Cameron Smith hits his tee shot on the fifth hole during a practice round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Liverpool. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Weather to be a factor at the Open Championship

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated Jul 19, 2023 3:02 PM ET

What will the winning score be at the 151st Open Championship?

According to defending champ Cameron Smith, it won't be as good as last year. And fans can have the weather to thank for that.

"We played nine holes this morning in the chilly windy stuff, and it was pretty brutal," Smith said of Wednesday's practice round. "So I don't think the winning score will be [anywhere] near as low as last year."

The Australian isn't wrong. With a nasty forecast predicted for the major event, many are anticipating play to be affected.

The defending Champion Cam Smith predicts a testing week at @RLGCHoylake.

What will be the winning score? pic.twitter.com/zEHAFhZU3q
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2023

As the PGA Tour's website maps out, the course at Royal Liverpool sits close to the water and doesn't have significant barriers from the wind. This, of course, can make a round of golf very different from day to day if the weather changes.

Such is projected to be the case for the Open Championship this weekend when mild weather for the first two rounds Thursday and Friday is supposed to give way to heavy rain and windy conditions during Round 3 on Saturday and into the final round on Sunday.

"With a low chance of rain on both Thursday and Friday and wind gusts only expected to approach about 15 mph each day, players will have to take advantage of more scorable conditions in Rounds 1 and 2 before the weather shifts," the PGA site cautions.

Views from above at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

What a beautiful sight it is @TheOpen pic.twitter.com/ixDcfg8QZd
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 18, 2023

The pros are no doubt prepared for the unideal weather since this won't be the first time that rain will play a factor in a major tournament this year. Wet conditions were at the forefront of the Masters back in April and delayed play on multiple occasions. For the sake of golfers and their fans alike, the heavy stuff will hold off until play has concluded over the weekend.

The first round of the 151st Open Championship tees off at 1:35 a.m. ET.

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