It's the eve of the Open Championship with the world's best players taking on Carnoustie Golf Links at 1:30 AM EST on Thursday morning. Dominating the early week headlines are the firm and fast conditions in Scotland, thanks to a drought and heatwave.

"Go get that"

Jordan Spieth notched his third major championship win at last year's Open, besting Matt Kuchar in a Sunday duel. Spieth's championship hung in the balance midway through the final round before the superstar sunk a 48-foot eagle putt on the 15th hole. Spieth's putt gave him a two-stroke advantage over Kuchar heading into Birkdale's final stretch.

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The Open's toughest test

The host course for the Open is the difficult Carnoustie. Originally laid out by Allan Robertson, it saw revisions from both James Braid and Old Tom Morris. Carnoustie has long been the longest of the Open rota courses, playing over 7,400 yards. The course is an excruciatingly difficult examination from tee to green, especially when the wind blows. With the conditions firm and fast, the course plays much shorter, but it will make the fairways play even smaller. The closing four holes make getting a good round into the house particularly difficult. Three of the four final holes are par fours that measure over 460 yards, and the other is the par-3 16th at 260 yards.

Storylines and tee times to watch

With two majors in the books, the Open Championship signals the final stretch of the 2018 golf season. The R&A put together a bevy of premier pairings for the early-round action. Here are a few to watch and the storylines that come along with them.

Paulie's Picks

Paulie likes a few players that might be flying under the radar this week in both DraftKings and one-and-done leagues, check out his picks here.

Coffee talk

Brendan Porath and Sean Martin join the podcast to preview the Open Championship. Sean provides his on-the-ground report, and Brendan breaks down his ideal caffeine intake to make it through an early morning of coverage. Listen to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or the website.

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Quick hooks

The rest of the PGA Tour readies itself for this week's Barbasol Championship in Lexington, KY. Preview

The U.S. Junior (Boys and Girls) are through 36 holes of qualifying and onto match play. Scoring here.

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