Double Major winning Rory McIlroy will get to test his game ahead of next week’s Masters alongside American Dustin Johnson and England’s former fellow No.1 Luke Donald for the opening two rounds of the Shell Houston Open.

The trio is one of many star three balls featuring over the first two days of competition on the Redstone course.

Immediately behind McIlroy’s group is the three ball of Joran Speith, Sergio Garcia and Steve Stricker with the threesome of Lee Westwood, Y E Yang and Davis Love 111 also out on the first two days.

Padraig Harrington finds himself grouped with Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts and with all three needing to win this week’s event to secure an invitation into Augusta.

In the immediate group behind is the Major winning trio of Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley though there is an injury cloud over Mickelson who has withdrawn from tomorrow’s (WED) Pro-Am.

And the PGA Tour’s newest star Steven Bowditch of Australia with play alongside boyhood hero Ernie Els and his fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen.

Rory McIlroy in action at the 2013 Shell Houston Open. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)