Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy have claimed top billing in the 2013 Open draw with World No 1 Tiger Woods relegated to a bit part after being ticked off in true Muirfield style.
Woods will make a rare afternoon start at Muirfield at 2.45pm on Thursday, with only another eight three-balls following him.
His partners for the first two days are two men who have won majors since his last win in 2008 with aspirations to add a second this week former US Open champion Graeme McDowell and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
Woods has always preferred the “early-late” Open draw of being out just after 9am on the first morning, but the consolation for his countrymen is that he won’t be playing at first light for US TV viewers.
In the meantime his preference for being out with the larks fell foul of Muirfield’s legendarily strict security staff on Monday when he was ordered off the course on his practice round.
Woods, who habitually likes to get his Open practice rounds mostly complete before the public can get to the course, teed off at the 10th at 6.40am but by the time he reached the fairway a security man asked him to comply with the strict rule that there is no play before 7am each morning and after 4pm each night to allow the Muirfield greens staff to work unhindered.Look out for golf writer Steve Scott and Courier sports editor Eric Nicolson’s live behind-the-scenes updates from Muirfield later this week on www.thecourier.co.ukWoods did play his approach to the 10th green before retiring for 20 minutes of putting practice, re-starting his practice round at 7am with McIlroy for company.
McIlroy will open his campaign for a first Claret Jug at 9.44, but the prime-time slot of 9.11 just after the BBC come on air this year goes to Rose, in company with defending champion Ernie Els and Brandt Snedeker.
Interestingly , Rose had the same timeslot in the 2002 Open at Muirfield, but then he played with Woods, going for the third leg of a Grand Slam at the time, and Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama, who outscored them both in the first round.
Rory’s partners for the first two days are new Scottish Open champion Phil Mickelson in a break from his usual preference for going out late at the Open and Hideki Matsuyama.
The R&A have been a bit more creative than usual in the draw, putting together some interesting threeballs.
For those of a certain age the trio of Tom Watson, Sir Nick Faldo and Freddie Couples is appealing at 9am.
Just in front, however, is the ultimate bombers’ threeball of Americans Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts.
The afternoon features several high-profile trios, not least Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia at 2.01 immediately followed by Masters champion Adam Scott, England’s Luke Donald and Matt Kuchar.
Scotland’s top players have all been handed good draws 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie paired at 1.34pm with upcoming Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, who he played with last week in the Scottish Open, and the USA’s ever-dependable Jim Furyk.
Martin Laird is at 1.12pm with two distinguished major champions in Vijay Singh and Darren Clarke, while Stephen Gallacher plays with Harris English and the very familiar Geoff Ogilvy.
It’s amazing,” said Gallacher when he saw the draw. “I’ve played with Geoff five times and four years in a row in a major.
“It’s a great draw for me, and the timings are certainly perfect, 1.45 first day and 8.44 second day.
“Nobody can complain about the course this week. It’s absolutely perfect. The rough looks absolutely horrendous, but when you get there it’s not too thick. You can get the ball out.”
Richie Ramsay plays with Padraig Harrington his partner for the first two days at Carnoustie in 2007 when the Irishman went on to win while Scottish Amateur champion Grant Forrest, a qualifier who lives over the dyke at Archerfield, has 1998 champion Mark O’Meara and Australia’s Marcus Fraser.
Ther 43-year-old veteran Peter Senior of Australia, exempt due to winning the Australasian Tour Order of Merit, gets the honour of starting the Open at 6.32am with Oliver Fisher of England and local boy Lloyd Saltman.