海角大神

The 142nd golf championship gets underway Thursday at Muirfield. This will be the 16th time the Scottish course has hosted the Open Championship.

As with any golfing major, former winners hold an esteemed place of honor at the British Open. This year, no fewer than 17 former Open champions will tee it up in the first two rounds. And the (formerly The Royal & Ancient Golf Club) has set up some interesting groups for the large British golf crowds to follow the first two days.

Former three-time champion of Britain will be paired with American and former five-time champion . Former Masters champ Fred Couples rounds out the threesome that will tee off at 4 a.m. Eastern time Thursday.

Two-time defending champion of South Africa will play with current US Open champion of Britain and American Brandt Snedeker. This group will start their round at 4:11 a.m. Eastern Thursday.

, the recently-crowned Scottish Open champion, is paired with former US Open and PGA champion from Northern Ireland and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, a threesome that will tee off at 4:44 a.m. Eastern.

While Mickelson was winning last week in Scotland, 19-year-old won his first PGA Tour event at the John Deere Classic. The Texas teenager, whose sparkling play at last year's US Open opened eyes, will play the first two rounds of his very first British Open with British amateur Matthew Fitzpatrick and Russell Healy of the US. They will tee off at 7:50 a.m. Eastern time.

Another threesome packed with star power hits the Scottish links at 9:12 a.m. Eastern. Defending Masters champion of Australia will go out with England's , No. 9 in the world this year, and American , who has won twice on the PGA Tour this season.

Last but not least, former three-time Open champion Tiger Woods , of South Africa, and former US Open champ of Northern Ireland. This group will begin play at 9:45 a.m. Eastern time.

The British Open is scheduled to be televised by ESPN, beginning at 4 a.m. Eastern time, Thursday through Sunday.