The organisers of The Open have confirmed that they are considering a plan to bring final-round tee times forward to avoid a possible clash with the World Cup final – if England get there.
Thomas Tuchel’s side take on Argentina on Wednesday night looking to reach the final of the tournament for the first time in 60 years and set up a meeting with Spain on Sunday evening.
That game would kick off at 8pm BST, about an hour and a half after the final round is expected to finish at Royal Birkdale. A possible play-off could take the tournament deeper into the evening, though, while fan numbers would perhaps be hit as England fans try to watch the World Cup decider.
Over 300,000 fans are expected to attend the final men's major of the year this week in Southport, and discussions with stakeholders have been held about a possible shift in the schedule if required.
Mark Darbon, the R&A chief executive, admitted that he would review the situation after the game in Atlanta.
"I'm an England football fan, so it [them in the final] would be a great problem to have," Darbon said at Wednesday's pre-tournament press conference. "Also, because I'm an England football fan, we should also wait to see how the semi-final goes before we get too far ahead.
"Of course, in the background, we've been doing a lot of thinking about this. Our final putt is currently scheduled for around 6:40pm on Sunday. We think that, even if we go to a three-hole play-off, we've got time to complete the championship.
“At this stage, no plans to alter anything, but we'll maintain that under review and finalise our position after the semi-final."
Should England’s semi-final go into extra time or to penalties, any golfers with early tee times on Thursday wishing to watch the action could face a tough turnaround.
Justin Rose, back at the venue where he finished fourth as an amateur in 1997, is prepared to pay the penalty to support his team.
“I was kind of hoping for a later tee time,” Rose admitted having been given a 9.36am start for round one. “I’d take a win on penalties if it happened but obviously we’re looking for a short, sharp match and a reasonable bedtime.
“Obviously we’re going to be watching, but at the same time I’m going to watch it with an eye on what’s important for me as well and not get too high and low and keep my own emotions in check.“It’s probably a futile kind of exercise, isn’t it? It’s going to be a hard-fought game and it’s going to probably be a nail-biter. I can only try though.
“We’ve got big things as well to do this week, but at the same time, it’s a match where if you think that you’re not going to watch it, you’re probably kidding yourself.”
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The Open round one and two tee times including Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler
