2026 Open Championship Round 1: Full Viewing Guide, Streaming Schedule & Key Tee Times at Royal Birkdale

The 2026 Open Championship gets underway at Royal Birkdale in England, with Round 1 setting the stage for what promises to be a compelling week of links golf. Rory McIlroy headlines the field, chasing his second Claret Jug and seventh major title after a remarkable run of Masters victories.

How to Watch (U.S.)

- TV: USA Network — 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET - Streaming: Peacock from 1:30 a.m. ET, with featured group coverage available all day

Early risers can catch the action on Peacock before USA Network's broadcast begins at 4 a.m. ET.

The McIlroy Storyline

McIlroy has come agonizingly close at the Open in recent years — third at St. Andrews in 2022, T6 in 2023, and T7 behind winner Scottie Scheffler last season. This week he tees it up alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick at 10:15 a.m. ET. Defending champion Scheffler, meanwhile, plays with Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau at 4:58 a.m. ET — a marquee pairing that will attract early attention.

Japanese Players in the Field

Eight Japanese players are competing at Royal Birkdale in Round 1:

- Hideki Matsuyama — 4:25 a.m. ET (Ben Griffin, Min Woo Lee) - Ryo Hisatsune — 4:03 a.m. ET (Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens) - Kota Kaneko — 3:47 a.m. ET (Michael Thorbjornsen, Travis Smyth) - Keita Nakajima — 8:42 a.m. ET (Johnny Keefer, Pierceson Coody) - Also in the field: Kazuki Higa, Naoyuki Kataoka, Ren Yonezawa, Kazuma Kobori

Strokeslab Take

Links conditions at Royal Birkdale will stress-test every player's ball-striking fundamentals. Firm fairways and unpredictable wind make SG: OTT and SG: APP the most predictive metrics for this week — players who can control trajectory and hit greens consistently will separate from the field far more reliably than those dependent on hot putting. For the Japanese contingent, Matsuyama's SG: APP will be the number to watch as a proxy for links adaptability from the very first round.