'Confident' Rory McIlroy to partner Jon Rahm and Justin Rose at 151st Open

Rory McIlroy will partner Ryder Cup team-mates Jon Rahm and Justin Rose in the first two rounds of the 151st Open Championship.

McIlroy lifted the Claret Jug the last time the Open was staged at Royal Liverpool in 2014 and won the US PGA Championship a month later, but has not tasted victory in any major since.

The 34-year-old comes into the week on the back of victory in the Genesis Scottish Open and will get his bid for a fifth major under way at 2.59pm on Thursday alongside Masters champion Rahm and former US Open winner Rose.

Since travelling to Hoylake on Sunday afternoon, McIlroy has been reacquainting himself with Royal Liverpool.

For the second major in succession, he cancelled a planned formal press conference, but he did give short interviews to TV and radio outlets.

"I could not ask for better preparation," he told BBC Sport NI. "The way I played the last two holes (in Scotland) was an amazing finish and a perfect way to come into this week.

"I've had a great nine years and won a lot of tournaments but the big four have eluded me. Hopefully this week that's something I can change.

"It's nice to be back here. It's not like I think about it all that often so it's nice to come back and re-familiarise myself with the course. It's nice to come back to a major venue you've won on, but it also makes you feel a bit old."

McIlroy has recorded 19 top 10s in the 34 majors played since his last victory, with his best chances of a win coming in last year's Open and June's US Open.

At St Andrews McIlroy held a two-shot lead at the turn in the final round before being overhauled by an inspired Cameron Smith, while he finished a shot behind Wyndham Clark at Los Angeles Country Club following a final round containing one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars.

"It's just golf," he told Sky Sports News. "At the end of the day I have to go out there and try to shoot the best score I can for four days in a row and hope that is one shot better than everyone else.

"I'm just trying to keep it as simple as possible, forget all the noise, forget everything else and just go out and enjoy myself more than anything else.

"The course is great. It's in superb condition. It's basically how I remember it. It's a very strategic golf course off the tee. It's very, very well bunkered and I think the biggest challenge of this golf course is avoiding those pot bunkers off the tee.

"It's a very strategic golf course, which I like. You really have to think your way around it and whether you challenge the bunkers or not or lay back."

Elsewhere, Australia's Cameron Smith, who overhauled McIlroy at St Andrews last year, begins his title defence at 9.58am alongside US Open champion Wyndham Clark and Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele.

Local favourite Tommy Fleetwood, world number one Scottie Scheffler and Australia's Adam Scott tee off 11 minutes earlier, while brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick start at 9.03am and 11.36am respectively.

Hoylake member Matthew Jordan had already been announced as hitting the first tee shot at 6.35am and will have Scotland's Richie Ramsay and South Africa's Branden Grace for company.

The final group of Hurly Long, Seungsu Han and Marco Penge have to wait until 4.16pm to get their championship started.

READ MORE: Examining Rory McIlroy's major record as his quest for a fifth title continues