Once again, the British Open lives up to unpredictable weather reputation

Brandt Snedeker of the US walks past a digital sign showing a weather warning on the second day of the British Open Golf championship at the Royal Liverpool golf club, Hoylake, England, Friday July 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (The Associated Press)

HOYLAKE, England – The British Open once again lived up to its unpredictable weather reputation, and doesn't half the field at Royal Liverpool know it.

Ideal weather greeted morning groups Thursday, but the wind picked up in the afternoon. On Friday, those same afternoon golfers got the worst of gusty morning conditions.

By midday Friday, the wind died down, creating similar conditions for the same lucky golfers who benefited from good scoring opportunities Thursday morning.

That left George Coetzee, who shot 69 Friday, as the only player on the leaderboard who drew the unlucky Thursday afternoon-Friday morning double.

Those guys shouldn't despair: Padraig Harrington experienced battering wind and rain in the first round at Royal Birkdale in 2008 and shot 74. Three days later, he won his second British Open.