​SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Peter Uihlein returned to Royal Birkdale for the first time in nine years, and there were moments late Sunday afternoon when it felt as if he were seeing the famous links course anew. The turf looked browner than green, a telltale sign of the hot weather that has scorched much of Europe and raised expectations for a fast, fiery British Open that starts Thursday. The wind was brisk as is typical for links golf along the Lancashire coast.
From 256 yards away on the par-4 14th, Uihlein struck a 6-iron that landed short of the green and rolled to 40 yards beyond the hole. From 226 yards into the wind on the 18th, he crushed a 2-iron — a club he can hardly recall last having in his bag — and settled just short of the green. Yet it was the 15th hole that truly gave him pause. “What the hell?” he asked from the back tee of a 241-yard hole. A few holes later, the former U.S. Amateur champion now competing with LIV Golf remarked to no one in particular, “I just don’t remember a 240-yard par 3.” That’s because the hole didn’t exist when the Open last visited Royal Birkdale in 2017.
This is the second time in four years that the R&A has effectively created a new hole, a decision that Rory McIlroy suggested last week would provoke discussion. Royal Birkdale began filling up Sunday for the year’s final major, a moment to reacquaint oneself with the course or to see it anew for the first time. Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka were among those who stopped by after competing at the Scottish Open, both having missed the cut — a first for Scheffler, the world No. 1, in nearly four years. Rickie Fowler shook off jet lag on Saturday with a relaxed round at nearby West Lancashire and played all 18 holes on Sunday at Royal Birkdale with Akshay Bhatia, a newcomer to the club.
The changes drew attention—No. 15 is the only new hole, though the reachable par-4 fifth has been redesigned and several angles on other holes are altered—but it was the color of the grass, the firmness of the turf, and the forecast that left a lasting impression. Sunscreen could outperform fish and chips in this week’s sales, one caddie noted. “It’s as close to Carnoustie as I’ve seen,” said Joe Greiner, the caddie for Bhatia who previously worked at Carnoustie in 2018 when the course was so yellow that players were driving the first green and Hideki Matsuyama once hit a 3-wood into the burn about 425 yards away because the ball was rolling so much. This is golf at its most distinctively linked.
“It’s windy and firm, and you need creativity to land it short — very short — of the green without fearing what happens after,” Uihlein said, glancing through his assortment of irons and noting, “Loft means nothing when the conditions are like this.” The atmosphere around him underscored the sense that it will take ingenuity and nerve to navigate this course in the current conditions.
Jordan Spieth arrived at Royal Birkdale over the weekend, seeking momentum from a course where he delivered a remarkable finish to win the 2017 Open’s third leg on the way to completing the career Grand Slam. He was eager to add another strong showing to his resume as the Open week commences.