The 151st Open

Rory McIlroy will begin his quest for a second Claret Jug alongside Jon Rahm and Justin Rose in one of several heavyweight groups for rounds one and two at The 151st Open.

McIlroy is back at Royal Liverpool for the first time since winning golf’s original Championship in 2014, and arrives in peak form following his success at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.

Rahm and Rose have both gone close to lifting the Claret Jug, with the reigning Masters champion T3 in 2021 and the former US Open winner T2 in 2018.

The trio will tee off at 2:59pm BST on Thursday and 9:58am on Friday, and are sure to attract massive crowds on the Hoylake links.

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VIEW FULL TEE TIMES FOR ROUNDS ONE AND TWO

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The 151st Open will start at 6:35am when Matthew Jordan hits the first shot, and the Royal Liverpool member will be joined by Richie Ramsay and Branden Grace.

They will be followed by a series of marquee morning groups, including reigning Champion Golfer Cameron Smith at 9:58am.

The Australian returned the Claret Jug on Monday and begins his bid to win it back alongside Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and US Open winner Wyndham Clark.

Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jason Day kick-start an hour of big names at 9:03am, with Spieth chasing his second Claret Jug on Merseyside following his 2017 success 30 miles up the coast at Royal Birkdale.

A big crowd will be following the 9:47am group that includes world number one Scottie Scheffler, Australia’s Adam Scott and local hero Tommy Fleetwood

Scheffler has finished in the top five at his last seven events and in the top 10 in his three major starts this year, while Fleetwood finished second at The Open in 2019, and then T4 last year.

The Southport native is among the contingent of players hoping to become the first Englishman to win The Open on home soil since Tony Jacklin at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1969.

US PGA champion Brooks Koepka tees off at 9:36am alongside Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama,  while McIlroy’s group headlines the afternoon starters, following swiftly on the heels of the 2:48pm trio of Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau and Justin Thomas.

Reigning Amateur Champion Christo Lamprecht is out at 7:52am alongside compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, the Champion Golfer of 2010, and Joost Luiten.

The last group tee off at 4:16pm on Thursday, while Rasmus Hojgaard, Matthew Southgate and Alex Fitzpatrick are first on the tee on Friday.

For full tee times, click here.