​Royal Birkdale returns to the spotlight as host of the 154th Open Championship, welcoming golf’s oldest major back to England’s celebrated Golf Coast for an 11th time. Situated among the towering dunes of Southport on England’s northwest coast, Birkdale has become one of the R&A’s most trusted championship venues, hosting more Open Championships than any course outside of St Andrews in the modern era. Its iconic white Art Deco clubhouse, dramatic dune landscape and unmistakable corridors of play have helped establish a reputation as one of the purest and fairest examinations in championship golf.RELATED: British Open power rankings 2026: The entire field at Royal Birkdale, rankedAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlthough the club dates to 1889, the championship course took shape following Frederick G. Hawtree’s redesign in the early 1930s, completed with input from five-time Open champion J.H. Taylor. Unlike many traditional links that embrace blind shots and unpredictable bounces, Royal Birkdale was intentionally routed through the natural valleys between the dunes, allowing players to see both the challenge and the reward from the tee. That emphasis on strategic clarity has defined the course for nearly a century and remains one of its most distinctive characteristics.Despite often being described as the fairest course on the Open rota, Royal Birkdale offers very little margin for error. The generous driving corridors encourage confident swings from the tee, but the towering dunes, revetted bunkers and firm fescue turf place a premium on positioning and precision rather than raw power. Once the wind begins to shift off the Irish Sea, every decision becomes more demanding as trajectory, distance control and patience often outweigh aggression. Over four rounds, Royal Birkdale consistently rewards the player who combines disciplined course management with elite ball-striking, imaginative shotmaking and the ability to adapt as conditions evolve, qualities that have long defined champions of The Open.RELATED: The best courses in the United Kingdom and IrelandThis year’s field once again features virtually every notable player in the world. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler returns looking to successfully defend the claret jug, while Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and many of the game’s other biggest names headline a championship that includes competitors from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LIV Golf and the amateur ranks.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere are my favorite plays and fades in each price range for DraftKings contests for the 2026 Open Championship. $9,000+ range Play: Scottie Scheffler, $13,300With the masses souring on Scheffler’s chances to raise the claret jug again this year, I’ll gladly take the opposite approach and come in well over the field on him. His iron play hasn’t r