Padraig Harrington struck the first tee shot as the 153rd British Open started in cloudy conditions at Royal Portrush on Thursday. Ireland's Harrington, twice the Open champion, was playing with Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard and Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin.

The Open Championship golf tournament will take place this week, here's how you can catch the action at every hole.

The crowds following Rory McIlroy for three days at Royal Portrush have been enormous, a reminder of the expectations. On banners and flags and buntings of grandstands there are images of the claret jug,

A half century has passed since Tom Watson captured the first of his five British Opens, defeating Jack Newton by one in an 18-hole playoff at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.

The simplest one is to wager on the in-form golfers, a list led by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy may get the nod over Scheffler in some circles this week because he's playing on home soil at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

And that's exactly what Bryson DeChambeau did on Tuesday at Royal Portrush. The two-time U.S. Open champ would love to add a British Open title to his major collection this week. But even if he isn't crowned the "Champion Golfer of the Year" on Sunday,

McIlroy, despite his uneven performances in the P.G.A. Championship and U.S. Open, will be among the favorites this week in his native country, as will Xander Schauffele, the defending champion, and Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world. Here are five other players to watch.

Turnberry is not the only Scottish links course currently overlooked by the R&A. Muirfield, located along the Firth of Forth east of Edinburgh, is considered one of the purest links courses, having hosted 15 Opens since 1892, most recently in 2013. Only St Andrews has hosted more Opens.