AFTER MISSING THE cut in his last two events, Rory McIlroy has been paired with world number one Dustin Johnson and South African Charl Schwartzel for the opening rounds of the Open Championship this week.

The trio will get under way at Royal Birkdale at 2.50pm on Thursday.

Pádraig Harrington, who won the Open in 2008 at the Merseyside course, will tee-off alongside Thomas Pieters and Pat Perez at 10.35am while 2011 winner Darren Clarke, who will play alongside Gary Woodland and amateur Harry Ellis, starts his round ten minutes earlier.

Shane Lowry, the only other Irish participant this week, will hit the first tee at 10.20am in the company of Americans Brandt Snedeker and JB Holmes.

Reigning champion Henrik Stenson is paired with this year’s Players Championship winner Kim Si-Woo and former Masters champion Jordan Spieth while Masters champion Sergio Garcia will play with 2015 Open winner Zach Johnson and former world number one Jason Day.

The full list of groups and tee-times can be found here.

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