The last major of the season is only three weeks away, and as always, Rory McIlroy has begun his preparations early. The Northern Irishman went to Royal Birkdale to get an early read on the course. While at Birkdale, he bumped into six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo. When Faldo asked about the course, the World No. 2 pointed to one of its biggest changes.

“It’s good. A little bit different from 2017, the last time we played an Open here. Some different green complexes, different holes. The fifth hole I just played is completely different,” McIlroy said in a video uploaded on X by the fan community Tracking Rory. “300 to the front. Good drivable par 4. Bit of a penalty if you go for it and you miss. I don’t know if the water is quiet in play on the right, but a lot of big, deep bunkers guarding the green. But yeah, I’ve always thought Birkdale is one of the best on The Open rota”

Royal Birkdale is hosting The Open for the 11th time in July 2026. The venue has been reworked for this edition, with the fourth, fifth, 14th, 15th and 18th holes all undergoing changes since the championship was last held there in 2017.

One of the most important changes, as Rory McIlroy pointed out, came to the par-4 fifth hole. Measuring only 321 yards, it is a risk-reward hole that requires sensible play. Players can choose a conservative tee shot to leave themselves a comfortable approach or attempt to drive the green, but the aggressive route comes with a price. As McIlroy noted, deep bunkers surrounding the green can heavily punish even a slight miss.

But that’s not the only test at Royal Birkdale. The course’s design has a theme of risk management, where brute force alone will not be enough. It starts with the opening par-4 itself. A bad miss will make the second shot challenging and all but eliminate any realistic chance of attacking the pin.

Another stern examination is the par-4 sixth hole, which was the most difficult during the 2017 Open Championship. It is expected to remain that way this year, especially if the wind picks up.

“If we get any sort of wind, I would 100% expect this to be the toughest hole on the course,” said Gregg Pettersen, Head Professional at Royal Birkdale.

Rory McIlroy has a habit of early preparation. He did the same for the other majors this season. For instance, he and Scottie Scheffler had already taken a scouting trip to Shinnecock Hills before the US Open 2026. The World No. 2 went there on the Monday preceding the Memorial Tournament. Even before the Masters 2026, he played multiple practice rounds at Augusta National, more than anyone else.

He followed that same practice for the Open Championship. But besides the scouting and a little practice at Royal Birkdale, there’s something more Rory McIlroy plans to do heading into the last major of the season.

“So, a bit of practice. It’s good to get up here and play early. I’ve been trying to do that at every major championship, which has been working out for me. I’m going to play the Scottish Open the week before,” he told Nick Faldo.

He had already confirmed playing at the Scottish Open 2026 few months back. He said that playing a national open is always an honor, and he is excited to be back at the event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

So, Rory McIlroy will sharpen his links-golf preparations at the Scottish Open before heading to Royal Birkdale. The event will also give him another competitive week on links terrain before he returns to Birkdale, where Jordan Spieth lifted the Claret Jug in 2017. Whether that preparation translates into a second Open Championship title remains to be seen.