Advertisement

Masters weather forecast is dire for the first round; rest of the week looks near-perfect

garry smits, jacksonville florida times-union
·2 min read

The first round of the Masters Tournament also certainly won't begin on time when honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson are due to tee off at the Augusta National Golf Club at 8 a.m. on Thursday.

That's because the Augusta, Ga., area will still be in the midst of a strong storm front that will begin with rain overnight and turn dangerous in the early morning with lightning present for about a five-hour period, according to weatherunderground.com.

John Limanti, a graduate of Mandarin High School and the University of North Florida and now a caddie for PGA Tour player Keith Mitchell, watches the rain drops during a period of heavy rain during the third round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. There is a dire forecast for the first round on Thursday.
John Limanti, a graduate of Mandarin High School and the University of North Florida and now a caddie for PGA Tour player Keith Mitchell, watches the rain drops during a period of heavy rain during the third round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. There is a dire forecast for the first round on Thursday.

Rain will begin falling around midnight Thursday and there is a 100 percent chance of thunderstorms in the area starting around 6 a.m. Storms are forecast to continue until 11 a.m. with rain persisting until around 1 p.m. when the sun will break out. Accumulation is expected to be between 1-2 inches.

When will the Augusta National Golf Club be opened?

Gates ordinarily open at 7 a.m. but the club announced late on Wednesday that patron gates will not open at that time. The club did not say gates will be open but said an update would come at 3 a.m. on Thursday.

Could the entire first day of the Masters be lost?

The first round may not begin for hours as the club assesses damage and begins a cleanup of possible tree limbs and flooded areas of the course. But the drainage should be good: the club "sand-capped" the playing surface last year, which improves the rate at which moisture drains from the grass.

The club obviously hopes to avoid what happened during last year's second round. Wind in advance of a strong storm front with blew down three trees near the 17th tee, sending patrons scrambling for safety. No one was injured but the round was quickly suspended for the day.

What's the Masters weather forecast for the rest of the week?

The good news is that with a field of 89 players, it won't be difficult to get back on schedule, even if all of Thursday is washed out.

Count on the tournament finishing on schedule on Sunday, under marvelous conditions.

Here's the rest of the forecast for the week:

  • Friday: Sunny, high of 72 degrees, winds out of the west, 10-20 mph.

  • Saturday: Sunny, high of 77, winds out of the WNW 5-10 mph.

  • Sunday: Sunny, high of 84, winds out of the WSW 5-10 mph.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Masters first round faces a delay because of severe weather forecast