2017 Open Championship: Rain, wind to challenge players on Thursday and Friday

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

July 19,2017, 9:56:13PM,EDT

 

 

The weather will once again create challenging conditions for players at the Open Championship in England.
Dry weather is expected for the start of the 2017 Open Championship on Thursday at Royal Birkdale in Southport.
Morning cloud will yield to increasing sunshine during the midday and afternoon hours.

Temperatures will be seasonably cool with highs only expected to reach 18 C (64 F). Gusty winds will be the biggest determent to play at west winds off the water will blow at 10-20 mph (15-30 km/h) with higher gusts.
The weather will worsen on Friday as periods of rain and strong winds create difficult playing conditions.
The strongest winds are expected into the early afternoon when sustained winds of 15-25 mph (24-40 km/h) are expected with gusts as high as 40 mph (65 km/h).

Henrik Stenson of Sweden kisses the trophy after winning the British Open Golf Championships at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, Sunday, July 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Showers are expected throughout the morning before longer spells of rain arrive from midday on.
The rain could fall hard enough to cause some brief delays to play if the greens and fairways become waterlogged.
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It will also feel quite chilly with temperatures around 15-16 C (59-61 F) throughout the day.
The weather will improve some on Saturday as the rain becomes showery and winds lessen compared to Friday.
Showers and occasional gusts to 20 mph (32 km/h) will still create less-than-ideal playing conditions.
Additional improvement is expected for the final round on Sunday as sunshine returns along with largely dry weather.
Wind gusts to 20 mph (32 km/h) are again possible, especially during the afternoon hours.