British Open weather forecast: Sunday will see ‘heavy wind and heavy rains’ rock Royal Portrush

It’s a fool’s game trying to predict the British Open weather forecast for Sunday. So far, the wind and rain on the Northern coast of Northern Ireland has been fleeting and unpredictable. But with the final round set to begin, this is our last chance to try and get it right. And it seems that finally Mother Nature will push back against the best pros in the world for the finale at Royal Portrush

British Open Forecast: Sunday’s Final Round

There are two competing weather forecasts for us to review for Sunday. One of them comes from the respectably reliable Weather.com. Those forecasts have been pretty spot on so far this week, so it’s worth taking a peek.

According to that forecast, fans and players in Portrush can expect a long day of wind and rain. The chance of precipitation hovers around 80% for most of the day, while strong winds from 15-10 mph will be consistent throughout the round. Here’s a view of the hourly forecast:

British Open Sunday Weather Forecast: Official tournament report

The other forecast for the final round, one that should take precedence given the source, is the official tournament’s report. And that British Open weather forecast for Sunday looks quite a bit worse.

Tournament officials are predicting “spells of persistent and occasionally heavy rain” throughout the afternoon and evening on Sunday, which means players will have to deal with spitting conditions for much of the round.

The real difference comes with their forecast for the winds on Sunday. They similarly expect 15-20 mph winds throughout the round, but, in addition, they ominously forecast a “40% risk of gusts up to 35 mph.” That could prove to be quite the problem for pros vying for the British Open title.

Former victorious European Ryder Cup captain and Sky Sports commentator Paul McGinley agrees with the tournament officials. He made a cameo on the NBC broadcast on Saturday, where he predicted “heavy winds and heavy rains” will sweep the course on Sunday.

If that all comes to pass, it should make for a thrilling conclusion to this 2019 British Open.

To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.