Augusta National Golf Club was forced to evacuate the grounds on Monday as weather conditions worsened amid the first practice round ahead of the 89th Masters. Ultimately course officials decided to call of Monday’s practice rounds altogether.
‘We are disappointed our patrons could not fully enjoy today’s practice round, but the safety of everyone at Augusta National is our highest priority and was the determining factor in the decision to cancel,’ Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, said in a statement. ‘We look forward to welcoming back our Monday patrons next year, as well as celebrating a wonderful 89th Masters Tournament ahead of us this week.’
Ticketholders hoping to catch some practice play on Monday will receive refunds in May, organizers announced.
Showers and thunderstorms have been reported along the Georgia-South Carolina border, with winds between 10 and 15mph. Rain is expected to fall until the late evening.
As for the rest of the week, things should improve. There are some showers expected Friday morning, but forecasts aren’t currently showing any major precipitation through Sunday’s final round.
General view of patrons after play is suspended during Monday’s practice round in Augusta
Augusta National Golf Club was forced to evacuate the grounds on Monday as weather conditions worsened amid the first practice round ahead of the 89th Masters
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the man to beat at this week’s Masters where Rory McIlroy, oozing confidence after a marvelous start to the year, makes his 11th and perhaps best shot at completing the career Grand Slam.
Played amidst the blooming azaleas, towering pines and flowering dogwoods at Augusta National, the Masters may be the most anticipated of golf’s four majors and this year’s edition is no exception given a plethora of compelling storylines.
Not even the absence of Tiger Woods, a five-times champion and golf’s top attraction who is recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon, can dampen enthusiasm for an event that marks the spiritual start of spring.
Much of the excitement ahead of this year’s Masters revolves around Scheffler and McIlroy, the two best players in the world, who are in great form and could deliver a final-round duel for the ages if they are both in contention on Sunday.
‘I think that it sets up to be headlined by those two. I really do. I think you have to begin there,’ veteran broadcaster Jim Nantz said on CBS Sports’ Masters preview call.
World number one Scheffler, whose season debut was delayed by about a month after hand surgery following a December cooking accident, finished runner-up at his Masters tune-up in Houston for his third top-10 in six starts on the year.
A win for Scheffler, who first triumphed at Augusta National in 2022 and has a game that appears to be a perfect fit for the layout, would make him only the fourth golfer to retain a Masters title and first since Woods in 2001-02.
‘It’s his happy place,’ said Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee. ‘He can go there and play his normal game, and everybody can struggle to beat him. That’s just how good he is and how great a fit Augusta National is for him.’
