Faldo paired with Woods at Hoylake

Nick Faldo, who has played just six tournaments this year and not made a halfway cut in any of them, has been paired with Tiger Woods in the first two rounds of the Open championship at Hoylake on Thursday and Friday.

Between them the two players have lifted the Claret Jug five times – Faldo in 1987, 1990 and 1992, Woods in 2000 and again last year.

Faldo celebrates his 49th birthday tomorrow and probably never expected to be thrust into the limelight in such a way.

He has spent more time commentating on golf than playing it this season, his last event being back in April in China.

Woods himself will be playing just his third tournament since the Masters three months ago. His father died in May and he then missed the halfway cut on his return at the US Open, but two weeks ago finished runner-up at the Western Open in Illinois.

Japan’s Shingo Katayama is the third member of the group which tees off at 2.09pm on Thursday and then 8.58am on Friday.

Colin Montgomerie, runner-up to Woods at St Andrews a year ago and to Geoff Ogilvy after his closing double-bogey six at the US Open five weeks ago, should draw a huge following as well.

The 43-year-old has been paired with 1995 champion John Daly, with Australia’s Stuart Appleby the other member. They are the reverse of Faldo and Woods - 8.58am Thursday, 2.09pm Friday.

Luke Donald, who last year had Jack Nicklaus for company in his final appearance in a major, tees off this time with Ernie Els and Italian Edoardo Molinari, last year’s US Amateur champion.

Phil Mickelson, who also threw away the chance of the US Open with a double bogey at the 72nd hole, plays with Darren Clarke and Yasuharu Imano, while just behind them at 9.31am Ian Poulter will partner Seve Ballesteros on the 49-year-old Spaniard’s return to major golf after an absence of three years.

Ballesteros did not play any tournament golf for two years, finished near to last at the Madrid Open last October and did not play again until the French Open three weeks ago. He did not break 80 in either round.

Swede Peter Hedblom, who holed-in-one during the US Open, will hit the first shot of the championship at 6.30am, with English qualifier Darren Parris the last player to tee off at 4.21pm.

Those spectators arriving early may well opt to follow the group at 7.36am - Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and Fred Couples, although the American is a doubt after injuring his back last week and pulling out of the Scottish Open before the start.

Padraig Harrington is paired with American Arron Oberholser and Australian Nick O’Hern, while fellow Dubliner Paul McGinley plays with 2001 champion David Duval and Hideto Tanihara.

European Order of Merit leader David Howell tees off at 8.20am with world number three Vijay Singh and American Zach Johnson, while last year’s Rookie of the Year Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is paired with Retief Goosen and five-time champion Tom Watson.