The 2024 Open Championship has arrived, and with it, four days of pristine golf are underway one of the world’s best courses. Royal Troon’s hosting duties began Thursday with Round 1 setting the stage for the rest of the year’s final major. The grounds are filled to capacity as some of the top golfers in the game battle it out to claim the Claret Jug at the 152nd playing of the sport’s oldest tournament.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy sat atop the oddsboard entering the first 18 holes of play, but McIlroy is nowhere near the top now. Scheffler, already a six-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, has brought in a record $28 million. Should he complete the Masters-Open double, he will sit only alongside Tiger Woods when conversations arise about best single seasons of play this century. McIlroy, of course, entered The Open still recovering from his disastrous conclusion to the U.S. Open. He generally plays well at The Open but also had a heart-breaking loss at St. Andrews a couple years ago.
Heartbreak won’t be on the menu for McIlroy this time around as he completely ejected going 7 over in Round 1 to sit 10 shots off the clubhouse lead. Similarly struggling was the man who beat McIlroy last month, Bryson DeChambeau, who went 5 over and will need a major resurgence just to make the weekend at Royal Troon.
Will the rest of the star-studded field look up at this duo, or will another big name make a move? Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, who are playing the best golf of their careers, should contend along with wunderkind Ludvig Åberg, who has put together an incredible rookie year but still does not have a victory to show for it. Breaking through at The Open would be quite a feather in his cap. Follow when your favorite golfers will take the course Thursday with Open Championship tee times and pairings for Round 1.
Given how much talent in the field, whoever ultimately prevails at Royal Troon will surely earn the Claret Jug and record $3.1 million winner’s share coming from the all-time high $17 million purse.
There is so much to follow this week that it can be overwhelming at times. No worries, though, we have you covered. CBSSports.com is offering live coverage of the 2024 Open Championship from start to finish Thursday. Be sure to check out our complete Open Championship TV schedule and coverage guide so you can follow along throughout the week.
All times Eastern
Round 1 — Thursday, July 18
Round 1 start time: 1:30 a.m. [Tee times]
Open live stream: 1:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Peacock
- Early coverage — 1:30-4 a.m.
- Featured Groups — 1:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Featured Holes — 1:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Late coverage — 3-4:15 p.m.
TV coverage: 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. on USA Network, fubo (Try for free)