Maguire all set to tee it up at the Open

Laytown & Bettystown golfer Alex Maguire is looking forward to the biggest week of his career when he tees it up at the Open in Hoylake Royal Liverpool from Thursday.

The groups and tee times were unveiled at 12pm today and Maguire will play alongside Japan's Rikuya Hoshino and South Africa's Charl Schwartzel at 7.08am on Thursday morning.

As if things couldn't get any more special for the Meath golfer he had a special 'surreal' surprise waiting for him when he arrived at the golf course on Sunday.

"Me and my caddie Jack McDonnell walked in (on Sunday)," said Maguire.

"We got off the boat and drove straight here. We were walking around and seeing what the place was about.

"I went into the locker room to get my locker and there was no name in between McIntyre and Matsuyama. I was like, 'OK, obviously they've forgotten my locker'.

p"Then the attendee in the locker room was like, 'Oh no, it's over here in the corner'. I assumed all the amateurs were put together.

"Then he leads me inside the champions locker room, the champions corner, and I see my name - Shane Lowry, myself and then Rory (McIlroy).

"To be honest, I couldn't stop smiling for 15 minutes after about how cool it was to have my name beside those two lads, and them being my two favourite golfers I've looked up to for the last few years. Now I have a locker beside them which is quite surreal."

The Laytown and Bettystown man qualified for The Open after topping the R&A's amateur series.

"I've qualified to be here by my own golf. I'm very proud of myself to be able to play The Open.

"I played (a practice round) with Patrick Reed and Denny McCarthy, great to play with those guys, and even Branden Grace up the last two holes there.

"It was surreal stuff, walking by Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. I'm soaking in as much as I can. I was at St Andrews last year watching The Open.

"The grandstands and the kerfuffle of it all doesn't really shock me. But when you're the person that everyone else is watching, it's a little bit different."

Maguire will be one of the six Irishmen teeing it up at this week's Open Championship, after qualifying following his excellent performances at the St Andrew's Links Trophy - which he won - and The Amateur Championship.

Supporting him throughout his golfing journey and all the way to this year's Open has been is father, Sean and speaking at the course, his emotions got the better of him during heartfelt interview as he talked about is son.

"No nerves, excitement," said Sean Maguire. "Like he's good enough to compete here, he wouldn't be here if he wasn't."

Alex was also interviewed and spoke about the support he has received from his family since taking up the game.

"I won the St Andrew's Links Trophy, which was the first of the three amateur series.

"Obviously, what a place to win, at the Old Course, that was bucket list stuff to be honest, even to play the Old Course, but to walk over the Swilcan Bridge with him, he caddied for me on the last hole.

"You can see him tearing up there, he's supported me for the last... him, and my mother and my family, they've all been a massive support for me since I started playing golf over 10 years ago."