Top storylines for the Open Championship

For just the second time in the history of the storied Open Championship, Royal Portrush will play host to the tournament. However, we have to go all the way back to 1951 when the club hosted the event for the first time. That year, England's Max Faulkner won his only major title. The 68-year gap between hosting will be brought up prominently this weekend, not to mention it's just the second time the tournament will be played outside of England or Scotland.

As with any Open, weather is at the forefront of the pre-tournament talking points. The field will try to prepare its best for just about anything on the north coast of Northern Ireland. The good news for those golfers is that rain might not be an issue, though showers can't be ruled out. Early forecasts also call for relatively mild temperatures. Of course, the wind remains a likely X-factor.

With the PGA Championship's move from August to May, the Open is now the final major of the season on the schedule. In the grand scheme of things that probably does not mean much to golf fans, but it might incite a little more urgency for the golfers — especially for those pressured with winning their first career major, like Rickie Fowler or Matt Kuchar. It's now or never — at least until next year.

Though the Open Championship remains the least lucrative among the four majors in terms of overall purse and winner's payout, it will be worth a little more than last year's $10.5 million total. It's up to $10.75 million for this installment, with the winner taking home $1.935 million. In 2018 Francesco Molinari earned $1.89 million for his impressive triumph at Carnoustie.

Speaking of Molinari, who became the first Italian golfer to win the Open, not only will he aim to become the first golfer to repeat as Open Championship winner since Ireland's Padraig Harrington (2007 and '08), but also he would be the first European do to so since then. The Americans still have won the most Opens with 45 — three better than the lads from Scotland.

Could Northern Ireland native Graeme McDowell be the guy to give Europe back-to-back Open victories? It would be fitting and probably extremely emotional for McDowell, who grew up in Portrush and has called this opportunity a "dream." After being off the scene in recent years, the 2010 U.S. Open winner turned heads with a solid performance at Pebble Beach (tie for 16th) last month and could be the sentimental favorite this week.

This may be Northern Ireland's time to shine, but the Open is still all about the United Kingdom. That means English golfers should have a say in this year's event. Two stand out: Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. Rose tied for second at Carnoustie in 2018 and was T3 at the U.S. Open this year, so we expect one of the world's best to be in the hunt this weekend. Fleetwood, meanwhile, has not enjoyed much major success this year with his best finish a T36 at the Masters. But we still like his chances on a European track and within his comfort zone.

Wouldn't it be something if Jordan Spieth returned to his winning ways in the tournament where he won his last pro event? That came in 2017 when the Open Championship was held at Royal Birkdale. He finished tied for ninth at the Open last year and showed he might be on the cusp of winning again with a run of three straight top 10s, beginning with the PGA Championship, this season.

Something to keep in mind. Should Spieth or any other U.S. golfer hoist the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush this weekend, it would mark the first time since 1982 that an American will have won each of the four majors in a single season, according to The Associated Press . For those who forgot, Tiger Woods returned to glory with his Masters victory, Brooks Koepka repeated as winner of the PGA Championship and Kansas native Gary Woodland was the somewhat surprise U.S. Open champ so far in 2019.

Keeping on Woodland for a moment, he tries to become the seventh golfer ever to win the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year. Woodland has made seven starts at the Open, with a tie for 12th in 2016 as his best finish to date. However, it's the one major that he's made the cut in every start. We think it would be a tall order for Woodland to claim this double, but he's obviously worth watching.

Dustin Johnson is one of the top five golfers in the world and has two victories worldwide in 2019. He's among the the pre-tournament favorites this week, but the question still begs is whether DJ is capable of winning another major any time soon. It seems like it's been a little thing here and there that's kept Johnson from adding to his lone major win at the 2016 U.S. Open. The Open Championship has not been kind to Johnson of late, with a T54 in 2017 and missing the cut last year.

One of the sexier picks this weekend is Xander Schauffele. After Brooks Koepka, Schauffele might be the most consistent golfer in his 20s on the PGA Tour. He shared the 54-hole lead at the Open in 2018 and ended up finishing in a tie for second. Schauffele also finished in the top five at both the Masters and the U.S. Open, so it still seems like only a matter of time before he claims a major title.

As one of the favorites this weekend at Portrush, Brooks Koepka gets one more chance to do a major double for the second time in as many years.This year's PGA Championship winner finished second outright or tied in the other two majors this season, so one would expect he'll be ready to put his game-face on across the pond. He's placed in the top 10 in two of his five starts at the Open Championship.

After winning the Masters in April, Tiger Woods did not play again until the PGA Championship the next month. He missed the cut at the latter. Woods is following the same major pattern in terms of preparation, though hoping for a different result. He finished T21 at the U.S. Open and has not played since. The three-time Open champion needs his rest and believes that's the best way to prepare for the challenge that awaits.

It can be argued the pressure placed on the back of Rory McIlroy this weekend is greater than on anybody entering the Open during its grand history. That's obviously saying a lot, but think about it. McIlroy is playing the event in his home country (he grew up in nearby Holywood and shot a course-record 61 at Portrush as a teenager) and trying for his first major victory since winning both the Open and PGA Championship in 2014. Plus, he's considered the favorite along with Koepka to win this weekend. Is that enough?