Rory McIlroy starts his quest for a seventh major title at the 154th Open Championship today, with his first round tee time set for 3:15pm BST at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport. The Northern Irishman, 37, will play alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick in a marquee group.
McIlroy's Major Pedigree
McIlroy enters the tournament after a stellar 2025 season that saw him win the Masters for the second consecutive year, becoming only the fourth golfer to achieve back-to-back victories at Augusta National. He joined Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Sir Nick Faldo (1989-1990), and Tiger Woods (2001-2002) in that elite club. His Masters win also completed a career grand slam, as he now owns victories in all four major championships.
His sole Open triumph came in 2014 at Royal Liverpool, when he lifted the Claret Jug. That win made him the third golfer ever to win three different majors by age 25, following earlier successes at the 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA Championship. He added a second PGA Championship later in 2014.
Ending a Major Drought
McIlroy's 2014 Open victory marked his last major win until 2025, a nine-year gap he described as a 'burden' and 'very difficult'. However, his back-to-back Masters victories have proven he is unlikely to endure another lengthy drought. He now has six major championships to his name.
Royal Birkdale hosts the Open for the first time in nine years, after last year's edition at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
Full First Round Tee Times
The first group tees off at 6:35am BST on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Key pairings include:
- 6:35am: Matt Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas
- 7:08am: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean
- 7:19am: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick
- 9:36am: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
- 9:47am: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
- 9:58am: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
- 10:09am: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
- 2:31pm: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
- 2:42pm: Collin Morikawa, JJ Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard
- 2:53pm: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
- 3:04pm: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg
- 3:15pm: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
How to Watch
All four days of the Open are broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting at 6:30am BST.
