In 2008, the last time the British Open was held at Royal Birkdale, Brandt Snedeker was a rookie at golf’s oldest championship.
He climbed out of bed the morning of the second round, peeked outside and soon discovered that Birkdale had rolled its shoulders and stirred awake, too — the wind was whipping, the rain fell sideways and the temperature was no more than 45 degrees.
“I thought to myself, ‘What have I got myself into here?’” Snedeker said. “I was completely unprepared, and it just beat the hell out of me.” He limped home that day after shooting a 79.