The Masters tee times have been pushed back due to inclement weather conditions at Augusta National on Thursday.
Round one’s first group - comprised of two-time Green Jacket winner Jose Maria Olazabal and Valero Texas Open winner J.J. Spaun - were due to tee off in golf’s much-anticipated opening Major of the year at 8am local time today, 1pm in the UK.
However, thunderstorms and showers in Georgia mean the first tee time has now been delayed by half an hour, with the trio of honorary starters - Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player - taking to the course to hit their ceremonial shots later than planned at 8:15am.
The gate opening times for spectators were also delayed by 30 minutes.
On Wednesday, the annual curtain-raising Par-3 contest at Augusta had to be abandoned early at 3:42pm due to storms, with 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir and Mackenzie Hughes in the lead after Jason Kokrak had produced an amazing hole-in-one at the fourth.
Due to thunderstorms in the early morning hours Thursday, gate opening times will be delayed by 30 minutes.
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2022
Ticketing gates will open at 7:30 a.m. The Honorary Starters will take place at 8:15 a.m., followed by the first tee time at 8:30 a.m. #themasters
All eyes on Thursday will be on Tiger Woods, who is set to make his sensational return to top-level golf at the Masters just 14 months after suffering serious injuries in a car accident in Los Angeles.
The 15-time Major winner was due to tee off alongside Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann at 10:34am local time, 3:34pm BST. That will now be pushed back by 30 minutes.
