A 2023 British Open preview

The GIST: The final men’s golf major of the season tees off tomorrow from the links at Royal Liverpool, with a $16.5M purse and the Claret Jug — golf’s most coveted trophy — on the line. Fore!

Key storylines: The oldest championship in the sport, the Open is always played at a links-style course, which occur along the coast, retaining the naturally windy, and uneven terrain of the area. The Open is notoriously “forged by nature” as conditions — and therefore, holes — can change on a dime, testing the limits of the best golfers in the world. It’s giving Survivor.

• Off the links, golf is still in its chaos era, as no one yet knows how the PGA Tour and LIV will operate given their recent merger, but tempers seem to have cooled since the ultra-testy U.S. Open in June…for now.

Players to watch: All eyes will be on PGA loyalist Rory McIlroy who is stuck in a nine-year major drought. The good news? The last time McIlroy hoisted the aforementioned Claret Jug was at Royal Liverpool back in 2014. Nostalgia isn’t the only thing working in McIlroy’s favor — the world No. 2 is fresh off a gutsy win at last week’s Scottish Open.

• But to end his dry spell, McIlroy will have to overpower two LIV superstars: Brooks Koepka, who already has one major under his belt this year, and defending champion Cameron Smith. Smooth sailing? Not at The Open.