British Open 2019: Featured pairings for the first two rounds at Royal Portrush

2: Henrik Stenson, Xander Schauffele, Graeme McDowell (4:14/9:14)

A former British Open champion, one who seems destined for greatness, and the hometown hero. There are only a few groups in this tournament that could write stories this great, and we’re kicking it off early here.

Graeme McDowell – if you somehow haven’t heard this yet – hails from Portrush, and despite missing the cut at both the Irish Open and Scottish Open in recent weeks, he’ll easily be one of the top two sentimental favorites this week. He earned his place in the field with a T-16 finish at the U.S. Open, and he’s hopeful to carry some positive vibes from this homecoming into a run toward the Claret Jug.

Xander Schauffele has top-three finishes at both the Masters and U.S. Open on his resume this season, and he’ll look to avenge last year’s Open finish, where he went from a share of the 54-hole lead to finishing in a tie for second, just two shots behind Francesco Molinari. The San Diego native also finished T-20 in his British Open debut in 2017 at Royal Birkdale.

Then there’s Stenson, the 2016 champion who has turned his game around recently. Headed to Royal Portrush on the heels of three straight top-ten finishes, including the Scottish Open, if he’s driving the ball well, he’ll be a threat to win it all again on Sunday. This is a group with three potential winners (even if one is a long shot), and it doesn’t get much better.