Southport
Royal Birkdale is set to present a dramatically different challenge when the 2026 British Open begins on Thursday, with redesigned holes, firmer fairways and unusually dry conditions expected to test the world’s best golfers.
Players arriving for the final men’s major of the season have found a course transformed since it last hosted the championship in 2017. Months of hot weather across Europe have left the famous links course brown rather than green, with fast-running fairways and strong coastal winds expected to make shot-making even more demanding.
Former U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein, returning to Royal Birkdale for the first time in nine years, admitted the layout felt almost unfamiliar.
“The course is completely different,” Uihlein said after a practice round. “Loft means nothing when it’s like this. You have to be creative and land the ball well short of the greens.”
The most striking alteration is the new 15th hole, a daunting 241-yard par three that replaces the previous layout. It marks the second time in four years that tournament organisers have effectively introduced a new hole at an Open venue.
Other modifications include changes to the reachable par-four fifth and subtle adjustments to several fairways and approach angles, ensuring even former champions will have to rethink their strategy.
The conditions have already caught players by surprise. On the 14th hole, Uihlein’s six-iron from 256 yards rolled nearly 40 yards beyond the flag, while a two-iron from 226 yards into the wind on the closing hole stopped just short of the green.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka arrived after missing the cut at the Scottish Open, while 2017 champion Jordan Spieth returns to the venue where he produced one of the championship’s most memorable finishes. However, parts of the course that featured prominently in his victory, including the old driving range area, have since been redesigned.
Caddie Joe Greiner compared the conditions to Carnoustie in 2018, when baked fairways produced extraordinary ball roll.
With sunshine, wind and lightning-fast turf forecast throughout the week, competitors are preparing for a classic links examination where imagination, patience and precise course management could prove more valuable than sheer power.