DP World/PGA Tours ; Open Championship
Home hero Tommy Fleetwood will start his campaign for a dream Open win at Royal Birkdale in the company of Major Champions Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm on Thursday.
They get started at 10.09am, in the group after defending champion Scott Scheffler hits away in the company of England's Tyrrell Hatton and two-time U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau 9.58am
Fleetwood hails from Southport and used to sneak onto the historic links for practice rounds as a child, although the World Number Nine will be walking through the front door this week.
He is sure to take huge galleries with him and they will also be able to see three-time Major winner Spieth - champion the last time The Open was held here in 2017 - and Fleetwood's Ryder Cup team-mate Rahm.
Pádraig Harrington is a former winner at Birkdale and he will look to become the oldest Major winner in history alongside England's Marco Penge and recent first-time DP World Tour winner Michael Hollick at 1.20pm.
The three Major Champions from 2026 so far go out in consecutive groups from 2.53pm, with US PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai playing with 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry and five-time Major Champion Brooks Koepka
At 3.04pm U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark gets started with fellow American Cameron Young and Swede Ludvig Åberg.
Then two-time reigning Masters champion and 2014 Champion Golfer of the Year Rory McIlroy looks for a seventh Major alongside 2024 winner Xander Schauffele and in-form Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick at 3.15pm.
"Fitzy" arrives at Royal Birkdale, now with owgr #3, as one of the most in-form players in the world after a third top-five finish in his last four starts worldwide at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.
A three-time winner on the PGA TOUR this season, including once alongside his brother Alex, the 31-year-old is in no doubt that there could yet be more success this week on home soil.
"I'm definitely playing better, hopefully I've not peaked yet obviously, but I just think I'm doing a lot of good stuff this year. Short game's been really, really good, and so has my irons.
I've had good seasons but never really taken advantage of that, I don't feel like; whereas now I feel like I've got that.
"I think sort of the level of experience and maturity I have, I guess, with playing and being in these situations is obviously much better now, even than before 2022, so I think that's obviously a big help as well.
Fitzpatrick is set for his 11th Open appearance, and second at Royal Birkdale having finished tied 44th in 2017. "I've played here a little bit, so I feel at least somewhat comfortable knowing the holes and just getting that comfortability with different shots you're faced with. When we played a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised at how green it was but how firm it was."
Royal Birkdale member Matt Baldwin came through Final Qualifying to earn his spot at a home Major and he will get proceedings under way at 6.35am.
EDIT >>> Canadians: 10.20am Nick Taylor, Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, 12.58am Corey Conners, Keegan Bradley, Casey Jarvis
For a full list of tee times, click here.
euopeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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