Early weather forecasts call for cool, rainy Open Championship

The preliminary weather forecasts out of Hoylake are calling for a cool, rainy Open Championship. That said, it appears the players will dodge a crazy week from Mother Nature.

Though much is still uncertain for the competition dates, Royal Liverpool figures to see high temperatures in the 60s throughout the week with alternating periods of dry and wet weather, and consistent but not terribly strong winds.

Here is a day-by-day forecast through Wednesday’s final practice day:

• Monday – High of 64 degrees with a few showers expected, maybe even a brief thunderstorm. Winds will hover in low teens with up to 22 mph gusts in afternoon. Fairly cloudy all day.

• Tuesday – Another high of 64. Cloudy, with showers starting around mid-morning. Wind should die down to high single-digits, though “heavier bursts” of rain expected in afternoon.

• Wednesday – High of 63. Clouds should dissipate by afternoon with low chance of rain throughout day. Winds will be much stiffer, up to 18 mph and gusts as high as 28 mph.

As for Thursday-Sunday, here’s what the official Open weather forecast says: “Greater uncertainty than preceding days. Most likely a continuation of the mainly dry and moderately breezy conditions with a few showers; winds mainly from a westerly sector. Potential for a longer spell of rain around the weekend with more variable winds, though low confidence. Feeling rather cool with temperatures below average by day.”

In other words, the real nasty stuff will likely hold off.