Rory Mc Ilroy has been grouped alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick for the first two rounds of The 154th Open, with Scottie Scheffler on the opposite side of the draw at Royal Birkdale. Mc Ilroy is in the late wave, looking to bookend his major season with victories and win The Open for the first time since 2014, with the Masters champion out at 3.15pm on Thursday.

The world No 2 has been handed a marquee grouping alongside 2024 winner Schauffele and former US Open champion Fitzpatrick, who already has three victories on the PGA Tour this season and is looking to become the first English winner of The Open since Sir Nick Faldo.

Other notable groups include Players champion Cameron Young partnering US Open winner Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Åberg, while Scotland's Robert Mac Intyre is grouped with Rickie Fowler and Alex Fitzpatrick. Justin Rose is alongside Viktor Hovland and Russell Henley, with PGA champion Aaron Rai grouped with 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka.

Royal Birkdale member Matt Baldwin will hit the opening tee shot at 6.35am on Thursday morning after progressing through Final Qualifying, while Joe Dean's reward for winning the Last-Chance Qualifier is a three‑ball with 2016 champion Henrik Stenson and Max Homa. Sky Sports will broadcast the event from 6.30am, with extended coverage starting at 9am on Saturday.