Sam Burns vs. Si Woo Kim

Si Woo Kim has quietly put together a strong season, with multiple top-three finishes early and a short game that's been sharp enough recently to overcome a so-so history at this specific tournament. Burns has had a fine year of his own, highlighted by a heartbreaking runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, but he arrives at Birkdale with a newborn on the way back home, a circumstance that's a legitimate distraction regardless of how well anyone compartmentalizes. This is a matchup where I'll take the player whose full attention is on the golf course this week over one who understandably has one eye somewhere else. Si Woo Kim is the bet.