The draw is in for the opening two rounds of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, and if the featured groups are any indication, we’re in for fireworks on the iconic Lancashire links starting Thursday, July 16.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler leads a murderer’s row of talent as he bids to become the first back-to-back Open winner since Pádraig Harrington.

Featured Groups and Key Pairings

(All times U.S./ET)

Thursday Round 1 / Friday Round 2

• 4:58am / 10:04am: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
  The reigning Champion Golfer tees it up early Thursday alongside two bombers who can do serious damage when the wind behaves. Scheffler’s metronomic consistency meets DeChambeau’s power game and Hatton’s links pedigree.
• 5:09am / 10:15am: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
  Home hero Fleetwood gets a dream pairing with the 2017 Birkdale champion Spieth and two-time major winner Rahm. Emotional stakes are high for the Englishman, while Rahm and Spieth bring major pedigree and creativity around the greens.
• 9:53am / 4:47am: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
  Three major winners, including 2019 Champion Golfer Lowry and recent PGA champ Rai. Koepka’s power and short-game touch make this a group to watch for fireworks.
• 10:15am / 5:09am: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
  The marquee afternoon draw on Thursday. McIlroy, chasing that elusive second Claret Jug since 2014, teams with 2024 champion Schauffele and 2022 U.S. Open winner Fitzpatrick. Expect massive galleries and plenty of drama.

Other notable groups include:

• 2:19am / 7:25am: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick
• 4:36am / 9:47am: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
• 4:47am / 9:58am: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
• 9:31am / 4:25am: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
• 9:42am / 4:36am: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard
• 10:04am / 4:58am: Cam Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg 

Early Waves and Local Flavor

Royal Birkdale member Matthew Baldwin earns the honor of the first tee shot at 6:35am alongside Thomas Detry and James Nicholas. Joe Dean, the Last-Chance Qualifier hero and former delivery driver turned DP World Tour battler, gets an early slot with Henrik Stenson and Max Homa.

The afternoon wave on Thursday (and morning on Friday) features plenty of star power, with McIlroy’s group teeing off latest among the headliners at 3:15pm (local).

Full tee sheets are available on theopen.com, with featured group coverage accessible via The Open App. U.S. viewers can catch early action on Peacock and main coverage on USA/NBC.

Birkdale’s fabled dunes and unpredictable weather will test every facet of the game. With Scheffler defending, McIlroy motivated, and a mix of past champions, young guns, and qualifiers in the mix, the 154th Open promises the kind of theater only links golf delivers.

Television: Thu-Fri: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock), 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (USA); Sat: 5-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC); Sun: 4-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC)

Stay tuned to Pro Golf Weekly for live updates, recaps, and the unfiltered takes as the Claret Jug chase begins.