The British Open: Rory McIlroy to tee off with Dustin Johnson

2008 Royal Birkdale winner Pádraig Harrington grouped with Pieters and Perez

Defending British Open champion Henrik Stenson with the Claret Jug ahead of this year’s tournament at Royal Birkdale. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters
Defending British Open champion Henrik Stenson with the Claret Jug ahead of this year’s tournament at Royal Birkdale. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

Rory McIlroy will tee off alongside world number one Dustin Johnson in Thursday opening round at the British Open.

Joining McIlroy and Johnson will be South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, with the group getting underway at 2.48pm.

Pádraig Harrington – winner of the Open the last time it was held at Royal Birkdale in 2008 – came into form in last week's Scottish Open, and he tees off at 9.36am with Belgium's Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters and the USA's Pat Perez.

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry has been drawn alongside American duo JB Holmes and Brandt Snedeker at 10.20am.

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Defending champion Henrik Stenson handed back the Claret Jug on Monday, and his bid to retain it starts at 9.47am – he's joined by Jordan Spieth and Korea's Si-Woo Kim.

The first tee shot will be hit by Mark O’Meara – 1998 winner at Royal Birkdale – at 6.35am.

FIRST & SECOND ROUND TEE TIMES

(a) denotes amateurs; Friday tee-times in brackets

06:35 (11:36) Chris Wood (Eng), Mark O'Meara (USA), Ryan Moore (USA)

06:46 (11:47) Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha), (a) Maverick McNealy (USA), Stuart Manley (Wal)

06:57 (11:58) Stewart Cink (USA), Sandy Lyle (Sco), Jeunghun Wang (Kor)

07:08 (12:09) Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Paul Broadhurst, Roberto Castro (USA)

07:19 (12:20) Tom Lehman (USA), Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Darren Fichardt (RSA)

07:30 (12:31) Billy Horschel (USA), Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Danny Willett (Eng)

07:41 (12:42) Steve Stricker (USA), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Emiliano Grillo (Arg)

07:52 (12:53) Jason Dufner (USA), Branden Grace (RSA), Bryson DeChambeau (USA)

08:03 (13:04) Russell Knox (Sco), Alex Noren (Swe), Ian Poulter (Eng)

08:14 (13:15) David Duval (USA), Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), KT Kim (Kor)

08:25 (13:26) Young-Han Song (Kor), David Horsey (Eng), Dylan Frittelli (RSA)

08:36 (13:37) Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Charles Howell III (USA), Shiv Kapur (Ind)

08:47 (13:48) Russell Henley (USA), Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Peter Uihlein (USA)

09:03 (14:04) Brendan Steele (USA), Alexander Levy (Fra), Webb Simpson (USA)

09:14 (14:15) Wesley Bryan (USA), Anirban Lahiri (Ind), (a) Alfie Plant (Eng)

09:25 (14:26) Darren Clarke (NI), Gary Woodland (USA), (a) Harry Ellis(Eng)

09:36 (14:37) Pat Perez (USA), Pádraig Harrington (Ire), Thomas Pieters (Bel)

09:47 (14:48) Henrik Stenson (Swe), Si Woo Kim (Kor), Jordan Spieth (USA)

09:58 (14:59) Justin Rose (Eng), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Justin Thomas (USA)

10:09 (15:10) Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Brooks Koepka (USA), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

10:20 (15:21) JB Holmes (USA), Brandt Snedeker (USA), Shane Lowry (Ire)

10:31 (15:32) Shaun Norris (RSA), Richard Bland (Eng), (a) Luca Cianchetti (Ita)

10:42 (15:43) Yi-Keun Chang (Kor), Chan Kim (USA), Mark Foster (Eng)

10:53 (15:54) Sung-hoon Kang (Kor), Tony Finau (USA), Matthieu Pavon (Fra)

11:04 (16:05) Alexander Bjork (Swe), Joseph Dean (Eng), Robert Streb (USA)

11:15 (16:16) Julian Suri (USA), Robert Dinwiddie (Eng), Adam Hodkinson (Eng)

11:36 (06:35) Adam Hadwin (Can), Andrew Johnston (Eng), Todd Hamilton (USA)

11:47 (06:46) John Daly (USA), Adam Bland (Aus), (a) Connor Syme (Sco)

11:58 (06:57) William McGirt (USA), Toby Tree )(Eng), Jamie Lovemark (USA)

12:09 (07:08) Austin Connelly (Can), Matthew Griffin (Aus), Matthew Southgate (Eng)

12:20 (07:19) Cameron Smith (Aus), Bill Haas (USA), Callum Shinkwin (Eng)

12:31 (07:30) Brian Harman (USA), Michael Hendry (Nzl), Martin Laird (Sco)

12:42 (07:41) Ross Fisher (Eng), Ernie Els (Rsa), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)

12:53 (07:52) Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Aaron Baddeley (Aus)

13:04 (08:03) Jason Day (Aus), Zach Johnson (USA), Sergio Garcia (Esp)

13:15 (08:14) Andy Sullivan (Eng), Joost Luiten (Ned), David Lipsky (USA)

13:26 (08:25) Rickie Fowler (USA), Adam Scott (Aus), Paul Casey (Eng)

13:37 (08:36)Matt Kuchar (USA), Richie Ramsay (Eng), Ryan Fox (Nzl)

13:48 (08:47) Charley Hoffman (USA), Kevin Kisner (USA), David Drysdale (Sco)

14:04 (9:03) Hideto Tanihara (Jpn), Jimmy Walker (USA), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den)

14:15 (09:14) Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Brandon Stone (RSA), Sean O'Hair (USA)

14:26 (09:25) Pablo Larrazabal (Esp), Daniel Berger (USA), Yuta Ikeda (Jpn)

14:37 (09:36) Paul Lawrie (Sco), Kevin Chappell (USA), Yusaku Miyazato (Jpn)

14:48 (09:47) Rory McIlroy (NI), Dustin Johnson (USA), Charl Schwartzel (RSA)

14:59 (09:58) Jon Rahm (Esp), Patrick Reed (USA), Lee Westwood (Eng)

15:10 (10:09)Phil Mickelson (USA), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Marc Leishman (Aus)

15:21 (10:20) Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Esp), Scott Hend (Aus), Bubba Watson (USA)

15:32 (10:31) Paul Waring (Eng), Kyle Stanley (USA), Kevin Na (USA)

15:43 (10:42) Xander Schauffele (USA), Gi-Whan Kim (Kor), Andrew Dodt (Aus)

15:54 (10:53)Haotong Li (Chn), Kent Bulle (USA), Haydn McCullen (Eng)

16:05 (11:04) Jbe Kruger (Rsa), Nick McCarthy (Eng), Ashley Hall (Aus)

16:16 (11:15) Ryan McCarthy (Aus), Laurie Canter (Eng), Sebastian Munoz (Col)