The Open 2022 LIVE commentary: Tee times, leaderboard, course details, talkSPORT coverage and how to follow as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and co eye glory in 150th Championship at St Andrews

The 150th Open Championship is up and running as golf’s best battle it out for the Claret Jug at the historic Old Course.

The final Major of the year will be one of the biggest in history with a record-breaking 290,000 fans descending on St Andrews throughout the week and full coverage will be live on talkSPORT 2.

The field is being headlined by Tiger Woods as the legendary American returns to the famous links looking for his fourth title.

But the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas will also be eager for glory in Scotland.

Matt Fitzpatrick, fresh from his incredible win at the US Open, will also be eyeing more Major success.

USA’s Collin Morikawa claimed the Gold Medal last year, clinching a fine victory at Royal St George’s to secure his first Major trophy.

He returned the Claret Jug at the beginning of the week but will no doubt be eager to reclaim it again come Sunday evening.

The Open is the finest tournament in world golf and the 150th celebration at St Andrews promises to be a truly memorable event.

The Open 2022: Date and start time

The 150th edition of The Open will be held from Thursday, July 14 to Sunday, July 17.

It is taking place at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland.

Play will start at 6:45am on the opening two days and at 8am over the weekend.

The winner of The Open will receive a record first prize of £2.1million while the total prize fund at St Andrews has also increased by 22 per cent to £11.7m.

The Open 2022: How to follow

talkSPORT 2 will have full live commentary of the 150th Open Championship from St Andrews.

Our coverage will be on from 6:30am to 8pm on the opening two days and from 9am to 7pm over the weekend.

Russ Hargreaves will be your host and commentary will come from our stellar team which includes Sean O’Brien, Marcus Buckland, Sue Thearle, Ron Jones, Matt Adams, Sophie Walker, Raymond Burns, Alison Walker, Matt Southgate, Paul Eales, Harry Ewing and Carl Paulson.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

Sky Sports Golf will be showing the action in the UK.

Their coverage starts at 6:30am on the opening two days and at 8am over the weekend.

Sky Sports customers can live stream this via the app using their mobile, tablet or computer devices.

If not, you can purchase a Sky Sports Day Pass from NowTV for £9.99.

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The Open 2022: The course

The Old Course in St Andrews, Fife is the most famous golf course in the world.

Established in 1552, the historic links is regarded as the sport’s oldest and is considered to be the spiritual home of golf.

This year’s event will be the 30th Open played at the Old Course.

The course, which will play to a par 72 and be a maximum length of 7,297 yards, is set in the heart of the town before heading off down the coastline and back again.

The first and eighteenth, named Burn and Tom Morris respectively, are known worldwide for their huge adjoining fairways.

Both holes are relatively simple with the fairways around 100 yards wide but such is the magnitude of the tee shots, they always provide a stern test.

The 17th Road Hole is arguably the most famous – and most difficult – hole in the sport of golf and includes the notorious Road Hole Bunker.

Other highlights include the distinctive seven double greens and the Swilcan Bridge and Valley of Sin on the final hole.

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The Open 2022: Tee times and field

The field will be made up of 156 players before the cut on Friday night.

US Open champion Fitzpatrick will partner Woods for the first two rounds.

Fitzpatrick won his first major title at Brookline last month, with Woods opting not to play to ensure he would be able to compete at the Old Course, scene of two of his three Open victories in 2000 and 2005.

Woods, Fitzpatrick and American Max Homa will tee off at 2.59pm on Thursday, with 2017 champion Spieth, former US Open winner Rahm and Harold Varner in the following group.

Morikawa, McIlroy and Scottish Open winner Xander Schauffele will get under way at 9.58am, followed 11 minutes later by Thomas, 2019 winner Shane Lowry and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.

Ryder Cup partners Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood will be joined by former world number one Justin Rose on the first tee at 8.14am, while world number one Scheffler, England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann tee off at 1.26pm.

Former champion Paul Lawrie will hit the first tee shot at 6.35am and the 1999 winner will have Webb Simpson and Min Woo Lee for company.

The final group of Lars Van Meijel, Jack Floydd and Ronan Mullarney have to wait until 4.16pm to get their championship started.

Read the full tee times for the first two rounds here.

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The Open 2022: What has been said?

Rory McIlroy is relishing the title defence he never had in the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.

McIlroy led from start to finish to win the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool, but was prevented from attempting to retain the Claret Jug on the Old Course the following year after suffering an ankle injury playing football.

He said: “I can’t go into The Open approaching it like I’ve got unfinished business at this golf course. You know I feel like there’s enough pressure on me anyway without putting more on myself.

“But it’s one that I’ve been looking forward to for a long, long time – 12 years. I want to just make sure that I’m in the best possible shape to go there.

“I’m playing well, I’m playing some of the best golf I’ve played in a long time. I’ve played well in the majors this year without getting the win, but I’ve contended in all of them really. So it’s a good opportunity.”

McIlroy carded a closing 64 to finish runner-up to Scottie Scheffler in the Masters and was eighth in the US PGA and fifth in the US Open, the latter performance coming a week after his victory in the Canadian Open.

He added: “I have maybe something to prove to myself and other people, but the way I’m playing I feel like I’m going in there with just as good a chance I’ve had at an Open since I can remember.

“Even the Open that I won in 2014 seems like a long time ago now as well. So I would love to get my hands on another Claret Jug. Everyone talks about winning an Open Championship, and then winning an Open at St Andrews maybe means that little bit extra.

“St Andrews will feel like the defence I never had, and then hopefully I’m defending at Royal Liverpool again in 2023.”