​The final men’s golf major of 2026 has arrived.The Open Championship begins Thursday at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, where the winner will have his name etched on the prestigious Claret Jug as the Champion Golfer of the Year. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is back to defend his title against a field loaded with the biggest names in golf, including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau and Jordan Spieth, who won The Open last time Royal Birkdale hosted.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFollow along with Golfweek below for live leaderboard updates, highlights, breaking news and more from Thursday’s first round of the 2026 Open Championship.1 / 19A young visitor shelters in the shade, as players practice a few days before the start of the 2026 Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale golf course near Southport in north-west England on July 12, 2026.(ANDY BUCHANAN, AFP via Getty Images)Keep tabs on every score posted at Royal Birkdale with The Open Championship 2026 live leaderboard.Click here to see every tee time for the first round of the 2026 Open Championship. The first group is set to go off at 1:35 a.m. ET. Here’s a look at Thursday’s featured groups (all times ET):4:58 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton5:09 a.m. – Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood9:53 a.m. – Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai10:15 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt FitzpatrickIf you’re on the West Coast, stay up late to catch the start of the tournament. Elsewhere, set your alarm clock. Here’s a look at Thursday’s TV and streaming schedule for The Open:AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNBC Sports Network/Peacock, 1:30-4 a.m. ETUSA Network, 4 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. ETWatch The Open on PeacockWatch USA Network on FuboHere’s a look at the pre-tournament betting favorites for the Open Championship. See the full list of odds at BetMGM.Scottie Scheffler (+750)Rory McIlroy (+900)Tommy Fleetwood (+1600)Matt Fitzpatrick (+1600)Jon Rahm (+2200)Viktor Hovland (+2500)Chris Gotterup (+2800)Xander Schauffele (+2800)Odds accurate as of 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 15. See who the Golfweek staff is picking to win the 2026 Open Championship and hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday.The winner of the 2026 Open Championship will receive $3.2 million, or 18 percent of the total purse, which is $17.75 million. It’s the largest prize fund in the history of The Open, but remains the smallest of the four men’s majors. See the full payout breakdown.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThursday’s forecast calls for clear skies with a high temperature in the low 80s and a northeast wind at 10-15 mph. It’s expected to be warm and sunny all week at Royal Birkdale, which is quite rare for an Open Championship.The full field list has 156 golfers, with three coming in from the final Open qualifying series event (the Genesis Scottish Open) and the very last one getting in after winning Monday’s Last-Chance Qualifier, the first-ever 12-