​Golf fans around the world are gearing up for the final major championship of the season. With several intriguing storylines entering Royal Birkdale, we looked at the betting favorites and compared them to Jordan Spieth’s statistical profile before his 2017 Open Championship victory at the same venue.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJordan Spieth – 2017 Open ChampionBefore winning at Royal Birkdale, Spieth ranked:Top 10 in Greens in Regulation (GIR)Second in Strokes Gained: ApproachTop 20 in Strokes Gained: ScramblingFifth in Strokes Gained: PuttingThose four categories provide a useful benchmark for evaluating this year’s contenders.United States | OWGR No. 1 | +590The past few weeks have been uncharacteristically quiet for world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.After battling the cut line, Scheffler finally missed a cut for the first time in 78 consecutive events, ending one of the greatest streaks in PGA Tour history. Ryan’s article breaks down just how historic that run truly was.The biggest concern this season has been his putting. Scheffler ranks 18th on Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting, and several putts that fans have come to expect him to make simply haven’t fallen.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat will be especially important at Royal Birkdale.Links golf rewards players who can scramble around the greens, and Scheffler remains one of the best in the world in that category, ranking third on Tour. Deep bunkers and thick fescue mean saving par will be just as important as making birdies.Working in Scheffler’s favor is his elite ball striking. He leads the PGA Tour in Greens in Regulation, which should help minimize the damage caused by an average putting week.If Scheffler fails to win, he will have gone four consecutive majors without capturing a title. While that isn’t unusual for most golfers, expectations are simply different for the reigning Open champion after the dominant stretch he has enjoyed over the past two seasons.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIronically, this week gives Scheffler a chance to defend the Claret Jug.It would be a very Scottie Scheffler thing to do by silencing any lingering doubts with another major victory.One interesting note: Scheffler has never played a professional round at Royal Birkdale.Compared to Spieth’s 2017 profile:GIR: 1st — Meets Spieth benchmarkSG: Approach: 17th — Below benchmarkSG: Scrambling: 3rd — Meets benchmarkSG: Putting: 18th — Below benchmarkNorthern Ireland | OWGR No. 2 | +760Rory McIlroy enters Royal Birkdale with plenty of momentum, although parts of his game have held him back since winning the Masters.As always, McIlroy remains one of the best drivers of the golf ball in the world. His biggest challenges have been putting and scrambling, two areas that become increasingly important on links-style courses.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDriving distance should be an advantage this week, but hitting greens in regulation will ultimately deter