The first round of the 88th Masters has been delayed by at least an hour due to bad weather at Augusta National.
South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen was due to hit the opening tee shot at 8am local time (1300BST), but rain was already falling when tournament officials announced at 5am that play would not get under way on time.
“We continue to monitor the weather closely,” an official statement read.
![GOLF Masters](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/97652f4cab9bbe34842458aabb07f74fY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzEyOTE2MDE1/2.75846335.jpg?w=640)
“Gate openings and tee times have been delayed until further notice. The first round will not begin before 9 a.m.”
Thunderstorms, heavy rain and winds gusting up to 45mph were all forecast for Thursday.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood has been drawn in the final group in round one for the second successive year, but he will not let the uncertain weather affect his preparations.
We continue to monitor the weather closely. Gate openings and tee times have been delayed until further notice. The first round will not begin before 9 a.m. https://t.co/upQzE1x4Jh
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
“I generally wake up and take the weather for what it is, just go out and play with the conditions we get, but I’ve heard the forecast is pretty bad,” Fleetwood, who is without long-time caddie Ian Finnis this week due to illness, said.
“The conditions are going to play a part in how the golf course plays and what happens there, so we’ll see.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here