2026 Open Championship Round 1 Pairings: Fleetwood Joins Spieth and Rahm in Star-Studded Group at Royal Birkdale

The 2026 Open Championship gets underway Thursday, July 16 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, with Round 1 groupings now confirmed. The story of the week is Tommy Fleetwood's homecoming bid for his first major title on a course that is essentially his backyard.

Fleetwood's Homecoming Narrative

Fleetwood grew up near Royal Birkdale and reportedly snuck onto the course with his father as a child. That personal connection fuels the narrative heading into the week. His form backs it up: a maiden PGA Tour victory at last year's Tour Championship, six top-10s and three top-5s this season, and a T11 at last month's U.S. Open.

He tees off at 5:09 a.m. ET alongside Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm — a grouping packed with major pedigree and links experience.

Marquee Groups to Watch

- 4:58 a.m. ET — Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau - 5:09 a.m. ET — Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm - 10:15 a.m. ET — Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick

Japanese Contingent

Multiple Japanese players feature in the field at Royal Birkdale:

- Kota Kaneko (3:47 a.m. ET) - Ryo Hisatsune (4:03 a.m. ET) - Hideki Matsuyama (4:25 a.m. ET) - Ren Yonezawa (5:53 a.m. ET) - Keita Nakajima (8:42 a.m. ET) - Kazuki Higa (11:21 a.m. ET)

Strokeslab Perspective

Fleetwood's SG: Approach numbers have been among the best on Tour this season, and Royal Birkdale's demanding links layout will put a premium on exactly that skill set. Matsuyama, chasing a second major title, is another iron-play specialist whose SG: Putting form will be the deciding factor on these greens.