World No. 1 Scheffler defends Open at Royal Birkdale

The 154th Open Championship begins on Thursday, July 16, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler aiming to defend his title against a field of 156 of the world's best golfers. The tournament, the final men's major of the season, concludes on Sunday, July 19.

Scheffler, who won at Royal Portrush in 2025, is attempting to become the first player to win back-to-back Opens since Padraig Harrington did so at Royal Birkdale in 2008. His preparation was disrupted by a missed cut at last week's Genesis Scottish Open, ending a streak of 78 consecutive made cuts. His primary challenger is world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, who seeks his second Open title and first since 2014.

The pairings for the first two rounds, announced on Monday, July 13, place the two stars in prominent groups at opposite ends of the draw. Scheffler will begin his title defense at 9:58 a.m. local time on Thursday, playing alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton. McIlroy, grouped with Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick, has a later start at 3:15 p.m. Their tee times will flip for Friday's second round.

The course at Royal Birkdale, hosting...