Rory McIlroy faces a long wait before his Open campaign starts - with Darren Clarke and Tom McKibbin also in Royal Birkdale field
Rory McIlroy faces a long wait to get his Open Championship under way after being handed a late draw on Thursday at Royal Birkdale.
The reigning Masters champion and world number two will not go out until 3.15pm alongside 2024 winner Xander Schauffele and Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick in the marquee afternoon group.
By then he will have seen how defending champion Scottie Scheffler has fared as the world number one, who missed his first cut in four years at the Scottish Open on Friday, is out at 9.58am.
The American, seeking to become the first player to successfully defend the Claret Jug since Padraig Harrington at the Southport links in 2008, goes out with compatriot Bryson DeChambeau, seeking to avoid an unwanted calendar year grand slam of missed cuts in majors, and another English hope in Tyrrell Hatton.
Immediately behind them will be Southport-born Tommy Fleetwood, Jordan Spieth – the last winner of a Birkdale Open – and two-time major winner Jon Rahm.
Justin Rose, who finished tied-fourth as an amateur at the venue in 1998 – is alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Viktor Hovland and Russell Henley at 9.36am, while US PGA champion Aaron Rai, another looking to end an English drought at the Open stretching back to 1992, is grouped with 2019 winner Shane Lowry and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka at 2.53pm.
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin is out from 8.03am alongside Francesco Molinari and amateur Lev Grinberg.
Darren Clarke, also from Northern Ireland and the 2011 Open champion, tees off on Thursday from 12.47pm in a group including Adrien Saddier and Bernd Wiesberger.
Royal Birkdale member Matt Baldwin, who came through final qualifying, has been given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot at 6.35am.