Royal Birkdale is a different British Open test than it was in 2017

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Peter Uihlein was back at Royal Birkdale for the first time in nine years, and there were times late Sunday afternoon when he felt as though he was seeing the links course for the first time.The turf was more brown than green, a sign of hot weather that has been baking Europe and an ominous sign for what figures to be a fast and fiery British Open starting Thursday. The wind was strong, not unusual for links golf along the Lancashire Coast.

From 256 yards away on the par-4 14th, Uihlein hit 6-iron that landed short of the green and wound up 40 yards beyond the hole. From 226 yards into the wind on the 18th, he smoked a 2-iron — he can't remember the last time he had a 2-iron in the bag — and was just short of the green.But it was the 15th hole that gave him pause.

“What the hell?" he said from the back of the tee of a 241-yard hole. It was only a few holes later that Uihlein, a former U.

S. Amateur champion now with LIV Golf, said to no one in particular, “I just don't remember a 240-yard par 3.”That's because it wasn't there in 2017, the last time the Open was at Royal Birkdale.

It's the second time in four years the R&A has effectively built a new hole, and as Rory McIlroy said last week, it's sure to be a talking point.Royal Birkdale began to fill Sunday for the final major of the year, a time to get reacquainted or to see it for the first time. Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka were among those who played, both coming down from the Scottish Open after missing the cut — a first for Scheffler, the No.

1 player in the world, in nearly four years.Rickie Fowler shook off the jet lag on Saturday with a casual round at nearby West Lancashire and played all 18 holes on Sunday at Royal Birkdale with Akshay Bhatia, a Birkdale newcomer.While the changes got their attention — No.

15 is the only new hole, but the reachable par-4 fifth has been redesigned and a few angles on other holes are different — what really stood out is the color of the grass, t