The Open Championship gets under way at Royal Birkdale on Thursday with players preparing for a version of links golf many of them say they have never experienced: a sun-baked course under a forecast of little to no rain.
A spell of hot, dry weather has left the course near Southport in north-west England running firm and fast, a contrast to the wet and windswept conditions the tournament is known for. "It's unprecedented for sure," Jon Rahm said of the setup, according to ESPN, noting how far the ball can travel across dried-out fairways.
A different kind of test
On a baked links, the usual logic of Open golf is turned around. The thick rough that normally punishes wayward drives is less of a threat when it is parched, while firm greens and fairways send the ball bounding, rewarding length but making it harder to hold shots close to the pin. Royal Birkdale's many bunkers loom as the main defence, placing a premium on precise positioning.
Scottie Scheffler, the world number one and defending champion, said it was the first Open forecast he could recall with no rain in it for the week. The last time the championship played out on comparably dry, brown links was the 2018 Open at Carnoustie.
The contenders
Scheffler arrives as favourite as he tries to win back-to-back Opens, a feat last achieved by Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008. Rory McIlroy, who has enjoyed a strong season, is among those expected to challenge, along with the likes of Rahm and other leading names in the field.
Home interest centres on Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up in Southport and knows the course well. He has come close in majors without winning one, and a victory would make him a rare English champion at the Open. On an unusually fast and unfamiliar Birkdale, players who can combine distance with control, and adapt as the conditions shift, are likely to rise to the top of the leaderboard.
