viewers who want to see that group from the start will need PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which Golf.com says begins exclusive early streaming coverage at 7:30 a.m. ET and also includes featured group and featured hole coverage. Other early groups give the morning wave plenty of substance. Hideki Matsuyama and Maverick McNealy are set for 9:10 a.m. ET. Keegan Bradley and Andrew Novak follow at 9:20 a.m. ET. J.J. Spaun and Justin Rose go at 9:30 a.m. ET, with Gary Woodland and Adam Scott at 9:40 a.m. ET. Akshay Bhatia and Ben Griffin tee off at 9:55 a.m. ET, directly before the Fitzpatrick-McIlroy group. The middle of the sheet keeps the pace moving. Tommy Fleetwood and Si Woo Kim are scheduled for 10:15 a.m. ET, followed by Alex Fitzpatrick and Rickie Fowler at 10:25 a.m. ET. Corey Conners and Sam Burns go at 10:35 a.m. ET. Brian Campbell and Min Woo Lee follow at 10:45 a.m. ET. Tony Finau and Andrew Putnam start at 11:00 a.m. ET, with Max Homa and Ryo Hisatsune at 11:10 a.m. ET. The afternoon build is where television viewers will catch more of the late wave. Jason Day and Nicolai Højgaard go at 11:50 a.m. ET. Kurt Kitayama and Patrick Cantlay are set for 12:15 p.m. ET. Nick Taylor and Sungjae Im start at 12:35 p.m. ET, followed by Nico Echavarria and Viktor Hovland at 12:45 p.m. ET. Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Åberg tee off at 1:10 p.m. ET, then Young and Thomas follow at 1:20 p.m. ET. Sepp Straka and Jordan Spieth are next at 1:30 p.m. ET. Key facts: - The 2026 Truist Championship begins Thursday, May 7, at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. - Golf.com lists all Round 1 groups as starting from Tee No. 1, beginning at 7:45 a.m. ET. - Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick tee off at 10:05 a.m. ET. - Cameron Young and Justin Thomas tee off at 1:20 p.m. ET. - PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ starts coverage at 7:30 a.m. ET, while Golf Channel carries the round from 2-6 p.m. ET. The main implication is simple: Thursday’s best viewing requires planning. The biggest McIlroy window lands before the TV broadcast, while Young and Thomas begin just before Golf Channel comes on air. Fans tracking odds, fantasy starts, matchup bets or featured-group streams should sort the day by platform first and tee time second. Golf.com’s schedule makes clear that ESPN+ owns the early access, while Golf Channel serves the afternoon audience. What's next: Round 1 begins with Poston and Pendrith at 7:45 a.m. ET, then rolls through a steady Tee No. 1 schedule until Kim and Stevens at 2:00 p.m. ET. Watch for PGA Tour Live featured-group assignments before the first shots, because those will decide how much of McIlroy, Young, Thomas and the other marquee names viewers can see outside the main Golf Channel broadcast window. ## Why this matters Tee-time posts are not glamorous, but they are where golf coverage becomes usable. Fans need to know when McIlroy starts, bettors need matchup timing, fantasy players need wave context, and streamers need to know whether a group is on television or behind the early ESPN+ window. For the 2026 Truist Championship, the split matters: McIlroy goes before TV coverage, while Young and Thomas sit closer to the Golf Channel window. ## Frequently asked ### When does the 2026 Truist Championship start? The 2026 Truist Championship begins Thursday, May 7, with Round 1 at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. Golf.com lists the first tee time at 7:45 a.m. ET, with J.T. Poston and Taylor Pendrith opening the day from Tee No. 1. ### What time do Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick tee off? Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick tee off at 10:05 a.m. ET on Thursday in the first round. Because that start comes before Golf Channel’s 2 p.m. ET television window, viewers looking for early coverage should check PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. ### What time do Cameron Young and Justin Thomas tee off? Cameron Young and Justin Thomas are scheduled for 1:20 p.m. ET Thursday. Golf.com highlighted that group as the featured Round 1 tee time, with Young entering as World No. 3 and Thomas returning to a venue where he won the 2017 PGA Championship. ### How can fans watch Round 1 on Thursday? Golf.com reports that PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ begins early streaming coverage at 7:30 a.m. ET, including featured group and featured hole coverage. Golf Channel then carries Thursday’s first round from 2-6 p.m. ET, covering the afternoon portion of play. ## Sources & Citations - [2026 Truist Championship Thursday tee times: Round 1 pairings](https://golf.com/news/2026-truist-championship-thursday-tee-times-round-1-pairings/) — Golf.com (2026-05-06) --- Cite: 2026 Truist Championship Round 1 Tee Times. Sportopod, 2026-05-16. https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/2026-truist-championship-thursday-tee-times-round-1-pairing-moued711