Brian Harman begins title defence alongside Viktor Hovland and Sahith Theegala; Rory McIlroy grouped with Max Homa and Tyrrell Hatton; Tiger Woods tees off at 2.37pm on the opening day; watch live on Thursday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf

By Ali Stafford at Royal Troon


Tiger Woods has been drawn alongside Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay for the first two rounds of The 152nd Open at Royal Troon.

Woods faces a late-early draw on his first appearance since back-to-back missed cuts at the PGA Championship and US Open, going out at 2.37pm on Thursday alongside reigning PGA champion Schauffele and former FedExCup winner Cantlay.

The former world No 1 missed last year’s contest through injury and also did not feature when The Open was last held at Royal Troon in 2016, with this week’s appearance meaning Woods is set to complete all four majors in a calendar year for the first time since 2019.

Watch a selection of the best shots from Woods at The Open Championship, an event he has won three times

Former Champion Golfer Justin Leonard will hit the opening tee shot at 6.35am on Thursday, with the 1997 winner at Royal Troon alongside Todd Hamilton – who lifted the Claret Jug at the same venue in 2004 – and Scotland’s Jack McDonald.

Defending champion Brian Harman is among the morning starters and plays with Viktor Hovland and Sahith Theegala, teeing off at 9.58am, while Rory McIlroy is out in the following group as he begins his latest bid to claim an elusive fifth major victory.

Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir has noticed Rory McIlroy looking relaxed and in amazing form ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Troon

McIlroy – who has top-six finishes in six of his last eight starts at The Open since his 2014 win – will play alongside Tyrrell Hatton and American Max Homa, while US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau partners Ludvig Åberg and Tom Kim.

Genesis Scottish Open champion Robert MacIntyre is grouped with Ryder Cup team-mates Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler in an all-American threeball with 2017 champion Jordan Spieth and 2022 runner-up Cameron Young.

Jon Rahm thinks Keegan Bradley will make a good captain for team USA at the Ryder Cup despite originally thinking Woods would be the front-runner

Former Open champions Shane Lowry and Cameron Smith have been grouped with 2022 US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick, with former world No 1 Brooks Koepka out alongside Wyndham Clark and Hideki Matsuyama.

Thursday’s key tee times (all BST)

0936 Jon Rahm (Esp), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)

0947 Ludvig Åberg (Swe), Bryson DeChambeau, Tom Kim

Ludvig Åberg showed off his impressive iron play on the range as he hit the ‘Postage Stamp’ target in a special challenge ahead of The 152nd Open

0958 Brian Harman, Viktor Hovland (Nor), Sahith Theegala

1009 Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Max Homa, Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)

1426 Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Brooks Koepka

1437 Tiger Woods, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay

1448 Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Si Woo Kim (Kor)

1459 Shane Lowry (Irl), Cameron Smith (Aus), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)


The Open Live

1510 Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young

See the full list of first-round tee times here…

When is The Open on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports is once again the home of The Open, with round-the-clock action on Sky Sports Golf and live coverage from all seven days of tournament week at Royal Troon.

Who will impress at The 152nd Open? Watch the final men’s major of the year this week at Sky Sports Golf

There’s seven of live coverage on both Monday and Tuesday, with 10 hours of build-up, news and interviews on Wednesday ahead of the final men’s major of the year getting under way on Thursday.

Wall-to-wall begins from 6.30am for the first two rounds, ahead of the opening tee shot at 6.35am. There is also lots of extra coverage available throughout each day via the red button on Sky Sports Golf, along with Sky Q and Sky Glass, with Featured Groups and Featured Hole feeds.

Who will win The 152nd Open? Watch extended coverage this week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream The Open and more top sport with NOW.