British Open 2015: Tee Times, Date, TV Schedule and Prize Money

The Old Course at St Andrews is thought by many to be the birthplace of golf, making the historic seaside track a compelling venue for the 2015 Open Championship.  

Just off the North Sea in Fife, Scotland, St Andrews sits on a picturesque landscape worthy of hosting a major tournament. However, the course is as treacherous as it is beautiful. With 112 bunkers—many of which are deep enough to require sideways shots just to get out—massive double greens, swirling winds and even a blind tee shot on the 17th, navigating the Old Course can be a daunting task.

St Andrews is set up to challenge the world's best players; however, only 79 of the top 80 will be in attendance. That's due to an ankle injury suffered by defending champion and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy during a soccer match with his friends. The Northern Irishman announced his plans to skip the tournament on his Instagram account:

Most of the players in this year's field are still in their prime, but one notable golfer will be crossing the Swilcan Bridge for the final time. Golf legend Tom Watson will be playing in his final Open this year, capping off a storied career that includes 39 PGA Tour victories and eight major championship wins, including five Open Championships.

As we anxiously wait for the year's third major to commence, let's take a look at the tournament's essential viewing information, prize money and some notable Thursday tee times.

2015 Open Championship

Date	Time (ET)	Channel
Thu, July 16	4 a.m. - 3 p.m.	ESPN
Fri, July 17	4 a.m. - 3 p.m.	ESPN
Sat, July 18	7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.	ESPN
Sun, July 19	6 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.	ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Where: Old Course at St Andrews in Fife, Scotland

Purse: $10 million (winning share: $1.8 million)

FedEx Cup Points: 600 to winner

Notable Thursday Tee Times

Golfer	Tee Time (ET)
Victor Dubuisson	3:11 a.m.
Webb Simpson	3:22 a.m.
Tom Watson	3:33 a.m.
Bubba Watson	4 a.m.
Sergio Garcia	4:11 a.m.
Lee Westwood	4:11 a.m.
Patrick Reed	4:11 a.m.
Dustin Johnson	4:33 a.m.
Hideki Matsuyama	4:33 a.m.
Jordan Spieth	4:33 a.m.
Tiger Woods	4:55 a.m.
Louis Oosthuizen	4:55 a.m.
Jason Day	4:55 a.m.
Adam Scott	9:12 a.m.
Martin Kaymer	9:12 a.m.
Jimmy Walker	9:12 a.m.
Matt Kuchar	9:34 a.m.
Phil Mickelson	9:34 a.m.
Henrik Stenson	9:34 a.m.
Justin Rose	9:45 a.m.
Rickie Fowler	9:45 a.m.
Jim Furyk	9:56 a.m.
Paul Casey	9:56 a.m.

All tournament tee times can be viewed at PGATour.com.

Stars to Watch

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

It's difficult to single out just a few players from this kind of star-studded field, but we may as well start with a past champion who has an affinity for the Old Course and put on a very solid showing in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. That golfer would be Louis Oosthuizen.

The South African won The Open Championship the last time it was held at St Andrews in 2010. He opened with a blistering round of 65 and maintained his lead the rest of the way to finish seven strokes better than the likes of Lee Westwood, McIlroy and Henrik Stenson.

Oosthuizen's 2015 has been up and down to this point, as he's notched five top-10 finishes and four missed cuts. However, his best finish of the year came in the U.S. Open, where he was a runner-up. He opened the tournament with a dreadful 77 but followed it up with rounds of 66, 66 and 67—including a record-setting 29 on his final nine holes—to finish just one stroke off the lead.

When asked why he performed so well at Chambers Bay during a press conference, per PGATour.com, he noted a change in his putting routine:

"

It put my stroke in positions where I wanted it, and I got more confident with it... On a clutch putt which I felt I needed to make, I freed my stroke a bit off by doing that. I did it a lot coming into the last nine holes on Sunday, and it worked. It was something we worked on so it was great to see it pay off.

"

Rest assured, that routine will allow Oosthuizen to contend once again, as St Andrews' enormous greens require a steadfast stroke and consistent touch.

Peter Morrison/Associated Press

Speaking of golfers who have had previous success on the Old Course, Tiger Woods is looking to claim his third victory on the historic track, having won there in 2000 and 2005. While Woods hasn't fared particularly well this year, he began to show signs of life in the Greenbrier Classic, shooting 66, 69, 61, 67 in arguably his most consistent tournament of the year.

Woods shared his thoughts about his current form and what he's doing to prepare for The Open Championship during a press conference, per Steve DiMeglio of USA Today:

"

I'm hitting the ball much, much more solid. I'm controlling my flights. Coming in here, being able to shape the golf ball not only both ways but also changed my trajectories, as well, and being very comfortable changing my trajectories. That's something that I feel you have to do here on this golf course. You have to be able to maneuver the golf ball because there's a big difference of hitting the ball low with a draw and hitting the ball low with a cut. Sometimes it can be 30 to 50 yards' difference in how the ball reacts on the ground.

"

More so than any other sport, golf is an extremely mental game. Confidence is a huge part of a player's ability to succeed, and considering Woods' affinity for St Andrews and his growing faith in his game, we could see his name on the leaderboard come Sunday.

Jon Super/Associated Press

One player who is no stranger to the leaderboard is world No. 2 Jordan Spieth. The 21-year-old has been on fire this season, becoming just the sixth player in history to win both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. If he can emerge victorious at St Andrews, he'll not only be one win away from the calendar Grand Slam, but he'll also surpass McIlroy for the world's top ranking.

Spieth's maturity for his age is impressive, and his course management has been brilliant. During his first practice round on the Old Course, he made sure he was ready for whatever came his way. That included hitting practice shots off the wall on the 17th, also known as the Road Hole.

Ron Borges of the Boston Globe tweeted a comment from Spieth regarding the 17th hole:

Jason Sobel of ESPN.com then tweeted pictures of the American practicing shots off the wall:

Chalk it up to just another day of preparation for Spieth, who has arguably the hottest hand in the field after winning the John Deere Classic last week.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Spieth isn't the only player entering The Open Championship on the heels of a win. Rickie Fowler is finding his form at the right time, as he followed up a pair of missed cuts with a victory in the Scottish Open. Fowler was extremely consistent in the tournament, notching four consecutive rounds in the 60s to come away with the title.

Last year, Fowler finished as the Open's runner-up, as he was just barely edged by McIlroy. Now, he's gaining some momentum just in time to challenge for the Claret Jug again. Here's what he had to say about getting his form back during a press conference, per DiMeglio:

"

It was nice to kind of quickly put (the U.S. Open) behind me. I really felt like at Chambers that I could play that golf course well and just kind of got it going the wrong way.

But like I said, glad to have the game back where I want it.

"

If Fowler indeed has his game where he wants it, he'll certainly be a name to watch in this year's Open. He plays links courses very well and can be dangerous when he gets a hot streak going.