Woods alongside Faldo for Hoylake

Tiger Woods will launch his British Open title defence in the company of three-times winner Nick Faldo and Shingo Katayama of Japan at Hoylake on Thursday.

The world number one, who coasted to victory by five strokes at St. Andrews last year, will tee off at 2.09pm (Irish time).

Widely considered the tournament favourite despite having played only two events over the last three months, Woods will be chasing his third Claret Jug, having claimed his first at St. Andrews in 2000.

Ernie Els, the 2002 champion at Muirfield, will play the first two rounds with England's Luke Donald and Italy's Italian Edoardo Molinari, winner of the 2005 US amateur title.

Darren Clarke has been paired with Masters champion Phil Mickelson and Yasuharu Imano of Japan. Padraig Harrington, is grouped with American Arron Oberholser and Australian left-hander Nick O'Hern.

Paul McGinley finds himself with former champion David Duval and Japan's Hideto Tanihara. Graeme McDowell will be alongside American Lucas Glover and Australian Peter Lonard.

In other high-profile groupings, Vijay Singh, European number one David Howell and American Zach Johnson are paired, while Colin Montgomerie, runner-up behind Woods at last year's championship, will be in the company of big-hitting John Daly and Australia's Stuart Appleby.

Hoylake's Royal Liverpool Golf Club, hosting the British Open for the 11th time, has not held the tournament since 1967 when Argentina's Roberto de Vicenzo clinched his only major title.

Selected Open tee times:(Thursday) (Gb & Ire unless stated)

7.58amEdoardo Molinari (Ita), Ernie Els (Rsa), Luke Donald
8.20amVijay Singh (Fij), David Howell, Zach Johnson (US)
9.09am: Padraig Harrington, Arron Oberholser (US), Nick O'Hern (Aus)
9.20am:Phil Mickelson (US), Darren Clarke, Yasuharu Imano (Jpn)
12.58pm:Lucas Glover (US), Peter Lonard (Aus), Graeme McDowell
2.09pm:Shingo Katayama (Jpn), Tiger Woods (US), Nick Faldo
2.20pm:David Duval (US), Paul McGinley, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn)
2.42pmRetief Goosen (Rsa), Tom Watson (US), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa)

Click on link below for Tee-Times in full

[  http://www.ireland.com/sports/golf/2006/0717/tee_times.htm ]