The 66-player field includes 48 of the top 50 in the men's world ranking, including world number two Dustin Johnson of the United States, who skipped Tokyo 2020.

Fellow American Bryson DeChambeau - who missed the Olympics with coronavirus - also plays and will be in the same three-ball as Johnson for the opening two rounds, along with Australia's Cameron Smith.

One notable absentee, however, will be Spaniard Jon Rahm - the world number one, US Open champion and only golfer to finish in the top 10 at each of this year’s four majors.

Rahm like DeChambeau was forced to miss the Olympics following a positive COVID-19 test.

Rory Sabbatini rolled back the years to earn silver for Slovakia in Tokyo but will not be present, and nor will Chinese Taipei’s CT Pan who triumphed in the seven-way playoff to clinch bronze.

The Invitational has been hosted at the par-70 TPC Southwind since 2019, having previously been held at Firestone Country Club in Ohio between 2006 and 2018.

American Brooks Koepka won the event in 2019 and his compatriot Justin Thomas last year, with each recording a three-stroke victory.

Thomas will play with compatriot Schauffele for the first two rounds, as well as the Englishman Schauffele replaced as Olympic champion, Justin Rose.

Collin Morikawa, ranked third in the world, features in a three-ball which includes two of this year’s major champions.

The American claimed his second major last month with a sensational performance on Open debut in Britain, earned top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and US Open earlier in the year, and won his first WGC event at the WGC-Workday Championship in Florida in February.

Invitational champion in 2019 Koepka looks well-positioned to make another challenge for the title after finishing in the top 10 at the last three majors - indeed, he has finished outside the top 10 at only two of the last 10 majors.

His three-ball with Open runner-up Jordan Spieth and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, winner of three WGC tournaments, looks particularly strong.

South African Louis Oosthizen finished in the top three at the PGA Championship, US Open and Open, and he tees off with two other players from the world's top 10 in the US’ Patrick Cantlay and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.

Phil Mickelson upset the odds and became the oldest major champion ever at the PGA Championship in May; he has won two WGC tournaments during his career, but never an Invitational.

He is out with two-time WGC winner Adam Scott from Australia and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick.

Billy Horschel meanwhile won the WGC-Match Play in March to earn his maiden WGC triumph, and is also involved at TPC Southwind.

He is teeing off with fellow American Patrick Reed, who won his second WGC tournament last year, and England’s Tyrrell Hatton.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry won the Invitational at Firestone in 2015, and is in the last group to tee off.

The four-round event features no cut.

It is running until Sunday (August 8), with a $10.5 million (£7.54 million/€8.86 million) prize fund available, including $1.89 million (£1.36 million/€1.59 million) for the winner.

The final WCG event of the year is the Champions tournament, which is scheduled for October 28 to 31 at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, although it appears likely this will need to be moved.