Lowry grouped with Oosthuizen and Rahm in first round
Defending British Open champion Shane Lowry has been grouped with former winner Louis Oosthuizen and Spain's recent US Open champion Jon Rahm for the start of the year's fourth major at Sandwich on Thursday.
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The first ball of the 149th championship, taking place a year late after last year's cancellation because of Covid-19, will be struck by England's Richard Bland.
"Truly an honour, something I'll remember for the rest of my life," Bland, who won his first European Tour event on his 478th start in May, said after the first-round tee times were released.
Play will get underway at 7:35am (CAT, SA, GMT+2) on the undulating Royal St George's links course alongside the English Channel on England's Kent coast.
Other notable groups for the first two rounds include four-time champion Rory McIlroy, winner of the Open in 2014, playing alongside American Ryder Cup rival Patrick Reed.
- SA DIARY FROM THE OPEN . . .
American Phil Mickelson, who won the US PGA title for his sixth major in May, aged 50, will be alongside compatriot Kevin Kisner and England's Ryder Cup player Tyrell Hatton.
World No 1 Dustin Johnson tees up along with England's reigning Olympic champion Justin Rose and American Will Zalatoris while big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau will be with fellow American Jordan Spieth and South Africa's Branden Grace.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, winner of the Open the last time it was in Sandwich in 2011, will be joined by English amateur Joe Long and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.
SAFFERS SPREAD OUT
The rest of the 12 South Africans in the field are spread out throughout the day with Justin Harding, JC Ritchie, Dean Burmester, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout going off between 7:47 and 8:30am.
Garrick Higgo's Open debut will start at 9:03 along with Brooks Koepka before the most experienced Saffer, Ernie Els, gets his 10th campaign underway an hour later.
Grace and Dylan Frittelli go off back-to-back at 10:25 and 10:36am respectively before Louis' group tees-off at 10:58.
Erik van Rooyen will be the last of the morning starters while Daniel van Tonder (12:47), Jaco Ahlers (1:09), and Shaun Norris (3:26) all get started in the afternoon.
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST DETAILS
Thursday, 15 July
SS Golf | 7:30am – 9pm
Friday, 16 July
SS Golf | 7:30am – 9pm
Saturday, 17 July
SS Golf | 11am – 9pm
Sunday, 18 July
SS Golf | 10am – 8pm
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