Featured Groups: The Open Championship

SOUTHPORT, England – Tee times have been released for the 146th playing of The Open Championship. Royal Birkdale is hosting the event for the 10th time. The last Open winner at Royal Birkdale was Padraig Harrington in 2008, as he became the first European player in more than 100 years to successfully defend the Open title. Here’s a look at some of the featured groups in this week’s field (FedExCup rankings are in parentheses): RELATED: Tee times | Course | Past results | Field | Past winners Jordan Spieth (4), Si Woo Kim (31), Henrik Stenson (99) – Stenson, who has missed the cut in the first two majors this season, doesn’t exactly exude confidence about defending his title. After finishing T-26 at the Scottish Open on Sunday, he told reporters, “Not feeling that you’re playing anywhere near 100 percent, you can’t really put that pressure that you’re going to be up there and contend.â€� Kim, winner of THE PLAYERS Championship, and Spieth, who won in spectacular fashion in his last start at the Travelers Championship, should be in better frames of mind. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 4:47 a.m. ET on Thursday; Rd. 2 – 9:48 a.m. ET on Friday. Sergio Garcia (19), Jason Day (56), Zach Johnson (87) – In his first 20 starts at The Open, Garcia has finished inside the top 10 half the time. Given his current form – two wins, including the Masters, and 18 consecutive made cuts – he’ll be a big favorite this week. He’ll also be trying to complete a Spanish hat trick, as Jon Rahm won the Irish Open two weeks ago and Rafa Cabrera Bello won the Scottish Open on Sunday. Day has missed the cut in his last two starts and is still seeking his first win since the 2015 PLAYERS. Johnson’s T5 at the John Deere Classic on Sunday is just his third top-5 finish since winning the Open in 2015. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 8:04 a.m. ET on Thursday; Rd. 2 – 3:03 a.m. ET on Friday. Hideki Matsuyama (2), Brooks Koepka (8), Tommy Fleetwood (N/A) – In his 17 major starts since 2013, Matsuyama already has six top-10 finishes, and his T2 at the U.S. Open last month – with a 66 on Sunday the low round of the day — was his best result. Of course, Koepka was the winner at Erin Hills, and is making his first start since then. The former European Tour member last played The Open in 2015, when he finished T-10. Fleetwood, a native of Southport, will be the local favorite and probably knows the course as well as anybody in the field. He said it’s a “massive privilegeâ€� to play so close to home. Like Koepka and Matsuyama, he comes off a strong showing at Erin Hills. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 5:09 a.m. ET on Thursday; Rd. 2 – 10:10 a.m. ET on Friday. Rickie Fowler (6), Paul Casey (26), Adam Scott (71) – The last seven majors have been won by first-time major winners. Don’t be surprised if Fowler or Casey makes it No. 8. Fowler tied for second the last time The Open was held in England, in 2014 at Royal Liverpool. Casey, making his 15th start in The Open, tied for seventh the last time Birkdale was the host. Scott’s run of four consecutive top-10 finishes in this event ended last year when he tied for 43rd at Royal Troon. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 8:26 a.m. ET on Thursday; Rd. 2 – 3:25 a.m. ET on Friday. Dustin Johnson (1), Charl Schwartzel (46), Rory McIlroy (75) – Johnson, the winner of three consecutive events earlier this year, has yet to regain his form since suffering the accident on the stairs that prevented him from playing the Masters. He’s missed the cut in his last two starts. McIlroy also has struggled for results, having missed the cut in three of his last four starts. Schwartzel tied for third at the Masters. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 9:48 a.m. ET on Thursday; Rd. 2 – 4:47 a.m. ET on Friday. Justin Thomas (3), Justin Rose (22), Louis Oosthuizen (40) – Thomas, the three-time winner this season, has missed his last two cuts after his disappointing final round at Erin Hills. Even so, a T-9 at the U.S. Open and a T-22 at the Masters should be a confidence boost going into this week. Rose has five top-5 finishes this year, while Oosthuizen’s best result is a tie for second at THE PLAYERS. Tee times: Rd. 1 – 4:58 a.m. ET on Thursday; Rd. 2 – 9:59 a.m. ET on Friday. MORE NOTES Bryson DeChambeau, in the field this week thanks to Sunday’s breakthrough win at the John Deere Classic, is grouped with Jason Dufner and Branden Grace … Phil Mickelson, the 2013 Open champ, is with Francesco Molinari and Marc Leishman … Think there will be some smack talk in this group? Patrick Reed is with Lee Westwood and Jon Rahm. … Padraig Harrington, the winner at Royal Birkdale in 2008, is with Pat Perez and Thomas Pieters.

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