Those in charge of tee times at the 2026 Open Championship did their best to lay the groundwork for potential drama when the final major of the men’s golf calendar begins with Round 1 on Thursday, July 16.
The featured groups for the opening rounds of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale are filled with intriguing possibilities, starting with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. He’s in a group with LIV Golf star and former Ryder Cup teammate Bryson DeChambeau, plus Tyrrell Hatton. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, will headline a group made up exclusively of past major winners.
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Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood and Wyndham Clark are also in groups that should draw the most attention during Rounds 1 and 2 at Royal Birkdale.
Here’s a ranking and breakdown of the best groups to watch in Round 1 of the 2026 Open Championship:
More: 2026 Open Championship sets records for purse, winner’s prize money
British Open tee times: Best Round 1 groups to watch
All times Eastern
1. Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton
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Round 1 tee time: 4:58 a.m.
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Round 2 tee time: 10:04 a.m.
Scheffler, the world No. 1 coming off his first missed cut in years, will try to become the first back-to-back winner at the Open Championship since Padraig Harrington accomplished the feat at Royal Birkdale in 2008. He’ll play alongside DeChambeau, who missed the cut at the first three majors of the year. His future beyond this season remains up in the air with LIV Golf’s future in doubt. Add in the colorful Hatton, who’s also a threat to win the tournament, and this group will draw plenty of attention.
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2. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
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Round 1 tee time: 10:15 a.m.
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Round 2 tee time: 5:09 a.m.
McIlroy, the two-time defending Masters champion, is among the favorites this weekend as he chases his second Claret Jug after a bunch of near misses in recent years. Schauffele won the Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2024 and has been in contention during every major in 2026. Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, has risen to No. 3 in the world rankings after three wins this season.
3. Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood
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Round 1 tee time: 5:09 a.m.
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Round 2 tee time: 10:15 a.m.
Fleetwood will be the tournament’s sentimental favorite since he grew up down the road from Royal Birkdale and still seeks a first major championship win for his otherwise sterling resume. Rahm and Spieth are both prominent names out to prove their best days aren’t yet behind them. Spieth won the Open Championship when it was held at Royal Birkdale in 2017 and Rahm nearly won The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in 2023.
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4. Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg
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Round 1 tee time: 10:04 a.m.
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Round 2 tee time: 4:58 a.m.
This will be Clark’s first appearance since winning the U.S. Open last month despite his fair share of detractors in the gallery, and he’ll be grouped with two other golfers billed as potential challengers for Scheffler and McIlroy on the PGA Tour. Young appeared on the verge of a monster season after a third-place finish at The Masters and wins at The Players Championship and Cadillac Championship earlier this year, but he has just one top-10 finish since the beginning of May.
More: Why does everyone hate Wyndham Clark? Inside US Open backlash
5. Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
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Round 1 tee time: 9:53 a.m.
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Round 2 tee time: 4:47 a.m.
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A group made up entirely of former major winners, including the 2026 PGA Championship winner (Rai). Lowry, the 2019 Open Championship winner from Ireland, will likely have a strong contingent backing him overseas. Koepka, a 5-time major winner, has never won the Open Championship and will be making just his fourth start since May 21. He’s missed the cut at his last two events, most notably the U.S. Open.
6. Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
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Round 1 tee time: 9:31 a.m.
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Round 2 tee time: 4:25 a.m.
Gotterup just won for the third time this year at the John Deere Classic and has performed well in limited starts on links courses, including a third-place finish in his first-career Open Championship appearance last year. Burns is coming off his best showing in a major after finishing second at the U.S. Open and his putting around the green makes him a viable threat again.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Open Championship 2026: Ranking the most intriguing Round 1 groups
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