British Open Schedule 2015: Tee Times, Live Stream and TV Coverage Listings

Every major tournament has elevated intrigue and allure, but there's nothing quite like an Open Championship played on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Known by many as the ancestral home of golf, the Old Course sits alongside the North Sea and boasts a picturesque landscape for the year's third major. But while the course is a sight to behold, trouble lurks around every corner. From a total of 112 bunkers, massive greens and fescue to constant swirling winds off the sea, the track can bring even the most talented golfers to their knees.

Speaking of talented golfers, 79 of the world's top 80 will be in attendance in Fife, Scotland. The only missing individual happens to be defending champion and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who will spend the week nursing an ankle injury he suffered during a soccer match with friends.

This is one tournament you won't want to miss, so to ensure you catch every second of the ensuing action, let's take a look at The Open Championship's essential viewing information, followed by some notable Thursday tee times and early storylines to watch.

2015 Open Championship Schedule

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

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.

Storylines to Watch

Spieth Aims for World No. 1

Jon Super/Associated Press

With McIlroy out of The Open Championship, the door is open for Jordan Spieth to claim the world's No. 1 ranking with a victory at St. Andrews. Due to the 21-year-old's phenomenal play this season, he enters the tournament as the odds-on favorite to win it all, according to Odds Shark.

Spieth became just the sixth player to win both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year, and his shot at obtaining the elusive calendar Grand Slam is still within reach. He was brilliant at Augusta National, getting out in front early with a opening-round 64 and cruising to a wire-to-wire win. He was tested at Chambers Bay, but late-tournament resilience led to his eventual one-stroke victory.

The American enters The Open Championship with a great deal of momentum, having won last week's John Deere Classic thanks, in part, to an impressive third-round 61. He's carrying quite a deal of confidence with him to St. Andrews, and that shone through during his practice round.

We already know Spieth is one of the best course-managers on tour, and he's obviously preparing for anything at the Old Course, as he hit balls off the Road Hole's wall just in case he found himself in that situation during the tournament. Here's a look at Spieth practicing those shots, courtesy of ESPN.com's Jason Sobel:

Spieth is overwhelmingly mature for his age, is arguably playing better golf than anyone on the planet right now and has every shot in the book to help him navigate 72 holes at St. Andrews. We could be looking at a new world No. 1 come Sunday.

Johnson Attempts to Bounce Back

Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Dustin Johnson has a bit of a history when it comes to collapsing late in major tournaments; however, his most memorable meltdown came on the 72nd green at Chambers Bay this year. With a 20-foot putt to win the tournament, Johnson blew the ball well past the hole only to miss the comeback putt. That three putt assured him of a runner-up finish.

The Open Championship will be Johnson's first tournament since that epic collapse, and when he was asked about that fateful day during a press conference, via Shane Ryan of Golf Digest, Johnson refused to blame himself. Instead, he blamed the greens at Chambers Bay:

"

Hit a good putt on the way back, and it just bounced and missed left.

I felt like I was hitting good putts, just it's tough to judge bounces.

Coming down the back nine, I was hitting the shots that I wanted to hit. Unfortunately the ball wasn't bouncing in the hole.

"

Sure, the greens at Chambers Bay weren't exactly pristine; however, Johnson shouldn't blame bad bounces for running his first putt six feet past the hole, creating a knee-knocker coming back to tie for the lead. Golf is an extremely mental game, and these comments are intriguing because they give a glimpse into Johnson's confidence level entering The Open Championship.

 

Woods Looks to Cure Major Woes

Tiger Woods was, at one point, one of golf's most successful players and looked to be on pace to eclipse Jack Nicklaus in the major wins department. Well, Woods has since fallen off that pace due to issues in his personal life, lingering injuries and ongoing swing changes.

Woods appeared to be righting the ship earlier this year with a tie for 17th in the Masters; however, that wasn't the case. The former world No. 1 went on to shoot 80 and 76 in the U.S. Open, missing the cut by a great margin. It appeared as though his time as a major contender was all but over.

But there is some light at the end of the tunnel entering St. Andrews—a course at which he's won The Open Championship twice (2000 and 2005)—due to some fine play in the Greenbrier Classic. At The Old White TPC, Woods shot three of his four rounds in the 60s and concluded the tournament with a solid 67. He spoke of his form during a press conference, via Bob Harig of ESPN.com:

"

I did a lot of work. I feel good. Sunday at Greenbrier is probably the best I hit it in two years. That was fun. It sounds crazy when I told everyone at Greenbrier that I felt close, after the scores I shot at the Memorial and the U.S. Open. I just didn't quite have the feel yet. I shifted the baseline so much I just didn't quite have the feel yet.

"

It certainly appears as though Woods was able to generate plenty of confidence from his showing in the Greenbrier. If he's able to carry that momentum through to The Open Championship, we may be issuing a Tiger watch over the weekend.

 

Watson Bids Farewell

Tom Watson is one of golf's most legendary figures. He's tied for 11th all-time with 39 PGA Tour victories, and he's accumulated eight major tournament victories over the years. The Open Championship was always his most successful of the four majors, as he notched five victories in the tournament—surprisingly, none of which came at St. Andrews.

Still, Watson has produced many fond memories at the Old Course, and this year marks the final time he'll cross the Swilcan Bridge. However, according to Watson—who is always a competitor—he'll be aiming for a new exemption, according to an interview with Ewan Murray of the Guardian:

"

I'm not totally convinced. Never say never as far as a competitor is concerned. Do I have enough of it left to compete and finish in the top 10? Which is my goal this week, to finish in the top 10 and be able to play in the Open Championship for another five years on a special exemption.

"

At the age of 65, earning a top-10 finish is highly unlikely for Watson; however, golf is a funny game and you just never know when someone will catch fire. Will we bid farewell to Watson this week, or will he shock the world and put himself in contention on Sunday? We'll find out in short order.