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British Open 2019: Brutal Sunday weather forecast at Portrush causes R&A to push up tee times
David Davies - PA Images
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — For fans who enjoy “British Open” weather, you’ll be in for a treat on Sunday. We’re not sure players are going to be feeling the same, however.
After enjoying mostly comfortable conditions throughout the week at Royal Portrush—there’s been more sun than rain, uncommon in this event—the forecast for the final round at the Open Championship is far less lovely.
Rain is expected to arrive late in the morning, with heavy bursts throughout the remainder of the day. The expectation is a quarter of an inch of rain in the afternoon and another half inch between 6 p.m. and midnight.
Oh, and there’s going to be some wind, too, starting at about 15 miles per hour, then increasing to 20-25 mph with gusts up to 35 after 4 p.m.
The forecast is dire enough to cause the R&A to move Sunday’s tee times up roughly 90 minutes earlier than expected. The first time is now set for 7:32 a.m. local time, with the final twosome scheduled for 1:47 p.m. (Compare that to Saturday, when the times were 9:35 a.m. and 3:40 p.m., respectively.)
As always, the language used for the official weather bulletins in the United Kingdom is priceless. Have a look:
6-12 a.m.: A bright start but becoming breezy and overcast with rain arriving late morning, some heavy bursts.
Afternoon: Cloudy and very breezy with spells of persistent and occasionally heavy rain during the afternoon and evening). Winds southerly at 15 mph with gusts 25 mph steadily increasing during the afternoon to southerly at 20 m.p.h., gusting to 30 m.p.h. by the evening. A 40 percent risk of gusts up to 35 m.p.h. after 4 p.m. Max temp 66 degrees.
A word to all those expected to be at the course on Sunday: Have your waterproofs and brolly ready. It could be a doozy.
Try our interactive wind guide below to see how different conditions effect shots