The fourth major tournament of the season is upon us and will be played at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the northwest of England along the coastline of the Irish Sea. Located north of Liverpool and west of Manchester, the town of Southport and the surrounding area are home to some of the most beautiful courses in the United Kingdom.Royal Birkdale Golf Club was founded in 1889 and first hosted the Open Championship in 1954. While being part of the Open Championship rotation since then, it has also hosted many other significant championships, including the famous 1969 Ryder Cup, where Jack Nicklaus conceded a short putt to Tony Jacklin to have the competition finish in a tie, allowing the American team to retain the Ryder Cup. “The Concession” at the 1969 Ryder Cup has long been an example of the very best in sportsmanship.This week, Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite and the defending Open champion, but he will be trying to defend his title on the back of his first missed cut in 78 consecutive tournaments. His approach play was poor at the Scottish Open (losing over 1.7 strokes on approach), and it finally caught up to him against a strong field that was gearing up for the Open Championship.Rory McIlroy is the second favorite after contending at the Scottish Open, where he, too, struggled with his approach play. The 2014 champion hopes to win his second Open Championship in the northwest of England.The last time the Open Championship was contested at Royal Birkdale Golf Club was 2017, when Jordan Spieth won by three strokes over Matt Kuchar. Branden Grace shot an Open record 62 during that tournament, but Spieth was on top of his game and in the middle of an incredible run. Some notable names among the top of the leaderboard that week who will be teeing it up this week: Haotong Li (third), McIlroy (T4) and Brooks Koepka (T6). While the field is filled with the biggest names in the golfing world, the star of every Open Championship is the golf course.Royal Birkdale Golf Club is a short par-70 layout with small greens compared with other Open Championship sites. The course was revamped in 2021, with the short par-4 5th hole being reworked to make it more in keeping with the standards of the course. The prevailing wind will be in the players’ faces, so club selection off the tee will be interesting. The 15th hole has become a long par 3 measuring 241 yards and should be a test of the players’ timing and trajectory control on the finishing nine. The 18th hole is a big-boy par 4 measuring over 500 yards and should make for a nervy finish.My model will concentrate on strokes gained on approach (weighted), strokes gained on approach in major championships, strokes gained around the green, strokes gained putting from 15 feet, strokes gained in Open Championships, strokes gained in windy conditions and performance in the last 24 rounds.Course informationCourse: Royal Birkdale Golf ClubLocation: Southport, Merseyside, EnglandDesigner: Frederick G Hawtree and J. H. Taylor; redesigned by Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert in 2021Par: 70Length: 7,223 yardsAverage green size: 5,200 sq. feetPast champions: