The British Open is just about ready to go, as evidenced by the release of tee times ahead of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
The opening two rounds at The Open might just be the two best days on the golfing calendar. The field of 157 players will all go off the same tee, spanning the entire day for Rounds 1 and 2. Fans are treated to golf basically from the time they wake up through just about the entire day depending on where you live.
You can’t go wrong with just rolling out of bed, pouring a massive cup of coffee and settling in for 12 hours of glorious golf from one of the most picturesque golf locations on the planet.
But after sifting through all the groupings from the R&A, here are the trios golf fans will want to schedule their days around for Rounds 1 and 2.
Best British Open 2025 Tee Times For Golf Fans To Watch
9:36 a.m. local (4:36 a.m. ET): Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Akshay Bhatia
Not exactly household names, but all are talented enough to win. In the case of Griffin, he’s been the most improved player in the world during his breakout season. A background storyline for all three in this group: Can they make a Ryder Cup push? The grouping of Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala and Harry Hall later in the day is an honorable mention for similar reasons.
9:58 a.m. local (4:58 a.m. ET): Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Jon Rahm
There are questions all three must answer. For Schauffele, the defending champion will try to put an uninspiring season behind him and build off a solid week at the Scottish. Spaun, meanwhile, makes his first start since winning the U.S. Open; can he prove it wasn’t an Oakmont-inspired fluke. And Rahm might be the player best suited to win this game, but just where is his game at right now?
10:09 a.m. local (5:09 a.m. ET): Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler
There’s some volatility here. It’s easy to see how each could win this tournament (Lowry and Morikawa have, including Lowry here in 2019). But Lowry isn’t having a great season, there are questions about Morikawa’s aptitude if conditions present themselves, and Scheffler, for as great as he is, doesn’t particularly like the randomness of links golf.
2:37 p.m. local (9:37 a.m. ET): Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee
It wouldn’t be shocking to see any of these three win it. On the other hand, there are some real chances for ejection, particularly with Hatton and Lee. The quiet, mild-mannered Henley (who has the talent to win) otherwise being along for the ride is worth a chuckle.
2:48 p.m. local (9:48 a.m. ET): Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
Bryson is almost always must-see TV, particularly on the other side of the Atlantic where his power-heavy game doesn’t always play. MacIntyre just feels like a player who will win an Open at some point in his career, and Rose has sniffed around enough majors recently that he’s “old guy who could mess around and win The Open” territory until further notice.
British Open Saves Best For Last On Opening Day Of Tournament
2:59 p.m. local (9:48 a.m. ET): Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland
Flushers’ paradise. If you power-rank these groups, this trio might be No. 1 in terms of entertainment value. All three play a unique style, particularly Spieth (who has won The Open before) and Hovland. Some even believe Hovland — given how he plays and how he carries himself off the course — could be the next iteration of Spieth. And Aberg is just the man.
3:10 p.m. local (10:10 a.m. ET): Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
McIlroy, the hometown hero, will have to wait all day Thursday to get his tournament started after a horrendous opening hole that doomed him in 2019. Just how locked in is he after completing the career grand slam? There’s volatility with his playing partners, too, with Thomas’ roller-coaster season and Fleetwood contends in just about every tournament he plays but hasn’t been able to break through.
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