The Open 2026 tee times: Rory McIlroy given late start to opening round at Royal Birkdale as R1 groupings revealed

Rory McIlroy has been grouped alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick for the first two rounds of The 154th Open, with Scottie Scheffler on the opposite side of the draw at Royal Birkdale.

McIlroy is in the late wave as he looks to bookend his major season with victories and win The Open for the first time since 2014, with The Masters champion out at 3.15pm on Thursday.

The world No 2 has been handed a marquee grouping alongside 2024 winner Schauffele and former US Open champion Fitzpatrick, who already has three victories on the PGA Tour this season and is looking to become the first English winner of The Open since Sir Nick Faldo.

• The Open LIVE! Latest build-up from Royal Birkdale
• When is The Open on Sky? Key TV times
• The Open: Latest headlines, news and highlights
• Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract

Scheffler begins his bid to become the first back-to-back winner since Padraig Harrington alongside Tyrrell Hatton and two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who is looking to avoid completing a 'Grand Slam' of major missed cuts in 2026.

The world No 1 missed the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open but remains pre-tournament favourite to claim a fifth major in as many seasons, with that group out at 9.58am ahead of Southport-born Tommy Fleetwood teeing up alongside Jon Rahm and 2017 champion Jordan Spieth.

Other notable groups include Players champion Cameron Young partnering US Open winner Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Åberg, while Scotland's Robert MacIntyre is grouped with Rickie Fowler and Alex Fitzpatrick.

Justin Rose - who finished tied-fourth as an amateur at this venue in 1998 - is alongside Viktor Hovland and Russell Henley, with PGA champion Aaron Rai grouped with 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka.

Royal Birkdale member Matt Baldwin will hit the opening tee shot at 6.35am on Thursday morning after progressing through Final Qualifying, while Joe Dean's reward for winning the Last-Chance Qualifier is a threeball with 2016 champion Henrik Stenson and Max Homa.

The Open: Thursday's notable R1 tee times

All times BST; USA unless stated

0635 Matt Baldwin (Eng), Thomas Detry (Bel), James Nicholas

0708 Henrik Stenson (Swe), Max Homa, Joe Dean (Eng)

0719 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick (Eng)

0936 Russell Henley, Justin Rose (Eng), Viktor Hovland (Nor)

0947 Justin Thomas, Alex Noren (Swe), Jason Day (Aus)

0958 Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Bryson DeChambeau

1009 Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Jon Rahm (Esp)

1431 Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott

1442 Collin Morikawa, JJ Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard

1453 Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka

1504 Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg

1515 Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick

Does the draw offer any advantage?

Three-time Champion Golfer Sir Nick Faldo, speaking to Sky Sports News:

"You never know what you're going to get on the links. Day one, you want to get up and get on with it. But if you've had a good day, then you've got to wait literally 24 hours before you go again.

"You could have a great day and who knows? You could come back and suddenly you're four or six back again. It might not be such a bad thing to start again, reset, and off you go again.

"But links golf is a flip of the coin on which side of the draw you really want to be. Sometimes you want late-early because then you really get on with it. You play, then you come in, turn around and go again - sometimes that's good."

When is The Open live on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports is once again the exclusive home of The Open in the UK and Ireland, with wall-to-wall action from the final men's major of the year gets under way at 6.30am on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf.

There will be at least 15 hours of action on both the first two rounds, with bonus feeds available on Sky Sports+ or the Sky Sports App, with extended coverage then starting at 9am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: The Open 2026 tee times: Rory McIlroy given late start to opening round at Royal Birkdale as R1 groupings revealed