Royal Birkdale Awakens: First Round Tee Times Set for the 2026 Open

There's a particular quality to the light on England's Lancashire coast in mid-July—a soft, silvery glow that arrives before the sun properly commits to the day. It's in this half-light that the 2026 Open Championship will begin on Thursday, July 16, when the first players walk onto Royal Birkdale's first tee and the ancient ritual of links golf begins anew.

A Hometown Hero's Moment

The R&A has crafted something special with Thursday's draw, and nowhere is their sense of occasion more apparent than in the 5:09 a.m. ET grouping. Tommy Fleetwood, the Southport native who once sneaked onto Birkdale's fairways with his father as a boy, will stride out alongside Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm—three major champions-in-waiting or already crowned, depending on how this week unfolds.

For Fleetwood, this is more than a tournament. Royal Birkdale sits just miles from where he learned the game, where he first felt the wind off the Irish Sea whip through his hair and understood that golf here is a conversation with the elements. He arrives in exceptional form, having captured his first PGA Tour victory at last year's Tour Championship and already posting six top-10 finishes this season, including a tantalizing T11 at the U.S. Open.

The locals will be there in force, wrapped in waterproofs regardless of the forecast, willing their man home.

The Marquee Groups

The grouping at 4:58 a.m. ET demands attention: Scottie Scheffler, the world's dominant force, paired with Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau. This is box-office links golf—Scheffler's precision, Hatton's combustible brilliance on home soil, and DeChambeau's power game that will be tested by Birkdale's willow scrub and gathering bunkers.

Just ahead of them, at 4:47 a.m. ET, Justin Thomas joins Alex Noren and Jason Day—three players who know what it means to contend in majors, three players hungry for another taste of Claret Jug glory.

The 4:36 a.m. ET pairing offers its own intrigue: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, and Viktor Hovland. Rose knows English links courses as well as anyone in the field, and Hovland's game has matured into something genuinely threatening when the wind picks up.

Early Morning Drama

Don't sleep on the dawn patrol. At 2:19 a.m. ET, Robert MacIntyre and Rickie Fowler will be navigating Birkdale's opening holes while most of America sleeps. MacIntyre's Scottish links pedigree makes him dangerous in these conditions, while Fowler continues his quest for that elusive first major.

The 4:25 a.m. ET group features Hideki Matsuyama alongside Ben Griffin and Min Woo Lee—a Masters champion paired with two of the game's rising talents.

For those willing to embrace the early hours, USA Network coverage begins at 4 a.m. ET, with Peacock's exclusive streaming launching even earlier at 1:30 a.m. ET for the truly devoted.

The Young Guard and the Veterans

Amateur golf earns its place in the championship, with Fifa Laopakdee, Lev Grinberg, Mateo Pulcini, and David Howard all earning their spots in the field. They'll walk the same fairways as David Duval and Stewart Cink—champions who once stood where these young players now stand, dreaming of what might be possible.

At 2:08 a.m. ET, Henrik Stenson returns to Royal Birkdale, the site of his transcendent 2017 victory. The Swede is paired with Max Homa and Joe Dean, and while Stenson's best years may be behind him, these links have a way of rewarding those who understand their secrets.

What Royal Birkdale Demands

This is a course that rewards patience and punishes arrogance. The willow scrub that borders its fairways will swallow wayward drives whole. The pot bunkers, some deeper than a man is tall, require genuine skill to escape. The greens, firm and fast after a dry English summer, will reject anything struck without conviction.

Thursday's first round will begin separating those who came to compete from those who came to participate. By the time the final group finishes, we'll have our first answers about who might lift the Claret Jug come Sunday.

Key Takeaways

• Tommy Fleetwood headlines the 5:09 a.m. ET group with Spieth and Rahm—a potential coronation for the hometown favorite.
• Scheffler, Hatton, and DeChambeau form a blockbuster pairing at 4:58 a.m. ET.
• Coverage begins at 1:30 a.m. ET on Peacock, with USA Network joining at 4 a.m. ET.
• Royal Birkdale's demanding layout will test every player's patience and precision from the first swing.