Links golf makes this the least predictable of the majors. Half the field plays its first round in one set of conditions and half in another, and a swing in wind or rain across the draw can be worth several shots. Firm ground means the ball runs, so control of trajectory and the ability to putt from off the green matter more than distance. Pot bunkers turn small errors into dropped shots and widen the spread of scores. The championship also moves between courses, so form at one of them transfers only partly.
The Open is the oldest of the men's major championships and the only one played outside the United States, contested over 72 holes of stroke play with a cut after two rounds. The field combines exempt players with those who come through qualifying.
The week itself has a rhythm worth learning. Long hours of light let the starting times stretch far apart, so the first groups can be finishing while the last are barely under way, and a leaderboard looks settled long before it is. Many links routings run out along the coast and back again, which means one wind direction turns half the round into a downwind stroll and the other half into a grind. If players finish level, a short series of extra holes settles it rather than one sudden death hole.