What's happened
The Open at Royal Birkdale is underway. Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele headline the first draws, with Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau among the marquee groups. Jack McDonald and Tommy Fleetwood feature among home players teeing off early, while defending champion Scheffler faces a late morning start.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- The Open field balances defending champion Scheffler with heavyweights McIlroy and Fitzpatrick, signaling a tight race on a links layout.
- Early tee times for local entrants like Matt Baldwin and Jack McDonald aim to leverage home-course knowledge.
- Watch for a potential surge in qualification matches for weekend play as groups align with players' form from recent events.
What this means for readers
- If you’re following top players, expect a day of sharp competitiveness and expected highs in scoring on the front nine.
- Fans near the Scottish contingent may get a favorable finish as the schedule progresses into the weekend.
How we got here
The Open rotates venues; this year Royal Birkdale hosts the championship. Previous editions have featured McIlroy, Scheffler and Fleetwood among the top contenders. Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links determined some of the local entrants.
Our analysis
BBC and The Scotsman report on tee times and groupings, highlighting McIlroy, Scheffler and Fleetwood in key draws. The Scotsman notes the East Lothian field and Dundonald qualifiers as part of the Open lineup.
Go deeper
- Who will emerge from the early groups as a lead contender?
- Will home-region players translate early advantage into mid-tournament momentum?
- How will Scheffler balance defending the title with the tougher groups ahead?
More on these topics
-
Scottie Scheffler - American professional golfer
Scottie Scheffler is an American professional golfer, who currently plays on the PGA Tour. Scheffler was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey but moved to Dallas, Texas at a young age.
-
Tommy Fleetwood - English professional golfer
Thomas Paul Fleetwood is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He has won five times on the tour.
-
Rory McIlroy - Professional golfer
Rory McIlroy MBE is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who is a member of both the European and PGA Tours. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, having spent over 100 weeks in that position during his career.
-
Tyrrell Hatton - British professional golfer
Tyrrell Glen Hatton (; born 14 October 1991) is an English professional golfer. He has played on the European Tour and the PGA Tour, winning eight times on the former, including five Rolex Series events. He also has one win on the PGA Tour at the 2020...
-
Bryson DeChambeau - American professional golfer
Bryson James Aldrich DeChambeau is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. In 2015, he became the fifth player in history to win both the NCAA Division I championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.
-
Jon Rahm - Spanish professional golfer
Jon Rahm Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He is the current world number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, having first achieved that rank after winning the Memorial Tournament in July 2020.
-
Jordan Spieth - American professional golfer
Jordan Alexander Spieth is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a three-time major winner and the 2015 FedEx Cup champion. Spieth's first major win came in the 2015 Masters T
-
Xander Schauffele - American professional golfer
Alexander Victor Schauffele is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.
-
Matthew Fitzpatrick - English professional golfer
Matthew Thomas Fitzpatrick is an English professional golfer. His biggest achievement as an amateur was winning the 2013 U.S. Amateur. His first professional win was in the 2015 British Masters.