Where Things Stand at Weather-Delayed Masters, And What Lies Ahead

On Friday at Augusta National, the inclement weather that Masters fans feared all week finally rolled in, causing play to be suspended at 4:22 p.m ET. 

As the siren blew to signal the suspension of the tournament, three trees were blown over to the left of the 17th hole, nearly crushing patrons on the ground. Augusta National confirmed that no injuries were reported after the incident. 

“The safety and well-being of everyone attending the Masters will always be the top priority of the Club, which will continue to closely monitor weather today and through the tournament,” Augusta National wrote in a statement. 

The second round was also delayed for 21 minutes in the middle of the round, from 3:07 p.m. to 3:28 p.m. ET. 

The second round of the Masters will resume on Saturday at 8 a.m. ET, but the forecasts are ominous. 

Augusta’s official extended weather outlook calls for cloudy, cold and windy conditions on Saturday with a 100% chance of rain. The low temperature is expected to be 48 degrees with a high of 51. Winds will be 15-20 mph coming out of the northeast, with possible gusts of 25-30 mph. An isolated thunderstorm is anticipated before 8 a.m. ET, when play is scheduled to resume. 

Heavy rainfall does not seem to pose a serious issue for Augusta National, however, as it uses a complex moisture regular system beneath the golf course called SubAir. The technology helps the golf course quickly recover from wetness. 

Nonetheless, there is certainly a chance that the tournament is suspended further on Saturday morning and the tournament leaders don’t hit another shot for a significant period of time. The last time the Masters finished on a Monday was in 1983. 

The Sunday forecast calls for lingering morning showers, but partly sunny conditions in the afternoon. The high temperature will be 62 degrees. 

A total of 39 players have yet to complete their second rounds at the Masters, including Jon Rahm who sits three strokes behind the current leader, Brooks Koepka. An amateur, Sam Bennett, sits at solo third at 8 under par. 

Cameron Smith, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im, the final pairing on the golf course, have only finished eight holes of their second round. Rahm is in the second-to-last group, and has a full nine holes to complete, along with Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm. 

The cut (low 50 and ties) is currently projected at 2 over par, and one player of note hovers directly on that line: Tiger Woods. Woods is even par for his round, but he has seven holes to play on Saturday morning. 

Weather delays and early morning starts in cold weather do not bode well for Woods, who is still grappling with the ankle injury he suffered from in a car crash in 2021.