Australian golfer Min Woo Lee has been given the honour of teeing off in the first group when the milestone 150th British Open starts on Thursday.
Rising Australian star Min Woo Lee has been afforded the honour of helping kick-start golf's greatest celebration at the Old Course on Thursday.
Lee will tee off in the first group when the 150th British Open - hailed by Tiger Woods as the biggest in history - gets underway at St Andrews.
The younger brother of newly crowned Women's US Open champion Minjee Lee will take the spotlight when he hits off in the first round alongside Scotland's 1999 Open winner Paul Lawrey and American Webb Simpson at 6.35am (3.35pm AEST).
"It's hard to believe it's been 150 years we've played this tournament and it's incredible, the history behind it, the champions that have won here," three-time champion Woods said on Tuesday.
"This does feel like it's the biggest Open Championship we've ever had."
The 23-year-old Lee is among 11 Australians - led by world No.6 Cameron Smith - with hopes of drinking out of the famous Claret Jug on Sunday night.
Lee showcased his potential with a record-low front nine in the final round of his Masters debut in April to tie 13th at Augusta, before finishing equal 27th at last month's US Open.
Smith, who warmed up nicely with a top-10 finish at last week's Scottish Open - which Lee won last year - also has a morning tee time.
Smith is playing with American superstar Brooks Koepka and Irishman Seamus Power for the first two rounds.
Adam Scott and Marc Leishman, both former runners-up at the Open, are playing together in another marquee grouping with ex-world No.1 and LIV Golf-bound American Dustin Johnson.
The trio have afternoon tee times, as does Jason Scrivener, the in-form Australian playing his second Open four days after posting the day's lowest final round at the Scottish Open.
Lucas Herbert and debutant Jed Morgan are both playing with former Open champions.
Herbert has been grouped with Phil Mickleson, while Morgan is playing the first two rounds with dual Open champion Ernie Els.
Dimi Papadatos, Brad Kennedy and Open rookie Anthony Quayle round out the Aussie challenge.
