The Open does not always reward the player who strikes the ball highest or hits the most greens. At Royal Birkdale, control can matter more than power. A firm, fast course changes the distance a ball travels, the places it can finish and the risks players have to take when the pressure rises on Sunday.
The 154th Open begins on Thursday 16 July and concludes on Sunday 19 July, with Royal Birkdale hosting golf’s original major for the first time since 2017. New sports betting sites will be part of the conversation around the championship, but the most interesting story may be how the course itself changes as four days of play unfold.
Birkdale is a demanding links course because it does not allow players to rely on one method. High shots can be carried away by the wind. Aggressive drives can run into trouble. A ball that lands safely can still take an awkward bounce and leave a difficult next shot.
By the final round, those factors could make the leaderboard feel very different from the one that appeared after Thursday.
Firm ground changes the value of every shot
Soft turf gives players a degree of certainty. A well-struck approach tends to stop close to where it lands. Firm links ground does not offer that same comfort.
At Royal Birkdale, a ball can run far beyond its first bounce, especially if the wind and slopes are working in the same direction. Players must think about where the ball will finish rather than simply where they want it to land. That sounds simple, but it affects every decision from the tee onwards.
A drive that would be perfect at a softer parkland course may run through the fairway and into rough or a bunker. An approach aimed directly at a flag may release too far and leave a chip from an awkward angle. Even putts can become more difficult when greens are quick and exposed to the wind.
This is why links golf rewards imagination. Players may choose to keep the ball low, use the contours and accept a less direct route to the hole. A shot that looks cautious from the fairway can be the smartest choice available.
The wind does not need to be extreme to cause problems
People often talk about The Open as though it only becomes difficult when the weather is wild. Strong gusts can certainly create chaos, but even a moderate breeze can have a major effect at Birkdale.
The course is exposed, and the wind can feel different from one hole to the next. A player may face a crosswind on the tee, then find that the approach shot is moving into the wind. On a firm course, the wind affects not only how far the ball flies but also where it lands and how it runs.
That can make club selection difficult. A player may normally hit a seven-iron a certain distance, but links conditions can turn that into a six-iron, an eight-iron or a low-running shot with a completely different shape. The decision is not always obvious, especially when the pressure of a major championship is involved.
It also means that a scorecard can be misleading. One half of the draw may face a calmer morning, while another deals with stronger conditions later in the day. The best players do not complain about it. They adjust and try to avoid the mistakes that conditions can force.
Pot bunkers punish poor positioning
Royal Birkdale’s bunkers are among the course’s most recognisable defences. They are not hazards a player can casually escape with a powerful swing. Their steep faces can make a shot towards the green impossible, leaving the only sensible option as a sideways or backwards escape.
That changes the way players approach the tee. A fairway bunker is not simply an inconvenience. It can turn a birdie chance into a scramble for par, or turn a par into a bogey before the player reaches the green.
The danger increases on Sunday. Early in the championship, a player can recover from a dropped shot without too much concern. In the final round, the same error can feel much larger. A contender who finds a bunker while holding a one-shot lead may have to decide between attempting a difficult recovery and accepting a safer score.
Those moments are where The Open can change. It is rarely about one spectacular shot alone. More often, it is about one player avoiding a major mistake while another has to take a number they did not expect.
Patience matters as much as momentum
Major championships often create an urge to attack. When another player makes two birdies, it is tempting to chase immediately. At Royal Birkdale, that reaction can be dangerous.
A player in contention needs to understand that par can be a good score. The course may offer birdie chances, but it also contains holes where getting safely to the green and taking two putts is a sensible result. Trying to force birdies from difficult positions usually creates a bigger problem.
This is where experience can help. Players who have competed in links conditions know that a round can change quickly. A bogey is not necessarily a disaster. A birdie does not always mean the player has found a lasting advantage. The key is to keep making sensible decisions after each shot.
The final round will likely reward the golfer who can stay calm through a difficult stretch. A dropped shot on one hole does not need to become three dropped shots over the next four. The player who accepts a setback and keeps the ball in play can remain in the championship even when the course is not offering easy chances.
The closing holes can change the tone of the day
The final stretch at Royal Birkdale has a history of producing pressure. Players arriving at the closing holes may need to decide how much risk they can take, based on the score behind them and the condition of the course.
A player protecting a lead will not approach the final holes in the same way as someone trying to make up two shots. The leader may choose the larger part of the fairway, accept a longer approach and focus on avoiding disaster. The chaser may need to take on a more difficult line, knowing that a conservative par is unlikely to be enough.
That contrast is what makes a Sunday at The Open so compelling. The course is the same for everyone, but the situation changes how each player sees it. A fairway bunker that looks manageable to a player with a three-shot lead can appear far more threatening to someone who needs a birdie.
The firmness of the ground adds another element. Players may have to land shots short of a target, use slopes to feed the ball towards a pin or accept that the safest part of the green is not the closest part.
Royal Birkdale rewards a complete game
There are courses where one outstanding skill can cover weaknesses elsewhere. A long hitter can overpower a layout. A brilliant putter can rescue a poor approach game. Royal Birkdale asks for more balance.
Players need to control the flight of the ball, judge distances in changing conditions, avoid bunkers and remain patient on the greens. They also need the discipline to choose the right shot instead of the most dramatic one.
That is why the course suits The Open. It asks golfers to adapt rather than repeat the same plan. It demands judgment, touch and a willingness to accept that a good shot may not always produce a perfect result.
The official Open guide confirms that championship play begins on 16 July, but the real character of the event will only become clear as the week develops. By Sunday afternoon, the player lifting the Claret Jug may not be the one who attacked Royal Birkdale most boldly.
They may be the player who understood when not to.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
