The final round tee times on Sunday at The Open may be moved earlier to sidestep a conflict with the World Cup final, provided England reaches that match.

Should England defeat Argentina in the midweek semi-final, they would face France or Spain in New Jersey at 20:00 BST, while golf action is set to conclude near 18:30.

A play-off at Royal Birkdale in Southport could however create an overlap between the two events.

BBC Sport has learned that the R&A remains open to adjustments and has yet to finalize any plans.

Input from stakeholders and broadcasters will likely precede any firm choice.

Organizers have monitored the potential conflict, though England's semi-final appearance has heightened attention.

R&A chief executive Mark Darbon noted in April that awareness of other events on the date exists and efforts will focus on avoiding clashes where feasible, even as some factors like play-offs remain beyond control.

The Open employs a three-hole play-off decided by aggregate score, followed by sudden death if needed.

This format could push the Claret Jug presentation close to the football kickoff.

Even a standard finish would leave limited time for spectators to depart the Merseyside venue and view the match.

The most recent Open decided by play-off occurred in 2015 when Zach Johnson prevailed over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman at St Andrews.

The R&A will conduct its standard pre-tournament briefing on Wednesday.

Thursday's opening round tee times offered limited favor to several English players aiming to follow the Three Lions versus Argentina.

The Atlanta semi-final begins at 20:00 BST, while the first Open groups start at 06:35, with players often arriving up to two hours prior.

An English player features in each of the initial eight groups, among them Royal Birkdale member Matthew Baldwin who strikes the opening shot.

World number 10 Justin Rose begins at 09:36.

The 2016 Olympic champion expressed a preference for a later slot while planning to watch the match, accepting a penalty shootout outcome but hoping for brevity and an early rest.

He intends to balance viewing with focus on his own performance amid the tournament demands.

English players with later starts, such as Sheffield United supporter Matt Fitzpatrick at 15:15, can follow the semi-final more comfortably, though his brother Alex begins at 07:19.

Iain Carter, BBC golf correspondent

Tee times often shift due to weather yet primarily reflect television needs and daylight availability.

This approach mirrors last weekend's Scottish Open, where CBS coverage in the US led to late afternoon starts, further delayed by fog.

The Open, broadcast by NBC, aligns similarly to capture peak US audiences across time zones five hours behind the UK.

Final putts on Open Sundays typically fall around 18:30, raising concern only if a three-hole play-off extends into sudden death and pushes the ceremony near the World Cup final.