Unhealthy climate delayed the beginning of the 88th Masters at Augusta Nationwide on Thursday with world primary Scottie Scheffler and second-ranked Rory McIlroy scheduled to tee off in a dream first-round pairing.
Rain and scattered thunderstorms had been forecast to maneuver into the area at round 6:00am (8pm AEST) and have been anticipated to final till about lunch time, probably inflicting havoc to the primary spherical schedule.
Honorary starters Gary Participant, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson had been as a result of get proceedings underneath manner at 7:40am (9:40pm AEST), with the primary group teeing off 20 minutes later.
Nevertheless, about three hours earlier than the deliberate begin, Masters organizers stated on X: “Gate openings and tee occasions have been delayed till additional discover. The primary spherical won’t start earlier than 9:00am (11pm AEST).”
Unhealthy climate pressured down timber at Augusta Nationwide, in Georgia, in 2023.
The primary spherical was then scheduled to start at 10:30am (12:30am AEST). See the up to date tee occasions under.
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Scheffler, searching for his second title in three seasons, was in a bunch with four-time main winner McIlroy, who would full a profession Grand Slam with a Masters triumph, and Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, chasing his first main victory.
By taking the inexperienced jacket, McIlroy would be part of a choose group together with Woods, Nicklaus, Participant, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan. McIlroy has not received a significant in 10 years however has discovered he wants endurance at Augusta Nationwide.
“This golf course will get you to chase issues slightly greater than different golf programs,” he stated. “It all the time tempts you to do one thing you suppose you are able to do and I’m fairly assured in my golf sport. I believe I can do most issues.
“Generally you simply should take the conservative route and be slightly extra disciplined and affected person.”
Scheffler, who received twice and completed second final month in PGA Tour occasions, may be part of Woods as the one gamers to win the Masters twice whereas atop the rankings.
“The winds are going to be fairly excessive and it swirls like loopy round this place,” he stated, earlier than information of the delay.
“It’s important to keep so affected person and belief in all facets of your sport.”
Schauffele hopes to lose his tag as among the best present gamers with no main title.
“It’s undoubtedly what motivates me as a golfer and as a competitor simply to maintain pushing,” Schauffele stated of a significant victory.
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The function trio had been scheduled to tee off at 10:42 a.m, 12 minutes after Spain’s defending champion Jon Rahm, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and 20-year-old American Nick Dunlap.
Rahm may develop into solely the fourth participant to seize back-to-back Masters triumphs after Woods, Nicklaus and Nick Faldo.
“I do really feel recent and prepared for it,” Rahm stated.
Reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark, Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Australian Cameron Smith, the 2022 British Open winner, are collectively behind Scheffler and McIlroy.
Woods, returning to main golf after proper ankle surgical procedure final April however nonetheless struggling to stroll 72 holes, will attempt to make the Masters reduce for a report twenty fourth consecutive time to interrupt to mark he shares with Participant and Fred {Couples}.
However the five-time Masters winner talks about one other report — the six profession Masters victories by Nicklaus.
“If every thing comes collectively, I believe I can get another,” Woods stated.
Woods was alleged to tee off at 1:24 p.m. alongside fellow American Max Homa and Australian Jason Day.
A bunch behind them are 2023 British Open winner Brian Harman, 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and South Korean Tom Kim.
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5-time main winner Koepka and Rahm are amongst 13 gamers from Saudi-backed LIV Golf within the Masters area, with six-time main winner Phil Mickelson and Koepka sharing second final 12 months behind Rahm, who jumped from the PGA Tour to LIV in December.
Eyes will likely be on the LIV gamers’ outcomes as merger talks proceed between the PGA Tour and LIV’s backers, the Saudi Arabian Public Funding Fund.
There are 20 first-time Masters starters hoping to develop into the primary rookie winner since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
This 12 months’s newcomers embody Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Clark.
“Stats like that are supposed to be damaged,” Clark stated. “That might be an incredible accomplishment. And I like my possibilities.”
MASTERS ROUND ONE TEE TIMES (all occasions AEST – up to date as a result of climate delay)
Friday
12.30am: Erik van Rooyen (South Africa), Jake Knapp
12.42am: Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Taylor Moore, *Santiago de la Fuente (Mexico)
12.54am: Danny Willett (England), Austin Eckroat, Stephan Jaeger (Germany)
1.06am: Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), Luke Checklist, *Christo Lamprecht (South Africa)
1.18am: Gary Woodland, Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark), Bryson DeChambeau
1:30am: Zach Johnson, Corey Conners (Canada), *Jasper Stubbs (Australia)
1.42am: Sergio Garcia (Spain), Chris Kirk, Ryan Fox (New Zealand)
1.54am: Lucas Glover, Byeong Hun An (Korea), Harris English
2.06am: Phil Mickelson, Sepp Straka (Austria), Tony Finau
2.18am: Nick Taylor (Canada), Joaquin Niemann (Chile), Russell Henley
2.366am: Patrick Cantlay, Min Woo Lee (Australia), Rickie Fowler
2.48am: Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas
3am: Jon Rahm (Spain), Matt Fitzpatrick (England), Nick Dunlap
3.12am: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy (Northern Eire), Xander Schauffele
3.24am: Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland (Norway), Cameron Smith (Australia)
3.36am: Lee Hodges, Adrian Meronk (Poland), Grayson Murray
3.48am: Camilo Villegas (Colombia), Denny McCarthy, Cameron Davis (Australia)
4.00am: Mike Weir (Canada), Ryo Hisatsune (Japan), *Neal Shipley
4.12am: Vijay Singh (Fiji), Si Woo Kim (Korea), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina)
4.24am: Fred {Couples}, Adam Hadwin (Canada), *Stewart Hagestad
4.42am: Justin Rose (England), Eric Cole, Peter Malnati
4.54am: Akshay Bhatia, J. T. Poston, Shane Lowry (Eire)
5.06am: Bubba Watson, Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark), Adam Schenk
5.18am: Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im (Korea), Kurt Kitayama
5.30am: Keegan Bradley, Matthieu Pavon, Tyrrell Hatton (England)
5.42am: Adam Scott (Australia), Sam Burns, Cameron Younger
5.54am: Tiger Woods, Jason Day (Australia), Max Homa
6.06am: Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim (Korea)
6.18am: Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg (Sweden), Sahith Theegala
6:30am: Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood (England)
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