Today at The Open

Practice Day 1 at The 148th Open is in the books and Monday at Royal Portrush will bring plenty more action to keep fans entertained.

The exact make-up of the field will be known following the conclusion of the Scottish Open and John Deere Classic on Sunday evening and it will be less than 72 hours until the first shot of The 148th Open is struck.

Here’s what to expect from Practice Day 2.

The return of the Champion Golfer

Both the Claret Jug and the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year Francesco Molinari will return to The Open ahead of the Italian’s title defence.

Twelve months ago Molinari memorably held off the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose to triumph at Carnoustie but his year in the sun is now at an end.

He will be picked up in a Mercedes at 10am and transported to Royal Portrush where he will return the Claret Jug to R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, before promptly trying to win it back come Sunday.

Molinari will then continue his preparations on the range and on the course as he gears up to go back-to-back.

Time to tee it up

Monday afternoon will also see the announcement of Thursday and Friday’s tee times – as the players find out exactly when they will be taking on the Dunluce links.

The groupings will also allow spectators headed for Portrush on the Championship Days to plan their route and who they want to see out on the course.

Whether you intend on Tiger hunting, roaring for Rory or picking a hole and watching the entire field come through – the tee times will help you out.

Sandy Lyle had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot 12 months ago, so make sure you tune in to theopen.com to see who is first out this time around.

Talking heads

The world’s press have also descended on Royal Portrush and will have their first opportunity to grill the players ahead of The Open.

Molinari kicks off the day’s press conferences at 1pm, followed by Darren Clarke, Tommy Fleetwood and Irish amateur star James Sugrue and we’ll have it all covered on theopen.com.

All the trimmings at Portrush

If you’re lucky enough to have already bought tickets for Practice Day 2, then there’s plenty to keep you busy on the ground at Royal Portrush.

You can get a behind-the-scenes look at the world’s best golfers as they get ready to attack golf’s original Championship and perhaps even leave with a signed memento.

Aside from all the practice action, the Spectator Village is the perfect place to take a break from the course – with a number of food and beverage offers, dedicated kids play area and giant TV screens.

It’s also home to The Open Shop, where you can get kitted with a range of headwear and apparel, outerwear, children’s clothing, luggage, homeware, leather goods and golf accessories.

And make sure to pick up an official programme which is more than a memorabilia piece: read all about the course, your favourite players and historical information on golf’s oldest Championship.