LAST UPDATE | 11 Apr
BAD WEATHER HAS delayed the start of the 88th Masters at Augusta National on Thursday, with the first round now scheduled to begin at 3.30pm Irish time (10.30am local).
Honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson had been due to get proceedings under way at 7:40am (local), with the first group teeing off 20 minutes later, but that trio will now begin at 3.10pm (10.10am local), with the first group teeing off 20 minutes later.
Rory McIlroy is now set to start at 6.12pm (Irish time) alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele in a star-studded trio.
Shane Lowry will have to wait to play at 7.54pm (Irish time), with Akshay Bhatia and J.T. Poston joining him.
The first round will begin at 10:30 a.m. off the No. 1 tee. Updated tee times are available below.
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
The Honorary Starters Ceremony will begin at 10:10 a.m.
Patron gates will open at 9:30 a.m. #themasters
Rain and scattered thunderstorms had been forecast to move into the region at around 6am (10am GMT) and were expected to last until about lunch time.
Bad weather forced down trees at Augusta National, in Georgia, in 2023.
Scheffler, seeking his second title in three seasons, is set to be in a group with four-time major winner McIlroy, who would complete a career grand slam with a Masters triumph, and Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, chasing his first major victory.
By taking the green jacket, McIlroy would join a select group including Woods, Nicklaus, Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan. McIlroy has not won a major in 10 years but has learned he needs patience at Augusta National.
“This golf course gets you to chase things a little more than other golf courses,” he said. “It always tempts you to do something you think you can do and I’m pretty confident in my golf game. I think I can do most things.
“Sometimes you just have to take the conservative route and be a little more disciplined and patient.”
Scheffler, who won twice and finished second last month in PGA events, could join Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while atop the rankings.
“The winds are going to be pretty high and it swirls like crazy around this place,” he said. “You have to stay so patient and trust in all aspects of your game.”
A cold front is forecast to bring a band of rain and scattered thunderstorms through the region between 6am-1pm local time today.
Heavy rainfall and occasional wind gusts of 40-45 mph are anticipated over this period.
A lull in precipitation should occur behind the cold front between 1-4pm before scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms drift back into the region for the late afternoon and evening hours.
Additional reporting – © AFP 2024
