British Open Field 2017: Tee Times, Odds and Predictions for Favorites, Sleepers

The 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, will begin on Thursday, and eager golf fans will either need to set their alarms—or drink some coffee—to watch the opening tee-off. 

The early coverage on Thursday starts at 1:30 a.m. ET on Golf Channel. NBC will add coverage on Saturday and Sunday. 

However, thankfully for fans outside of the United Kingdom, the Vegas favorites (and some of the biggest names in this year's British Open) don't take to the course until later in the morning. 

There are 156 players in the field, and they will participate in the four-round, 72-hole tournament over the course of four days, with a cut after 36 holes.

The full TV schedule for the Open Championship is below, as well as tee times, odds and predictions for this year's marquee players. Full tee times and information on all 156 players in the field can be found at PGA.com. 

British Open Odds and Predictions

Favorites

Dustin Johnson 10-1 (3rd)

Rory McIlroy 10-1 (6th)

Jordan Spieth 11-1 (1st)

Jason Day 16-1 (8th)

Sergio Garcia 16-1 (2nd)

Jon Rahm 16-1 (9th)

Rickie Fowler 18-1 (4th)

Peter Morrison/Associated Press

Dustin Johnson has been at or near the top of the Vegas odds for the entire year, but the major tournaments have not been kind to him so far. 

The American had to withdraw from the Masters Tournament in April after injuring his back falling down the stairs in his rental home. Then, he didn't make the cut at the U.S. Open. 

According to Johnson, he couldn't practice for four weeks. Needless to say, his play has taken a dive as a result. 

"Taking four weeks off isn't bad if you can practice. I couldn't practice," he said, per the Associated Press' Doug Ferguson (via ABC News). "I couldn't swing a club. It's taken me a long time to get everything back to feeling where it was."

Speaking of missed cuts, fellow favorite Rory McIlroy is coming off one in the Scottish Open. In fact, he has missed the cut in three of his four last tournaments, per Ferguson. 

In this year's Open Championship, the top favorites may not be the way to go. 

Though lower in the Vegas odds at 16-1, Sergio Garcia is a player many are keeping an eye on heading into the tournament. 

Don't buy into all the hoopla surrounding the Spaniard's upcoming July nuptials and the whispers that they are distracting him from the Claret Jug. 

"[Fiancee Angela Akins] has been doing a great job of getting everything ready for the wedding, and obviously, we're really excited for next week," Garcia said upon arriving at Royal Birkdale, per AP News (via Golf Magazine).

"But we have something that we're also extremely excited about this week. And we want to be here giving everything we have, and hopefully with a chance on Sunday."

Garcia is riding high coming off his win in the Masters, and he's looking to add the Claret Jug to his green jacket. 

Sleepers

Henrik Stenson 20-1 (7th)

Hideki Matsuyama 20-1 (10th)

Justin Rose 20-1 (11th)

Tommy Fleetwood 20-1 (5th)

Brooks Koepka 28-1 (12th)

Adam Scott 28-1 (13th) 

If you're looking for a strong sleeper to support in the British Open this year, consider English golfer Tommy Fleetwood. 

The 26-year-old grew up in the shadow of Royal Birkdale in Southport and is a "local hero," as termed by the Guardian, heading into the tournament. He's ranked No. 14 in the world. 

For his part, Fleetwood isn't feeling the pressure of living up to the local hype, but he's certainly aware of the unique circumstances surrounding his bid for the Claret Jug. 

"I don't feel extra pressure," he said, per Ewan Murray of the Guardian.

"Obviously it's going to be a different experience, for sure, something that I've never experienced before. But it will be great to have so many people out there rooting for me. It doesn’t happen all the time when you have that many people and they all want you to do well."

But Fleetwood is more than just a feel-good story in this year's championship. His excellent play speaks for itself:

Don't sleep on champion Henrik Stenson, either.

Obviously, anyone who knows even the slightest bit about golf knows his name. But we're considering the Swede a sleeper now only because there are seven players ahead of him in the Vegas odds. 

Notable Tee Times

Henrik Stenson, Si-Woo Kim, Jordan Spieth

Round 1: 4:47 a.m. ET

Round 2: 9:48 a.m. ET

Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia

Round 1: 6:04 a.m. ET

Round 2: 3:03 a.m. ET

Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Paul Casey

Round 1: 8:26 a.m. ET

Round 2: 3:25 a.m. ET

Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel

Round 1: 9:48 a.m. ET

Round 2: 4:47 a.m. ET

Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Marc Leishman

Round 1: 10:10 a.m. ET

Round 2: 5:09 a.m. ET

All odds courtesy of OddsShark.