The 154th Open Championship officially teed off today at Royal Birkdale, marking the start of one of golf's most anticipated tournaments. Spectators gathered from the early hours to witness some of the world's best golfers tackle the challenging links course. The day's action began promptly at 6:35 AM BST with Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, and James Nicholas leading the initial pairings.
All eyes are on a strong field of contenders, including reigning champion and world number one, Scottie Scheffler, who commenced his campaign at 9:58 AM BST alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, a perennial favourite and long overdue for another major championship victory outside of the Masters, started his round later in the day at 3:15 PM BST, playing with Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick.
Local interest is particularly high for Southport's Tommy Fleetwood, who received a warm reception as he began his quest for the Claret Jug at 10:09 AM BST, paired with two-time major winner Jordan Spieth and former world number one Jon Rahm. Fellow English veteran Justin Rose, who famously impressed as an amateur at Birkdale in 1998, also featured in the morning sessions, with his tee time set for 9:36 AM BST alongside Russell Henley and Viktor Hovland.
Other notable pairings throughout the day included Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, and Jason Day at 9:47 AM BST, while Open veterans like Francesco Molinari and Henrik Stenson also took to the course in the earlier groups. The afternoon saw further star power, with Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, and Brooks Koepka teeing off at 2:53 PM BST, and Collin Morikawa, JJ Spaun, and Nicolai Hojgaard starting at 2:42 PM BST. British hopes are also carried by players like Robert MacIntyre, who started at 7:19 AM BST, and Matthew Jordan, who was in the 6:57 AM BST group.
The conditions at Royal Birkdale are expected to test the players' skill and resilience throughout the tournament. With a mix of established champions and rising stars, the opening day promises to set the tone for what is anticipated to be a thrilling championship.