- Heavy rain showers are expected in eastern Georgia through Thursday afternoon
- The tee-off of the first group of the tournament at 8:00 am may be postponed
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The Masters has decided to postpone all gate openings for Thursday morning due to heavy rain showers hitting Augusta National ahead of the start of the tournament.
All free on-site parking is closed until further notice, while gate openings at Augusta National are postponed.
Fans can expect further updates from The Masters’ official representatives at 5am on Thursday.
Golf needs clear conditions to be played, especially at the highest level. Postponing a golf tournament to end on Monday is not unheard of, but would be an extreme disappointment for perhaps the sport’s biggest annual event.
Heavy rain is expected throughout Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday morning. Thunderstorms are expected to hit the area as the first players are scheduled to tee off at 8 a.m. Eastern.
The weather could have an impact on The Masters as arguably golf’s biggest event kicks off on Thursday
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The Masters is one of golf’s most exclusive tournaments and the limited field allows for flexibility and avoids the usual pitfalls of bad weather that come with four-round tournaments.
Playing more than one round of The Masters on the same day is not excluded.
Augusta National uses a ‘Sub-Air’ system that allows them to monitor moisture levels on surfaces, as a state-of-the-art golf course should
However, excess water could slow some greens, which some thought were the fastest in the tournament’s 88-year history.
While the forecast appears pristine after Thursday, weather conditions could impact the format of the tournament for the second year in a row.
Rain on Friday and Saturday during last year’s Masters led to a long day of play Sunday, highlighted by Jon Rahm’s win.