“The Second Round has been officially suspended for the rest of the day. Play will resume Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Ticket gates will open at 7:00 a.m. EDT as scheduled.”
This was not the announcement anyone wanted to hear, especially the patrons. With a huge tree coming down on the course, however, and with the threat of thunder and lightning in the area, a premature end to the day was always likely. And with more heavy rain forecast on Saturday, it begs the question: Are we heading for a Monday finish at The Masters?
MONDAY FINISHES AT THE MASTERS
Nothing is unusual about golf tournaments being affected by bad weather, especially in the US, where electrical storms can come and go in pretty quick time. At The Masters, and before this year’s tournament, rain has been experienced during 47 of the 86 events.
In total, eight days of play have been postponed. Of course, it’s sometimes possible to make up days and, at Augusta, they’ve managed to play 36 holes in one day on four occasions: 1936, 1938, 1939 and 2003.
1936
Horton Smith was the first ever play to win The Masters on a Monday
(Image credit: Getty Images)
However, there have only even been five Monday finishes at The Masters since 1934, the last of which came in 1983. The first Monday finish came in 1936, when 36 holes were played on Monday. It didn’t affect Horton Smith, who won his second Masters title.
1938
Henry Picard is victorious at Augusta National in 1938
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Two years later and the tournament was forced into a Monday finish again. Two rounds were played on Sunday, but more time was needed before Henry Picard prevailed.
1961
Gary Player claims his first Green Jacket in 1961
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The weather was relatively kind in the subsequent years, and another Monday finish wasn’t witnessed until 1961. Rain on Sunday wasn’t going to prevent Gary Player from pulling on a Green Jacket; the South African returned on Monday to hold off Arnold Palmer and amateur Charles Coe to become the tournament’s first international champion.
1973
Tommy Aaron is helped into the Green Jacket in 1973
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tommy Aaron was the victor in 1973. There was a 75-minute delay during the third round, which led to a two-tee start on Sunday and then a Monday finish. Aaron closed with a 68 to win by one stroke.
1983
Seve Ballesteros winning the 1983 Masters on a Monday in nicer weather
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The rain in 1983 was fairly constant. It…
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