Open first and second round tee times as Rory McIlroy paired with Colin Morikawa and Shane Lowry paired with Justin Thomas

Ireland's top hopes in the 150th Open Championship have landed attractive draws for their opening two rounds at St Andrews.

Rory McIlroy, the 2014 champion, has been drawn with defending champion Colin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele, who is on a run of back to back wins in the Travelers and Scottish Open.

They will begin their opening rounds at 9.58am on Thursday before teeing off at 2.59pm on Friday as Morikawa attempts to retain the title he won on his Open debut at Royal St George’s.

READ MORE: Record breaker David Carey not ruling out history making Open victory this week

Shane Lowry, who won the Claret Jug in Portrush in 2019, has been drawn with reigning US PGA champion Justin Thomas and Norway's Ryder Cup star Viktor Hovland.

The trio tee off in the group behind McIlroy's at 10.09am on Thursday.

Seamus Power won his first PGA Tour title at the Barbasol Championship last summer - the same day as Morikawa was winning the Open title.

The Waterford man is also in a high profile three-ball alongside four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, one of the latest LIV golf recruits, and the talented Australian Cameron Smith. They tee off at 8.03am on Thursday.

Hot on the heels of his US Senior Open victory, two-time Open winner and three-time major champ Padraig Harrington is with Ryder Cup player Thomas Pieters and American Keith Mitchell at 2.48pm on Tuesday.

2012 Open winner Darren Clarke gets underway at 1.37pm on Thursday in the company of Richard Bland and amateur Filippo Celli.

Dubliner David Carey, in his first Open, tees off at 3.54pm with John Catlin - a former Irish Open winner - and Jamie Rutherford.

Also making his Open debut, Galway's Ronan Mullarney is in the last group out on Thursday with Lars Van Meijel and Jack Floydd AT 4.16pm.

Tiger Woods has been drawn with US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick and Max Homa, who won the Wells Fargo Championship in May.

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