Des Smyth, who earned his place at Lytham during pre-qualifying yesterday, will be in the match to get the 130th Open Championship under way early on Thursday morning.
Smyth (48) turned back the clock yesterday, shooting a course record 64 at the St Annes Old Links course to guarantee his Open spot. His reward was a place alongside David Howell and Japan’s Hidemichi Tanaka in the first match at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Tiger Woods will not have to wait long to begin the defence of his title. Last year’s runaway eight-stroke winner tees off in the first round just after 9 a.m. partnered by big-hitting Argentinian Angel Cabrera and France's Thomas Levet.
Darren Clarke, who along with Padraig Harrington shoulders the bulk of Irish expectation,will play with American Jim Furyk and Australian Peter O'Malley. That match tees off 9.45 a.m.
Harrington begins his challengenearly two hours earlier with American John Huston, and Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama for company.
Belfast amateur Micheal Hoey, the current British Amateur champion, will tackle the Lytham course at 8 40 a.m. and will have former Open champion Justin Leonard and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez to contend with.
In the very next match, Paul McGinley will be playing alongside two former champions in Mark O’Meara and Greg Norman. O’Meara took the Claret Jug home in 1998 with Norman winning the title in both 1993 and 1986.