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Day 1 start of the 2024 Masters at Augusta National has been delayed due to bad weather. The event’s opening round was originally set to tee off on Thursday, Apr. 11 at 8:00 a.m. ET. However, officials have confirmed that the first round will begin at 10:30 am.
Owing to the bad weather delay, the patron gates will now open at 9:30 am and the Honorary Starters Ceremony will begin at 10:10 am. According to the updated tee times, Erik Van Rooyen and Jake Knapp will take the first tee at 10:30 am.
The Augusta National suffered heavy overnight, while continued on Thursday morning. The rain is expected to soak the course after three dry practice days. Interestingly, the weather condition is predicted to worsen. On Wednesday, tournament organizers released a statement on The Masters’ website confirming the delay.
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The statement read:
“Due to forecasted weather on Thursday, we have decided to delay all gate openings in the morning. All Masters free parking will be closed until further notice while gate openings are delayed.”
On Thursday, the officials updated:
“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 am.”
Notably, forecast of Thursday’s opening round continues to show a 90 per cent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Wind gusts up to 45mph is expected around the venue.
2024 Masters start delayed
It's pertinent to note that weather delays are not new for the Masters. The last five editions of the prestigious tournament had suffered forced suspensions in play due to bad conditions. In 2023, storms triggered major delays at the event. Notably, several trees fell during the storms, causing moments of terror among spectators.
However, the tournament was able to conclude on Sunday despite the stormy weather. The event suffered delays in 2022 and 2019 as well. Interestingly, around half of all Masters outings since the 1930s have seen rainfall. The tournament even had Monday finishes on multiple occasions, including in 1983 and 1973.
According to the Augusta Chronicle, the course received 2.5 inches of rainfall during the 1973 Masters. Round 3 of the event was postponed and the leader was eventually awarded the Green Jacket on a Monday.
