Every sucker gets an even break at Royal Birkdale. It is widely acclaimed by professionals as fairest of the nine great courses on the Open Championship rota.

With fairways and greens softened by rain, the links will most likely rely on strong winds for protection this week.

Much as he likes Royal Birkdale, comparing it to Portmarnock, Padraig Harrington would prefer to defend his Open title on a meaner track.

When the going gets nasty, guys like Harrington usually get going.

It is not by accident he won the Claret Jug on a course rated as the toughest on the Open roster ... Carnoustie's beautiful, but it's also savage. Birkdale is more user-friendly, meaning there's plenty more contenders, especially Americans, for Harrington's title this week.

"This is a really pleasant golf course for everybody. I can understand why a lot of players would rate it very highly," said the World No 14 (pictured right).

"It's not tricky, there's nothing funky about it. Everything is there in front of you. I'd say it's more like Portmarnock than Royal Portrush, which is trickier. This is much, much more straightforward than that. The fairways are flatter; the greens are not severe and if there's some slopes off them, there's not too many.

"It's certainly a solid golf course. There might be a lot of players coming here and liking it, which is not what I want. I'd be happier if everybody turned up this week and hated the place. That'd be a good thing for me."

"I prefer a difficult test because it limits the number of people who can compete on the golf course," said the Dubliner (36), a far more formidable performer now than in 1998, when he missed the cut the last time the Open came to Birkdale.

Harrington conceded the added pressure of defending the Claret Jug might make him appreciate a more straightforward challenge.

"If there's more pressure on you, the decision-making gets tested so, under those circumstances, it might be better when the decision-making is reasonably straightforward, as it is on this golf course," he said.

"The focus here will be on avoiding bunkers off the tee and hitting the middle of the greens because everything looks reasonably inviting."

Harrington would prefer the going to be hard and fast this week but he won't be upset if the winds cranks up. He loves to hear moaning in the locker room.

"There's a certain amount of confidence when you are on a tough golf course. You can be more patient than normal as the event becomes much more of a marathon than a sprint," he said. "Firm and fast would have been nice, but I think we'll get a good tournament either way."

Padraig Harrington's hole-by-hole manual for The Open

1st (450 yards. Par 4) A good, testing opening hole, but one that can also help you create some early momentum. Which club to hit off the tee will depend on the strength and direction of the wind, but there's a strong possibility of being aggressive with a driver. With a bunker in play at 232 yards, a safe tee shot requires a semi-blind second, whereas a driver would carry the trouble and make for an easier approach.

2nd (421 yards. Par 4) At just over 300 yards to the bunkers, a five wood is my preference off the tee when it is downwind. As long as you are laying up short of the fairway bunkers, it's a big target off the tee. However, the difficulty of this particular hole will be seen when it plays into the wind, whereby if you have to force a driver, those bunkers come into the equation. Playing downwind, a lay up and a pitch make it more straightforward but it will play very different and much tougher when it is into the wind.

3rd (451 yards. Par 4) A superb hole - as long as you hit the drive straight and avoid the bunkers at just over 300 yards. I think the tee shot will be the toughest part of the hole, leaving an approach to a green that gathers a little off the left edge. I think the second and third holes are the exact reverse of each other: one's going to be easy and the other is going to be tough depending on the wind. So they should even themselves out over the four days.

4th (201 yards. Par 3) A beautifully-framed par three. Interestingly enough, the danger first appears to be all at the front of the green with the bunkers, but anything turned over going long and left could well run into the bushes at the back - especially if it is firm. It is one of those holes you'd be happy to hit into the middle of the green every day and take a chance on holing a putt from there.

5th (346 yards. Par 4) A nice risk and reward hole. If you want to take on the dog-leg with the driver, then the green is obviously reachable in calm conditions. But on the other hand, you could find a nasty lie in the rough or greenside bunkers.However, if I go for the green and hit it in one of the bunkers I won't be too unhappy. But if you were to hit the fairway each round and then a wedge, you could possibly score better over the four days.

6th (499 yards. Par 4) A tough par four usually played into the prevailing wind. Again, the premium's on finding the right spot with the tee shot, ideally just carrying the bunker at 282 yards. Yet the likelihood is that you'll lay up short of or level with the right hand bunker off the tee and play a longer approach into the long, elevated green. A good solid hole.

7th (178 yards. Par 3) A really nice par three with a lovely shape to the green. However, the ball can easily spill off the small green into the bunkers. So again, I'd be looking to hit the middle of the green and work from there. There is nothing about the hole that is unplayable.

8th (457 yards. Par 4) A very good and very tough par four. You need to negotiate your drive between the three bunkers on the right and one on the left, but I think once you've done that, you are pretty well set up. However, if you hit any of the fairway bunkers, then effectively it is a penalty shot. It's a bigger fairway than the previous holes but that's because the punishment for missing is more severe. It has a big, wide green, so even if you are hitting a long iron in, you should have a chance of setting up a birdie putt.

9th (414 yards. Par 4) Not a long hole, but a challenging dog-leg. Unless you hit the fairway off the tee it could be a semi-blind second shot to the raised green. However, for The British Open, I wouldn't normally be aggressive and cut the corner. Instead, I'm likely to play it safe by getting to the top of the hill and hitting it from there to the green. It depends on the wind but the likelihood is that it is not going to be a driver hole.

Out: 3,417 yards. Par 34

10th (408 yards. Par 4) Another hole that you could attack with a good drive - this time close to the corner of the dog-leg and avoiding the bunkers that are a 250 yard carry. Depending on the strength and direction of the wind, the second shot could be either a lob wedge or up to a five iron if I have played safe off the tee, to make the small green. It is a hole where I will need to formulate different plans to get the best results over the duration of the Championship.

11th (436 yards. Par 4) This hole provides a very tight tee shot in order to miss the well-placed fairway bunkers, especially the new one on the left at 270 yards if played into the wind. The second shot needs to be precise and well placed given the angle at which the green is set.

12th (184 yards. Par 3) A really good par three with an attractive green setting. The wind is likely to be off the right side, so you need plenty of club and commitment to the shot in order to control the ball into the breeze. Missing the green leaves a tough up and down, especially from the deep front bunkers.

13th (499 yards. Par 4) Getting a good drive away is vital on such a long par four, although it will generally play downwind. A new bunker has been added on the right of the fairway at 290 yards and there are two others on the left at 324 yards and 350 yards respectively, so it will be a real challenge to avoid the traps. Once the tee shot is negotiated, you are left with a shot to a green surrounded by sandhills.

14th (201 yards. Par 3) It is difficult to measure the strength and direction of the wind from the tee on this hole due to a sandhill guarding the tee box. The approach to the large green is relatively narrow and pin placements can take the hole up to nearly 220 yards. The new bunkers are well placed so I'd be looking to hit into the middle of the green and go from there.

15th (544 yards. Par 5) A good strategic par five that requires some thought. The tee has been moved to the left to make the drive tougher. The hole incorporates new bunkering at around 300 yards from the tee and the second shot has also been made tighter. While it's generally played into the wind and has a green that is more undulating than most on the course, there will still be birdie opportunities.

16th (439 yards. Par 4) A good hole normally played into the prevailing wind that has been lengthened recently. Tee shots have to be straight, because of the thick rough on the left and some gorse and bunkering on the right. The approach to the green is testing, especially given the number of deep surrounding bunkers and the unpredictable wind factor.

17th (572 yards. Par 5) This is an obvious birdie opportunity as it is normally played downwind. If you can hit a good drive past the sandhill on the left and avoid the new bunkers on the right, then you give yourself a good chance of reaching the green and picking up a shot. But if you don't hit a good drive, then it can be a very dangerous hole. The new green is undulating, but I think you need something like that at the end of a par five.

18th (473 yards. Par 4) A terrific finishing hole off the new Championship tee, with the wind normally at your back. A tight fairway means either a driver or a three wood is needed to avoid the bunker and out-of-bounds on the right and a new bunker on the left at 300 yards. Distance control on the approach shot is key, as you need to avoid the bunkers that guard the front of the green, but then avoid going too long and facing a tricky up and down in front of the famous clubhouse.

In: 3756 yards. Par 36

TOTAL: 7,171 YARDS PAR 70