Heavy rain and wind were expected to pummel Augusta, Georgia, overnight. That did not happen, and that is good news for Tiger Woods.
A lengthy delay to start Round 1 would have certainly meant Tiger (who is in the fourth-to-last group to tee off today) would not have gotten in all 18 holes. That would have meant finishing Round 1 early on Friday, then (because he is in the early wave to tee off in Round 2) heading right back out to play Round 2.
While that’s doable for most, not so much for Woods, whose fused ankle forced him to withdraw early in Round 3 of last year’s Masters. It’s that ankle that is a major concern for Woods as he will attempt to navigate the heavy undulation that is the hallmark of Augusta National.
Tiger will now tee off at 3:45 p.m. With sunset around 7:56 p.m., he should get most of his round in today.
Playing 18+ holes on Friday would have been a test. The chances that he gets in 18 holes today — or close to it — greatly improved when the heavy rain passed south of Augusta through the night.