British Open 2026 Tee Times & Pairings for Rory McIlroy, Scheffler and Top Stars in Rounds 1 & 2

The tee times and pairings for the 2026 Open Championship were revealed by Golf Digest's Ryan Herrington on Monday.

Here are the notable groupings for the first two rounds at Royal Birkdale Golf Club (local time/ET):

Round 1

• 9:36 a.m./4:36 a.m.: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
• 9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
• 9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m. Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
• 10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
• 2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
• 3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 3:37 p.m./10:37 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria

Round 2

• 9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
• 9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m.: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg
• 10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
• 3:04 p.m./10:04 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
• 3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
• 3:26 p.m./10:26 a.m.: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor

Rory McIlroy is searching for his first Open Championship victory since 2014, as he's performed admirably during the event in recent years.

McIlroy finished at the No. 3 spot on the leaderboard in 2022 before sitting in a tie for No. 6 the following year. He also tied for the No. 7 position in 2025.

While McIlroy's only win this season has come at the Masters, it's worth noting that he's made just 10 starts.

He recently recorded a No. 7 finish in the Genesis Scottish Open and was encouraged by the result.

"I know I need to do a bit of work between now and next Thursday to feel really comfortable with my game," McIlroy said, per Paul Hodowanic of PGATour.com. "But I don't feel like it's too far away. But yeah, this is – there's definitely some positive signs."

Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler is looking to defend his British Open title after emerging victorious at Royal Portrush in 2025.

The No. 1 player in the World Golf Ranking has struggled as of late, as he hasn't won an event since The American Express on Jan. 25. Scheffler also missed the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Still, he'll be a threat to capture his fifth major championship once the first round of the Open Championship begins on Thursday.