​The 144th edition of The Open Championship will be at Royal Birkdale this year. The oldest golf tournament in the world will be returning to Southport, England, for the first time since 2017. This will be the 11th time The Champion Golfer of the Year will be named at this venue.As the final major of the year, the chase for the Claret Jug is the last opportunity for the world’s best golfers to add to their major championship legacy. It is also a chance to add to their resume.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe land at Royal Birkdale has undergone substantial changes since the players last teed it up there in 2017. The par 70, 7223-yard links course changes are highlighted by the redesign of three of its current holes. In addition, there is a brand new par-3. The goals of these changes are to adapt to the skill of the players. These also add to the challenge while maintaining the tradition of the course.The enhancement of the fifth and seventh holes is the highlight of the front nine renovations. Wider fairways and additional bunkers have been added to the par-4 fifth hole. This will make for a more creative tee shot with how firm the fairways will be. A new elevated green with deep bunkers all around has been added to the par-3 seventh hole. With a small green, precision will be important to keep the ball on the green.The biggest of these new renovations comes at the brand-new par-3 15th hole. This hole will add more variety to the collection of par threes and showcase the iconic clubhouse in the background. With the addition of this brand-new hole, the previous 15th hole layout will be a new, 600-yard-long par-5 14th hole. The debut of these new holes will create new challenges that could potentially define the outcome of this major championship.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter winning last year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Scottie Scheffler will tee off this week to defend his title. The world’s top-ranked golfer is coming off his first missed cut since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. This snapped the longest active streak of 78 consecutive cuts. Since winning his first start of the season, Scheffler has struggled to push himself past the rest of the field. He’s put himself at the doorstep in multiple events, but hasn’t been able to seal the deal.Coming off winning six times on tour last year, including two majors, Scheffler’s expectations to continue his dominance were high. With only one win so far, it’s been a disappointing campaign for the world No. 1. An Open Championship repeat at Royal Birkdale could put an end to all of the heartbreak he has been through this year. If he wants to contend this week, he will need to clean up a few pieces of his game.Continuing to dominate in total strokes gained and strokes gained tee-to-green, where his game has stuttered at times, is on and around the greens. In the strokes-gained category, his lowest rankings are in approach and putting. Although he is fi