U.S. Women’s Open: Nasty Sunday forecast forces USGA to move tee times up again

The threat of thunderstorms has forced USGA officials to move up tee times for Sunday’s final round of the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open.

HOUSTON — The threat of thunderstorms has forced USGA officials to move up tee times for Sunday’s final round of the 75th U.S. Women’s Open Championship.

Sunday’s action is now scheduled to start at 8:45 a.m. EST (7:45 a.m. local) due to the anticipated inclement weather. Play will again start on both the first and 10th tees of Champions Golf Club’s Cypress Creek Course.

The USGA moved tee times up on Friday, and the move worked wonders as the second round was completed just before a massive downpour began. Organizers are hoping for similar results on Sunday, but it could be more challenging this time around. According to Weather.com, the chance for precipitation jumps above 80 percent around 9 a.m. and storms are expected to continue well into the afternoon.

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After some backlash about jumbled TV schedules on Friday, the broadcast window for Sunday’s play has been expanded — Golf Channel will now broadcast the final round from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, then NBC will take over until 5 p.m. ET or the conclusion.

If the round can’t be completed on Sunday, play will likely finish on Monday because there’s little chance of more rain, but it will be chilly — a cold front is expected to come through the area, leaving Monday’s high temperature in the low 50s.

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Weather is about to become a factor at the 75th U.S. Women’s Open

Thunderstorms are expected to roll into the area on Friday afternoon, and the USGA moved up tee times by about 90 minutes.

HOUSTON — As Mark Gillman stood on the first tee at Champions Golf Club’s Jackrabbit course, waiting for his daughter Kristen to start her round, he lamented the picture-perfect conditions that greeted those in attendance.

“We’d hoped it would be hotter than heck,” he said.

Gillman, who lives a few hours west in Austin, assumed his daughter — who struggled in shooting a first-round 79 — would have held a greater advantage if the event was played in the June calendar slot it originally owned. But instead of suffocating, late-spring Texas heat, Thursday brought vivid blue skies and comfortable temperatures to Champions, making the opening round of the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open feel like a vacation for the few who were on-site.

Weather is likely to become a factor, however. Even if it’s not in the way Mark Gillman had hoped.

Thunderstorms are expected to roll into the area on Friday afternoon, and USGA organizers have taken note, moving tee times for the second round up about 90 minutes. The first groups will go off now at 9 a.m. CT.

USWO: Leaderboard | PhotosTV info

And while the rains will likely be a nuisance, the real issue could be winds gusting up over 20 miles per hour. Because of the smaller daylight window, the opening two rounds of this U.S. Open are being held on both of the courses at Champions, the first time this tournament has ever been played on multiple courses.

But of the 37 players who finished at even 71 or better, 23 played on the Jackrabbit course, which is a shorter track than neighboring Cypress Creek, but has smaller greens.

If the winds pick up on Friday that might give an advantage to those who played Jackrabbit first, if only because it won’t allow second-round players to take advantage of the “easier” of the two courses.

But Stacy Lewis, who is a member at Champions, said she doesn’t think there is an advantage one way or the other.

“I don’t think so. I mean, I think it’s going to be more the difference of playing one golf course wet and not wet, and I don’t know if there is or if there isn’t an advantage there,” said Lewis, who shot a 1-over 72 on Cypress Creen on Thursday. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”

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The weather might continue to hog the spotlight through the weekend. Sunday’s forecast also includes plenty of rain, the chance of precipitation for the scheduled final round is 70 percent.

For some, like Brittany Lincicome, any sign of wet weather is an impediment.

“Obviously, rain is not going to be helpful. At least it should be warm, which is nice, but the rain really like screws with me,” said Lincicome, who was near the top of the leaderboard before making double-bogey on the 18th hole. “One little drop of rain on my club it like drives me crazy. So Missy, my caddie, is going to have to do a really good job of keeping everything dry.”

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Weather forecast for Dolphins’ Week 11 matchup versus Broncos

The Miami Dolphins will be home once again this weekend for another showdown against a west coast team.

The Miami Dolphins have packed their bags and will be ready to tackle the challenge of moving to 7-3 on the season this Sunday courtesy of their matchup with the Denver Broncos in a clash of AFC teams moving in opposite directions. Entering the season, Denver was a team that had a lot of fanfare — they had a young quarterback who flashed throughout the final 5 games of 2019, a gifted roster with a fierce pass rush and plenty of offensive weapons at their disposal.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins were commonly pegged as being a year away from being a year away. After all, they were in year two of the most ambitious tear-down and rebuild in recent memory. But here we are, entering Week 11 of the 2020 NFL season and it is the Dolphins, not the Broncos, who enter this contest with a winning record at 6-3. Denver will have the home field advantage in this contest — how will that impact Sunday afternoon’s contest?

Here’s the most up to date forecast for Sunday afternoon’s showdown between the Dolphins and the Broncos.

Location: Empower Field at Mile High — Denver, CO
Kickoff: 4:05 PM EST

  • High Temperature: 48 degrees
  • Percent rain: 0%
  • Humidity: 24%
  • Wind: 6 mph

Expect it to be quite brisk by the time the Dolphins and Broncos wrap up their Week 11 contest, the forecast calls for the temperature to drop as low as 40 degrees by the 7 PM EST hour. With minimal wind gusts, the Dolphins will be spared the majority of the frigidness that Denver has to offer — and there is no expected precipitation that could create a sloppy mess of a football game and potentially even the playing field.

Instead, Miami gets a primer of some of what awaits them next week in New Jersey when they travel north to play the Jets and, more importantly, what to expect when the Dolphins must head to western New York in Week 17 to clash with the Bills in what may become a high stakes rematch from Week 2. But all of that awaits on the horizon and the Dolphins would be wise to keep their eyes on the prize this weekend: beating the Broncos in Denver.

Browns-Texans game delayed by weather

Browns-Texans game delayed by weather at the scheduled kickoff time

The scheduled time of 1 p.m. ET came and went in Cleveland with no Browns football. The Browns announced shortly before the kickoff time that the game was being delayed due to weather.

Strong, gusty winds, horizontal rain and some light hail were present in the Cleveland area at the time of kickoff. The inclement weather was expected, but the delay in the game was not anticipated.

The team did not give a time for a rescheduled kickoff. The bad weather is expected to continue throughout the afternoon, but once the leading edge of the powerful cold front passes the conditions should be more palatable or playing.

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Wild weather could impact Browns vs. Texans

Lingering rain and gusty winds should help favor the Browns and their running game against the Texans aerial attack

Mother Nature could make quite an impact on Sunday’s matchup at FirstEnergy Stadium between the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns. Both the Browns and Texans will have an additional foe in the blustery weather.

The Cleveland area is under a high wind warning from the National Weather Service, with steady winds between 25 and 35 MPH and gusts up to 50 MPH. That’s similar to the last game the Browns played at home, a windy 16-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders where the kickers saw field goal attempts take sharp turns in the air.

A cold front brought signifcant wind and some heavy localized downpours of rain throughout the Midwest, including downtown Cleveland. The rain will clear out before halftime, but the field conditions and the wind figure to play a role in the offensive play. And that favors the Browns, who get RB Nick Chubb and RG Wyatt Teller back from inuury. Meanwhile, the Texans will be without starting RB David Johnson, who is out with a concussion.

Hurricane Eta rain bands in the forecast for Saints-Bucs in Tampa Bay

The Sunday weather forecast calls for wind and rain from Hurricane Zeta when the Saints and Buccaneers kick off at Raymond James Stadium.

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Rainy, windy conditions are in the forecast when the New Orleans Saints arrive at Raymond James Stadium for Sunday night’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurricane Eta is moving into the region, pounding the Florida Keys and sending rogue rain bands through the Gulf of Mexico coastline.

Accuweather is calling for several hours of rain and an east-northeast breeze averaging 13 miles per hour, with intermittent gusts up to around 31 miles per hour. With a high temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit, the RealFeel temperature accounting for humidity and wind predicts something nearer to 73 degrees. So at least it won’t be a hot and muggy evening at Tampa Bay.

It recalls their 2018 meeting, when the stadium was pounded by rain in the hours before kickoff, requiring the Buccaneers field crew to put down tarps to protect the turf. That game turned into a sloppy affair with the Saints trailing big deep into the third quarter, before a Taysom Hill blocked punt sparked a furious rally back to win 28-14.

Maybe the Saints can find more magic in their second game outdoors this season. They prepared for a mix of biting cold and strong winds a week ago against the Chicago Bears, but the weather concerns ended up being less of an issue as the day wore on. Hopefully that will prove true again on Sunday night.

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What is the weather forecast for Saints-Bears at Soldier Field?

The Chicago area is under a hazardous wind advisory just before kickoff between the Bears and New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field on Sunday.

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We’re entering the eighth week of the NFL regular season, and the New Orleans Saints are in for their first experience with rough weather. Sunday’s tilt with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field is scheduled to kick off about an hour after a hazardous wind advisory expires, with 44-mile per hour wind gusts ripping through the Windy City. Sustained winds of about 24 miles per hour are expected to continue through game time.

That’s combining with a high temperature of just 38 degrees, making for an Accuweather RealFeel temperature of 23 degrees at kickoff. That’s expected to deteriorate down to a RealFeel forecast of 19 degrees as the sun sets and the game wraps up later Sunday afternoon.

But the Saints are confident they’ll handle it well, even if this game may require less pass attempts and shorter field goal tries than usual.

“I’m not used to playing up North in colder weather, but it’s a part of football,” said wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith, who grew up in Florida and played at UCF in college, to Nola.com’s Rod Walker. “You just have to get used to it. It’s a mind game and you just go out there and know it’s going to be cold. You can’t psyche yourself out or put too much thought into it. You have to focus on what you have to do for the game. We all know it’s going to be cold. Sean did a great job preparing us telling us about the weather.”

That might suggest a heavier workload for running backs Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. Kamara has been stellar this year, leading the NFL in scrimmage yards and rapidly strengthening his Offensive Player of the Year candidacy. In last year’s visit to Soldier Field with Kamara sidelined by injury, Murray racked up 150 yards of offense as a runner (27 carries for 119 yards) and receiver (5 catches for 31 yards), scoring two touchdowns.

With absences decimating the wide receiver corps — Michael Thomas and Marquez Callaway are injured, while Emmanuel Sanders is still on the COVID-19 reserve — the Saints just may need to turn to their talented duo in the backfield. And if that’s the case, they’ve proven they can handle it.

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Weather watch: What to expect in South Bend for Notre Dame vs FSU

It should be a great night weather wise in South Bend, Indiana for Notre Dame’s matchup against Florida State.

After watching some exciting games this afternoon, the Irish are finally set to hit the field in just about an hour and a half. Florida State should thank the weather gods, as it shouldn’t get too chilly this evening.

Around kickoff it will be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun will completely set around 7:11pm which brings a dip in the temperature.

It drops to 63 degrees Fahrenheit at 8pm then another two degrees lower by 9pm. Around the time of the games completion it will be 59 degrees Fahrenheit, an 11 degree drop from kickoff.

There is no rain in the forecast, so it should be dry. A perfect night to play college football in South Bend.

Seahawks monitoring air quality ahead of Sunday night against Patriots

The Seattle Seahawks are monitoring air quality ahead of Sunday night’s matchup against the New England Patriots in light of local wildfires.

The Seattle Seahawks still have another day to decide whether or not the team will practice outside along the shores of Lake Washington or head inside away from the stifling wildfire smoke.

Due to fires in state as well as in Oregon and California, Washington has been covered in a layer of dense smoke for nearly a week now. Air quality indexes have rated the air-borne toxins from unhealthy to downright hazardous, forcing most people in the area to remain in their homes.

Coach Pete Carroll is watching the forecast carefully before deciding how to practice this week.

“I’m going to wait until Wednesday see what it is, because it can change pretty quickly,” Carroll said during his Monday press conference. “We are concerned about it, and I don’t know what that means as far as what the likelihood is of practicing outside. I don’t know, we’ve got to wait and see what the numbers are. We’re going to take care of our guys first, so whatever’s best, we’ll do that.”

Initial forecasts had predicted cleansing rains for Tuesday, however, there doesn’t seem to be much improvement in the air as of this post. The latest models are now pointing towards the end of the week for clearer air.

“We won’t practice outside just to practice outside,” Carroll continued. “If it’s better inside, we’ll do that. We did that on Friday last week to take advantage of a better setting here, and we’ll just see how it goes.”

The Seahawks have an off day Tuesday and will return to (an indoor or outdoor) practice Wednesday morning.

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Weather forecast for Dolphins’ Week 1 showdown with Patriots

Weather forecast for Dolphins’ Week 1 showdown with Patriots

Welcome to the first Miami Dolphins Sunday of 2020, Dolphins fans! The long wait is finally over and we’ll have the chance to watch all of Miami’s hard work this offseason to lay a new foundation for their football team. The litmus test is upon us — the Dolphins are all set to square off against the New England Patriots in an AFC East divisional showdown. The Dolphins should consider themselves thankful to have avoided another winter trip to New England, even after last year’s cold-weather win. But will the weather be a factor today for the game?

Here is the current forecast for Miami’s visit to Foxborough this afternoon, which is scheduled for a 1PM EST kickoff.

Location: Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • High temperature: 74 degrees
  • Percent rain: 5%
  • Wind: 5 to 10 mph

Today’s contest will feature smooth sailing on the weather front. Whether or not that translates to a win on the field for the Dolphins is yet to be determined — but our wait is over. Dolphins football has returned!