The Open: Latest scores and Royal Birkdale leaderboard

The latest leaderboard from The 154th Open, the final men's major of the year, held at Royal Birkdale in Southport, Merseyside.

Scottie Scheffler returns as defending champion after last year's impressive victory at Royal Portrush, where he finished four shots clear of Harris English to complete the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

The world No 1 is aiming to become the first back-to-back winner of The Open since Padraig Harrington, with Scheffler the pre-tournament favourite to claim a fifth major title in as many seasons.

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Rory McIlroy looks to bookend his season with major victories, having already defended his title at The Masters in April, while PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai and US Open champion Wyndham Clark also look to claim a second major win of the season.

Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood are among the home favourites looking to become the first English winner of The Open since Sir Nick Faldo, while Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm are among those searching for major success.

The Open weather: What is the Royal Birkdale forecast?

There is no rain forecast during the first two days of the tournament, with only a slight chance of a passing shower over the weekend. Here's the forecast issued by the on-site meteorologist ahead of the tournament:

Thursday: Sunny. Winds 10-15mph. High temperature: 25°C (77F)

Friday: Sunny. Winds 10-15mph. High temperature: 25°C (77F)

Saturday: Partially sunny, slight chance of a shower. Winds 10-15mph. High temperature: 21°C (70F)

Sunday: Partly sunny. Winds 10-15mph. High temperature: 21°C (70F)

The Open field: Who is playing at Royal Birkdale?

There are 156 players in the field for this week's major, the last of four in as many months in men's golf. The Open follows The Masters (April 9-12), the PGA Championship (May 14-17) and the US Open (June 18-21).

A full list of exemption pathways to qualify, including the Open Qualifying Series events and Final Qualifying, can be found on The Open website.

The Open tee times: When does play start?

Play will begin at 6.35am on Thursday and Friday, while weekend tee times will depend on how many players make the cut.

The top 70 players and ties after 36 holes will make the cut and qualify for the final two rounds.

When is The Open live on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports is once again the exclusive home of The Open in the UK and Ireland, with wall-to-wall action from the final men's major of the year getting under way at 6.30am on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf.

There will be at least 15 hours of action on both the first two rounds, with bonus feeds available on Sky Sports+ or the Sky Sports App, with extended coverage then starting at 9am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday.