The weekend of the 2023 Masters is finally here, unfortunately, we are through less than two rounds and plenty of inclement weather is coming along for the ride over the next couple days. Suspending play late Friday evening while players were in the midst of their second rounds, Augusta National Golf Club continues to monitor the skies to expedite the playing of the 87th edition of the Masters.
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High winds and light rains trickled into the Augusta area late Friday and even caused a trio of trees to tumble near the 17th teeing area. Those winds are freshened Saturday with temperatures dropping nearly 30 degrees to around 50 degrees, according to Accuweather, as players returned to the golf course at 8 a.m. ET.
Not only have the temperature waned, the rain has begun to fall. Rain will arrive en masse around 10 a.m. with some, such as Jon Rahm (currently 2nd) still needing to play the entirety of their second nine. The good news is the threat of thunderstorm is low. The bad news is some periods of rain may be so heavy that play will be suspended anyways or at least players will wish for a suspension.
Playing similar to The Open on Saturday, the Masters should return to its normal self on Sunday. Showers are not expected to linger in the area and should allow players to complete the tournament as temperatures steadily rise as the day progresses. Conditions should be dry, and Augusta National will look similar on Monday if need be. However, the Masters has not held a Monday finish since 1983, a 40-year streak that Augusta and the patrons would love to see continue this weekend.
2023 Masters weather forecast
|
Saturday |
50 / 44 |
9 mph (21 mph) |
91% |
10 mph (27 mph) |
90% |
|
Sunday |
67 / 45 |
10 mph (27 mph) |
4% |
20 mph (30 mph) |
0% |
|
Monday (if necessary) |
68 / 47 |
10 mph (24 mph) |
3% |
9 mph (25 mph) |
3% |
This is nothing new for players and patrons as 47 of the 86 prior Masters have experienced some form of rain. This past Saturday, the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur was delayed more than three hours due to weather before Rose Zhang claimed the title.
In 2021, Hideki Matsuyama played video games during a 78-minute weather delay in the third round only to then play his final eight holes in 6 under. From two behind to four in front, this delay and subsequent play, when the winds were down and Augusta National Golf Club was susceptible to birdies, was a springboard for Matsuyama’s triumph.
A similar story unfolded a year ago as cold temperatures wreaked havoc on players during Saturday’s round. Tiger Woods was heavily affected by the chilly conditions and signed for a 6-over 78 to squander his major aspirations in his first competitive outing in over 500 days.
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The softer conditions will also make the newly-lengthened par-5 13th, commonly known as “Azalea,” play even longer than the first two days. Measuring 545 yards on the scorecard, the 13th hole will play a pivotal role in this year’s tournament as player grapple the decision to go for the green with their second shots or lay up short of Rae’s Creek.
A double-edge sword presents itself if this scenario plays out. Hitting fairway woods and long irons into the green, most players have already claimed they will lay up all four days of competition. However, if those fairway woods and long irons now enter a more susceptible green complex and controlling the spin of a wedge shot becomes more difficult, this decision becomes muddied.
“I disagree that it’s less exciting,” said Spieth. “Like, I think you’ve heard mixed reviews. Some people say more, some people say less. I mean, I think if you are stuck in between you and get more mayhem because you’re going to get more water balls than guys hitting 7-iron to the middle of the green, how is that not more exciting? It’s not very exciting if someone hits 7-, 8-iron into the middle of the green and 2-putts. You want to see someone hit it from further away or a harder shot. I don’t know if it’s a better or worse hole; it’s a different hole, and I think you have to be determined if it’s more or less exciting. If it’s warmer, it’s more exciting; but when it’s this cool, it may just be a lot of lay-ups. But we’ll see.”
We will see, indeed. One thing that is for sure is between the expected thunderstorms and winds gusting, the ending of the 87th Masters will be just as dramatic as the previous 86.