​Check in to GOLF’s Tour Confidential every Sunday night for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport. This week, with the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, we’ll hit one key topic each night.The 154th Open Championship begins on Thursday, although this version of Royal Birkdale looks much different (read: browner) than the 2017 edition here. Rory McIlroy called the conditions “burnt out” and players are expecting a course where the ball rolls forever with little rain in the forecast. Who do these conditions favor?Josh Schrock, associate news editor (@schrock_and_awe): As Rory noted Tuesday, it’s going to favor the more technically skilled golfers who know when to lay back and how far and when to push it up and have a wedge in. There will be about nine or 10 holes where golfers will have a choice between laying back or taking on bunkers and doglegs and pushing it closer. The golfers who are able to be disciplined in their process, control their spin and have control of their irons. That generally sounds like Scottie Scheffler (shock, horror), but he’s not at his best right now, so I’ll go elsewhere, although I expect him to play well. Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood are highly technical golfers whose games this setup suits. Same with Rory McIlroy. On the flip side, it feels like another short week for Bryson, who is one missed cut away from going 4-for-4.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJosh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): The thinkers and the strong-willed, since you are bound to get some unlucky breaks at Open Championships, and maybe even more so now since balls might run forever and figuring out the proper clubs might take some time. The players talked a lot about the strategy off the tee; avoiding the fairway bunkers will be crucial. It’s going to be really interesting to see how players handle the conditions the first couple of days and what they learn from watching the broadcast/others. I like to think guys like Aaron Rai and Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood (super accurate off the tee) are in a good spot, but Rory also talked about just taking driver and going over all the trouble and figuring it out from there, so there’s more than one way to play this course. News How to watch the 2026 Open Championship: TV schedule, streaming, tee times How to watch the 2026 Open Championship: TV schedule, streaming, tee times AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBy: Kevin CunninghamJake Morrow, gear content manager (@madefortherange): Might be a hot take but I don’t think the technical guy wins this week. I think the guys who like to have a bit more fun are going to see some more success. When conditions get tough, unpredictable or silly, it’s guys like Justin Thomas, Max Homa and Ben Griffin who tend to do a bit better. There’s less pressure to be perfect since there’s a certain level of “F it” that g