The Masters was delayed by rain Thursday with the first tee times pushed back by more than two hours at Augusta National Golf Club, and that means not all golfers will complete the first round before dark.
A light rain fell at daybreak in Augusta, Ga., where an earlier forecast for severe weather and thunderstorms during the opening round changed to light precipitation with winds gusting to 30 mph.
The 88th edition of the major finally got started in late morning, with the opening birdie of the tournament posted by Englishman Danny Willett on the first hole.
Defending champion Jon Rahm of Spain will tee off in the afternoon (1 p.m. ET schedule) rather than in a morning spot.
Five-time champion Tigers Woods, playing with Australian Jason Day and Max Homa, had his tee time pushed back from 1:24 p.m. to 3:54 p.m., so he won’t finish the first round until Friday.
Erik Van Rooyen of South Africa and Jake Knapp, who won the Mexico Open, had the honors of being first on the tee box Thursday.
American Gary Woodland said Wednesday after the Par-3 Contest that Augusta National was in pristine condition and he was hopeful rain wouldn’t impact the course.
“The golf course is hard enough without the weather. It’s as good as I’ve seen it, to be honest,” he said. “The golf course is absolutely perfect, so hopefully some of the rain misses it. It’s firm and fast now. Absolutely perfect.”
Spain’s Sergio Garcia noted the course presents unique challenges when winds are up.
“There’s no doubt with as high as these pine trees are, sometimes it becomes tricky to know exactly where the wind is,” Garcia said Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
