The Open: World's elite braced for severe test on wet and windy Birkdale links

Rory McIlroy admits it is hard to argue with him being rated a 20-1 chance to win the Open Championship, yet believes he can still defy the odds and regain the Claret Jug.

McIlroy begins the third major of the season this afternoon on the back of three missed cuts in his last four events, including back-to-back early exits from the Irish Open – where he was defending champion – and last week’s Scottish Open.

The last player to miss consecutive cuts immediately before winning a major was American Webb Simpson, who claimed the 2012 US Open at Olympic Club, while Louis Oosthuizen was the most recent to do so in the Open in 2010.

To help improve his game, McIlroy has been practising at Birkdale since the weekend, while Jason Day, by contrast, only arrived in Southport on Monday and did not stride out onto the 7,156-yard par-70 until Tuesday

Day originally intended on arrivng on Sunday but, after learning a connection in New York would be delayed because President Trump was flying in to the same airport, he decided to book a later flight.

The man who currently holds top spot in the rankings, was also talking yesterday ahead of this morning’s opening round of the 146th Open Championship.

Dustin Johnson failed to make the weekend at the Memorial Tournament and also for his US Open title defence at Erin Hills last month.

In between his fiancee Paulina Gretzky gave birth to their second child River. Johnson subsequently crashed out of the US Open, missing the cut by three shots.

However, he has arrived in Southport for The Open on his own having left Paulina and the children at home.

Johnson has spent the last 22 weeks as world No 1 and although he cannot be toppled this week, knows his domination can only last so long. “I don’t know if anybody can dominate like Tiger Woods did for the time period he did it for,” he said.

“I think I do okay. Golf is in a really good spot right now. I think, myself included, all the young guys are so good. The talent level is very high.”

One of those people to help elevate golf into such a strong position over the last few years is McIlroy, even if his most recent form suggests otherwise.

The Northern Irishman himself admits to sounding like a “broken record” when he claims to be close to regaining top form, but he could not help raising an eyebrow when told about his pre-tournament odds.

“Good time to back me, I think,” McIlroy said with a smile. “If I was a betting company and I saw my form over the past few weeks you would say, yeah, that’s probably a fair enough price.”

McIlroy has twice been sidelined this season with a rib injury suffered during extensive equipment testing over the winter, meaning he has played just 10 events despite the late addition of the Scottish Open to his schedule.

The Northern Irishman’s last appearance in the event was back in 2014 and the following week he led from start to finish to win the Open at Hoylake before recording victories in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA in consecutive starts.

“I have been able to play golf in stretches that, if I continued that type of golf for six, seven, eight years, I would be able to win a lot more,” he added.

“But golf is so fluid and so you’re always trying to evolve. The thoughts that I might have had when I won at Hoylake mightn’t work for me now. It’s almost like life, there’s ups and downs, and it’s never sort of that linear sort of direction.”

For his part, Day feels refreshed after President Trump’s arrival in New York forced him to change his plans.

The 29-year-old said: “I had three weeks off before this, so I could have got in early.

“I was supposed to come in on Sunday but I was flying through JFK and President Trump was there and there was a bunch of delays.

“I usually get in Thursday or Friday and play a couple of practice rounds, but I did it this year at Augusta and I was knackered by the time I started.

“This week has felt a lot quicker to me. I think all in all I feel pretty ready and fresh.”

Justin Rose may have never scaled the heights of world No 1, but the highest Englishman in the world rankings is the sentimental pick this week, given he shot to fame at Birkdale 21 years ago when finishing in a tie for fourth.

There are four Yorkshiremen in the field. Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, has pulled out of three of his last five events due to a back injury. “You never know (if it will be okay) until you go off on Thursday, but at the moment it feels all right,” he said, earlier this week.

Matt Fitzpatrick, the leading amateur at Muirfield four years ago, will look to rediscover the form that saw him earn two wins on the European Tour last year.

The two familiar Sheffield golfers are joined by Joe Dean of Hillsborough Golf Club and Nick McCarthy of Moortown, who earned their spots through regional qualifying.

The weather forecast for the week is for 15mph winds today and rain from Friday.