The Open Championship is almost upon us as the world's best players head to Merseyside.
Always played on the finest links courses the United Kingdom has to offer, The Open this year takes place on England's west coast at Royal Birkdale.
The biggest defence of any links course is the weather; in benign conditions, top players can take these courses apart, but similarly, in challenging conditions, those same players can be made to look foolish.
The third round in 2008 at Birkdale saw no player break par, while the same round in 2017 saw Branden Grace card the best round in Open history, with an eight-under-par 62.
Take a look at the forecast for Birkdale for this week's Open Championship.
Thursday
Still basking in the July heatwave, temperatures should reach a peak of 24C on Thursday with no rain forecast alongside clear, sunny skies.
Even the wind will be mild, picking up from 5mph for the morning starters to 11mph in the afternoon.
Friday
Temperatures will be similar on Friday, reaching highs of 23C. Winds too look similar, climbing from 5mph in the morning to 11mph in the afternoon.
Saturday
Cloudier conditions on Saturday will result in slightly cooler temperatures with highs of 21C, though winds again will be benign at a peak of 10mph.
Sunday
Sunday looks like ideal golfing weather with temperatures reaching 20C and winds not exceeding 10mpg.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
