Rory McIlroy will begin his quest for a second major title this year in a marquee group alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas when The 153rd Open Championship begins Thursday at Royal Portrush.
The Northern Irishman, fresh off his career Grand Slam-completing win at The Masters in April, will tee off at 3:10pm in Thursday’s opening round. It marks McIlroy’s return to Portrush, where he famously missed the cut in 2019, and where he now hopes to claim his first major victory on home soil.
Padraig Harrington, a two-time Open champion, will take the opening tee shot at 6:35am. The 52-year-old Irishman is grouped with Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin in what will mark the first of dozens of featured groupings.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler leads the morning headline groups, paired with 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry and two-time major champion Collin Morikawa. They begin at 10:09am, directly following the 9:58am trio of defending champion Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm, and U.S. Open titleholder JJ Spaun.
Other notable groupings include Bryson DeChambeau, Bob MacIntyre, and Justin Rose at 2:48pm. Rose, who tied for second at last year’s Open, is expected to contend again. Just ahead of McIlroy’s tee time, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, and Ludvig Åberg will begin at 2:59pm.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will also feature prominently on Thursday, playing alongside Daniel Berger and Sungjae Im.
McIlroy’s return to Portrush comes with high expectations. In 2019, he struggled under the weight of a homecoming spotlight, missing the cut after a disastrous opening round. This year, he enters with momentum and renewed confidence after securing the fifth major title of his career.
Analyst Paul McGinley downplayed concerns over McIlroy’s tee time. “He’s experienced enough that it won’t make a difference,” said McGinley. “What you really watch for on links courses is the weather. The draw can hurt you if conditions shift dramatically between morning and afternoon.”
Current forecasts suggest mild, steady conditions with moderate winds around 15mph and occasional light showers expected across the four-day event.
