Strong winds and the potential for heavy rain delayed the start of the first round of the 88th Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday morning.
Tournament organizers provided two updates, with the latest pushing back the start time until 10:30 a.m. ET, nearly three hours after the first group, consisting of Erik van Rooyen and Jake Knapp, was set to tee off.
Patrons evacuate the grounds after play was suspended for the day due to weather conditions during the third round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Tiger Woods will tee off at 3:54 p.m. and the latest group, which includes 2020 Masters winner Dustin Johnson, will get started at 4:30 p.m.
The weather delay means those players starting late are unlikely to finish their opening rounds before sundown. If they do not finish, they will complete their opening rounds on Friday morning.
Tiger Woods of the United States looks on from the putting green during a practice round prior to the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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The Augusta Fire and Emergency Management shared an update from the National Weather Service early Thursday morning. The area near Augusta National Golf Course is expected to experience heavy rainfall at some points and strong wind gusts in excess of 30 mph which could continue throughout the day.
Weather warning signs are brought out on the range during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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Bad weather at last year’s Masters saw several trees fall on the otherwise pristine golf course and the conclusion of the second round had to be pushed into the weekend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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