The start of The Masters has been delayed with tee times pushed back on Thursday’s opening day by at least one hour due to adverse weather.
The first group had been due to tee off at 1pm BST (8am local) but play will now not start before 2pm BST (9am local) amid the forecast of heavy rain and thunderstorms.
All four days of the tournament are exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf.
In a weather update issued by the tournament early on Thursday morning, Augusta National said: “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 9am [2pm BST].”
Officials had already confirmed on Wednesday evening they would delay patron gate openings ahead of the first day’s play.
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Speaking before the weather delay was confirmed, Sky Sports News’ Jamie Weir explained what the potential knock-on effects could be for Thursday and Friday’s play at Augusta
Forecasts had shown ’90 per cent chance’ of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday morning, with wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour expected, with the possibility of storms returning again later in the day.
Strong winds continue into Friday, with gusts expected to reach 30mph, although conditions will be less humid and sunshine is scheduled to return.
However, the weekend forecast is about as perfect as the tournament could hope for, with warm and sunny conditions and winds significantly less than the previous two days, meaning the event will be able to get back on track if there are any delays earlier in the week.
“Windy conditions persist Friday under mostly sunny skies as a dry and stable airmass settles into the area,” a weather update from the tournament on Wednesday said. “Mostly sunny skies can be expected through the weekend with west to south-westerly winds in the 7-15 mph range.”
Adverse weather delay has forced at least one suspension in play in each of the past five editions of The Masters, while rain has been experienced in over half of the 88 previous editions of the event.
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As The Masters approaches, watch a selection of the best and worst shots from Rory McIlroy at Augusta National
The Masters has not finished on a Monday since 1983, when Seve Ballesteros claimed a four-shot victory, with that run set to continue this week despite the questionable forecast for the opening day of the tournament.
When to watch The Masters on Sky Sports
Wall-to-wall coverage from the tournament begins over the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, with Featured Group action and regular updates from around the course available to enjoy on Sky Sports Golf until the global broadcast window begins at 8pm.
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The Masters is upon us and you can watch all the tremendous action live this week on Sky Sports Golf
There will be lots of extra action throughout all four days via the red button on Sky Sports Golf, along with Sky Q and Sky Glass, providing plenty of bonus feeds and allowing you to follow players’ progress through various parts of Augusta’s famous layout.
Sky Sports Golf will show extended build-up content over the weekend and occasional live updates from the course before the global broadcast window starts at 8pm for the third round and 7pm for the final day, with early action available throughout via the red button.
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David Howell explains why the world’s top golfers find putting on the greens at Augusta so difficult
Who will win The Masters? Watch live from April 11-14 exclusively on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins with Featured Groups on Thursday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream The Masters and lots more golf with NOW.
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