The British Open is officially here, and Tiger Woods is officially back, making for a must-watch golf tournament on Thursday.

This is the third golf major of the year after the Masters and the US Open and after this, only the PGA Championship remains. Winning other events and invitational's are always rewarding, but majors are where the legacy is ultimately made.

Preview

The biggest storyline with this year's British Open is the return of Tiger Woods. Woods missed both the Masters and US Open because of a herniated disk surgery. Woods currently has 14 career majors, which ranks as the second most in golf history, only behind Jack Nicklaus' 18. Unfortunately for Woods, he hasn't won single major since 2008. He also hasn't won the British Open since 2006.

Injuries, age, off the field issues, and swing changes have all played a role in his slump.

The British and US Open always bring large international rivalries. The United States, England, Scotland, and Ireland all have a long history with each other when it comes to the golf course. English and Scottish golfers dominated American events early on, but that has changed dramatically over time. Not only has America regained its supremacy at home, but has also taken over in Europe as well. Only one English born golfer has won the British Open since 1970.

Last year, Phil Mickelson won the tournament for the first time in his career. He has been competing at the British Open since 1990 and is currently ranked No. 13 in the world.

The only South American born golfer to win the British Open was Roberto De Vicenzo from Argentina, who won the tournament in 1967. Ángel Cabrera, who has won the Masters and the US Open, will be competing this year.

Notable Pairings and Tee Times

This year has a large field with 52 pairings and 156 players. Don't worry though, after Friday's first cut day, the field will begin to dwindle dramatically. Older veteran players like John Daly, for example, most likely won't be playing this weekend. Here are the four most notable tee times and pairings. All times are Eastern American time zone.

The first time listed is for Thursday and the second time listed is for Friday:

Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson, Angel Cabrera
4 a.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. Friday


Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama
4:30 a.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m. Friday


Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Ernie Els
9 a.m. Thursday, 4 a.m. Friday


Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Jason Dufner
9:30 a.m. Thursday, 4:30 a.m. Friday


Saturday and Sunday tee times have not been scheduled yet.

Predictions

All eyes will be on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who have a long history with each other. Woods is the best golfer of his generation and Mickelson is the defending champion. Adam Scott is still the best putter when it matters most and he will win his second major.

Leaderboard, Where and when to watch

The 2014 British Open will be played in Merseyside, England at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course from Thursday through Sunday. David Howell, Cameron Tringale, and Masonari Kobayashi are the first pair and they begin the Open at 1:30 a.m. EST Thursday morning on ESPN. The official leaderboard can be found here.