PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON WILL begin his Olympic campaign alongside Italy’s Matteo Manassero and Danny Lee of New Zealand on Thursday morning.
The 44-year-old, who arrived in the Athletes’ Village this morning, will be in the second group out at 11.41am Irish time (7.41 local) as the sport returns to the Games for the first time in 112 years.
Harrington will be the first European to tee-off as the three-time Major winner eyes the gold medal he set his sights upon when campaigning for golf to be included in the event.
Manassero, too, was part of the International Golf Federation’s delegation that presented the sport’s case for inclusion back in 2009.
Golf’s return will be complete come 10.30am on Thursday when Brazilian Adilson da Silva hits the opening tee-shot at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic golf course.
The home favourite will be joined by Canada’s Graham DeLaet, whose countryman George Lyon won the Olympic gold medal in 1904, the last time golf was part of the Olympic programme,and Byeong Hun An, the son of two Olympic table tennis medalists at the 1988 Games in Seoul.
Ireland’s other representative, Seamus Power, will play alongside India’s Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia and Lin Wen-tang at 2.47pm Irish time.
Other notable tee-times include Masters champion Danny Willett, Matt Kuchar of America and Haotong Li while Bubba Watson plays with Martin Kaymer and Anirban Lahiri.
At 2.58pm, world number seven Rickie Fowler, former US Open champion Justin Rose, and last month’s winner of the Canadian Open, Jhonattan Vegas, will begin their quest for Olympic gold.
And, at 3.09pm, the Open champion and world number five Henrik Stenson will play alongside Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Rafa Cabrera Bello at in Thursday’s final group.
The pairings for Friday’s second round are the same with Harrington going again at 1.36pm and Power playing at 1.03pm.
The 60-man field battle for positions on the podium over 72 holes of individual stroke play.
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