Rory McIlroy is set to tee off The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale as part of a draw that pairs him with Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick for the first two rounds. Multiple reports say McIlroy’s group is placed together for the opening stretch of the championship. The same coverage notes that Scottie Scheffler is positioned on the opposite side of the draw, meaning he is kept in a different half of the field rather than facing McIlroy in the earliest rounds. Another highlighted point is that McIlroy’s start is described as being “late,” reflecting the timing of his tee schedule for the tournament. The reports agree on the key elements of the grouping and draw: McIlroy plays the first two rounds alongside Schauffele and Fitzpatrick, while Scheffler is drawn on the other side of the course layout at Royal Birkdale. No additional changes to the format or other pairings are mentioned in the provided sources.