Rory McIlroy is 18 holes from winning the Claret Jug. He'll be in the spotlight on Sunday, playing in the final group.
There was a time when Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler were two of the brightest up-and-coming stars in golf. They battled each other as teenagers in the 2007 Walker Cup and both turned pro in 2010. While they were competing for Rookie of the Year honors, it seemed like only a matter of time until they were playing for major championships. That's exactly what they will do on Sunday when they tee off in the final round of the British Open. McIlroy appears well on his way to the third major championship of his career, but Fowler and others could derail that from happening.
McIlroy was exceptional through 54 holes. He played beautifully from tee-to-green during the first two rounds, dropping only a single shot. He ran into more frequent trouble in the third round with three bogeys, and Fowler briefly tied him for the lead. McIlroy, however, closed the round in unbelievable fashion, carding an eagle at No. 16 and another at No. 18 to pick up four shots and separate himself from the pack. His playing partner may not matter on Sunday, and it would be hard to catch him unless he comes back to the field. If he shoots a round of 68 or better, it's hard to imagine that won't be good enough.
Although McIlroy has the win in his sights, a lot can change in 18 holes at the British Open. If the wind blows, a round can deteriorate quickly. McIlroy is one of the best players in the world and a two-time major championship winner, and meltdowns of historic levels usually don't happen to players with his credentials. But if he does falter, Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson will be among a group trying to cut into the lead. Fowler is 10-under heading into the final round, and he and McIlroy will tee off at 9:40 a.m. Garcia and Johnson are both 9-under and the two will form the second-to-last tee time at 9:30 a.m. Those three are the only players within seven shots of McIlroy, but a total of 10 players will begin the final round within 10 shots.
It would take a massive comeback for them to be in contention, but a few notable players will be in the late morning groups. Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell will tee off at 8:40 a.m., while Jordan Spieth goes off at 7:50 a.m. Tiger Woods will open the final round 19 shots off the lead. Barring weather delay or exceedingly slow play, Woods' British Open will be complete by the time the final groups go off the first tee.
Unlike on Saturday when the field went off split tees in an effort to avoid the weather, things will return to standard form on Sunday with every player going off the first tee. Television coverage will begin at 6 a.m. on ESPN with multiple online streams available from ESPN3.
Here is the complete tee sheet for the final round. All times Eastern:
| Tee Time | Players | |
| 3:35 a.m. | Charley Hoffman | Billy Hurley III |
| 3:45 a.m. | Ryan Palmer | Jamie McLeary |
| 3:55 a.m. | Tom Watson | John Senden |
| 4:05 a.m. | Brendon Todd | Jason Day |
| 4:15 a.m. | Koumei Oda | Rhein Gibson |
| 4:25 a.m. | Brooks Koepka | Thorbjorn Olesen |
| 4:35 a.m. | Stewart Cink | Matt Every |
| 4:45 a.m. | Tiger Woods | Jason Dufner |
| 5:00 a.m. | Gregory Bourdy | Matt Kuchar |
| 5:10 a.m. | Chris Wood | Paul Casey |
| 5:20 a.m. | Henrik Stenson | Thomas Bjorn |
| 5:30 a.m. | Chris Rodgers | Martin Kaymer |
| 5:40 a.m. | Matt Jones | Brandt Snedeker |
| 5:50 a.m. | Zach Johnson | Luke Donald |
| 6:00 a.m. | Hideki Matsuyama | DA Points |
| 6:10 a.m. | Gary Woodland | Thongchai Jaidee |
| 6:25 a.m. | Hunter Mahan | Kevin Stadler |
| 6:35 a.m. | Kevin Na | Bill Haas |
| 6:45 a.m. | Phil Mickelson | Angel Cabrera |
| 6:55 a.m. | Kevin Streelman | Louis Oosthuizen |
| 7:05 a.m. | David Hearn | Ben Martin |
| 7:15 a.m. | Francesco Molinari | George Coetzee |
| 7:25 a.m. | Shane Lowry | Kristoffer Broberg |
| 7:35 a.m. | Keegan Bradley | Chris Kirk |
| 7:50 a.m. | Brian Harman | Jordan Spieth |
| 8:00 a.m. | David Howell | Stephen Gallacher |
| 8:10 a.m. | Byeong-Hun An | Branden Grace |
| 8:20 a.m. | Ryan Moore | Marc Warren |
| 8:30 a.m. | Jimmy Walker | Marc Leishman |
| 8:40 a.m. | Justin Rose | Graeme McDowell |
| 8:50 a.m. | Darren Clarke | Charl Schwartzel |
| 9:00 a.m. | Jim Furyk | Robert Karlsson |
| 9:10 a.m. | Adam Scott | Matteo Manassero |
| 9:20 a.m. | Edoard Molinari | Victor Dubuisson |
| 9:30 a.m. | Dustin Johnson | Sergio Garcia |
| 9:40 a.m. | Rickie Fowler | Rory McIlroy |
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