The weather at the Open Championship is always one of the biggest stories during the week as it shapes the conditions and scoring at the world’s oldest golf Major.
There’s often two sides of the draw where one half of the field faces the more challenging conditions, and we very much saw that at Royal Troon last time when Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson finished 14 and 11 strokes ahead of the third-placed finisher JB Holmes.
It’s been a wet summer so far throughout the UK, so Royal Troon isn’t baked out and brown like we’ve seen in past Opens, but will it get a bit firmer and faster this week?
Currently, it doesn’t look like it. Conditions are set to be dry for the early part of the week and ‘uncertain’ weather has been forecast for the rest of the tournament. The R&A says conditions will turn “more unsettled from Thursday with spells of rain and stronger winds likely” and will most likely remain “changeable.”
Temperatures are set to be peaking at around 21 degrees celsius this week (70 fahrenheit) and winds look to be around 10-15mph.
Rory McIlroy discussed the weather during his Open press conference on Tuesday
(Image credit: Getty Images)
That means we’re set to see players wearing multiple layers and maybe even beanie hats, with rain currently forecast during all four days of the championship.
Hopefully, it won’t be as wet as last year, where Royal Liverpool was drowned with rain on the Sunday as Brian Harman claimed the Claret Jug by six strokes. We have seen players in short sleeves basking in some early sun during the first couple of practice days, so there’s still every chance that we’ll get some nice sunny spells – fingers crossed.
Speaking about the weather in his pre-championship press conference, Rory McIlroy believes players are set to contest with crosswinds in both halves of their rounds on Thursday and Friday, with Royal Troon utilizing the traditional out-and-back layout.
McIlroy said: “The forecast looks like it’s going to be basically straight off the right going out and straight off the left coming in, so quite a few more crosswinds, which presents its own challenges in a way.
“[During practice] you would like to play the golf course in the conditions you’re going to play in the tournament, but sometimes Mother Nature just doesn’t let that happen.
“But it won’t be too dissimilar to what it was in 2016, sort of down off the right usually on the way out and off the left coming in. Maybe just a few more crosswinds than there usually is.”
Open championship weather forecast:
Thursday: 18 degrees celsius (64F) highs and 12C (54F) lows. Cloudy, showers throughout the day – possibly turning heavy at times – and a moderate breeze of 10-15mph (gusts 20-25mph in the morning).
Friday: 18 degrees celsius (64F) maximum temperature, showers and sunny intervals with a moderate breeze
Saturday: 18 degrees celsius (64F) maximum temperature, showers and sunny intervals with a moderate breeze
Sunday: 18 degrees celsius (64F) maximum temperature, showers and sunny intervals with a moderate breeze