Why Tiger Woods’ Masters might have just gotten a whole lot tougher

Mother Nature just made Tiger Woods’ chase for a record 24th-straight made cut at the Masters and record sixth green jacket much more difficult.

Thunderstorms at Augusta National delayed the start of the 2024 Masters two-and-a-half hours Thursday morning, meaning the first round won’t start until 10:30. That takes Woods from a 1:24 p.m. tee time to 3:54 p.m. alongside Jason Day and Max Homa.

It’s the sixth straight Masters to have a weather delay.

While that does give Woods four hours and two minutes to complete his opening round before Thursday’s sunset, the opening rounds at the Masters typically take much longer. In 2018, the Florida Times-Union found the average pace for Thursday and Friday rounds at the 2016 and 2017 Masters was five hours and 17 minutes.

That pace would mean Woods would likely get through Amen Corner and be hitting his approach into the 14th hole by sunset on Thursday. Assuming he can complete the 14th hole, he’d have 22 holes to play Friday.

It would be the second straight year Woods would be required to play more than 18 holes in one day. He completed only 11 holes in his second round Friday at the 2023 Masters before play was called due to inclement weather. He then played the remaining seven holes Saturday morning, made the cut on the number and played the first seven holes of his third round before play was called again.

Woods would have had to play 29 holes that Sunday, but he ultimately withdrew after he said he aggravated his plantar fasciitis. He later underwent a subtalar fusion on his injured right ankle and didn’t play a 72-hole event until his Hero World Challenge last December. Woods has completed 72-holes at an official PGA Tour event just two times in six tries since returning from a devastating February 2021 single-car crash.

The five-time Masters winner withdrew from his only other start this year at the Genesis Invitational with the flu.

It’s not all bad news for Woods as the 7 a.m. Thursday weather report from Augusta National expected highs nearly reaching 80 degrees in the afternoon, right around when Woods is slated to tee off. He said Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference that heat and humidity would benefit him.

“And I prefer it warm and humid and hot,” Woods said. “I know we’re going to get some thunderstorms. So at least it will be hot. It won’t be like last year.”

Rain is also forecasted to taper off by the time Woods is scheduled to tee off with no chance of precipitation listed for 3 p.m. But the strong winds that the system brought will remain with gusts expected to reach 30 mph throughout the day Thursday.

“I think it’s consistency, it’s longevity, and it’s an understanding of how to play this golf course,” Woods said of being on the precipice of the made-cuts record. “That’s one of the reasons why you see players that are in their 50s and 60s make cuts here, or it’s players in their late 40s have runs at winning the event, just the understanding of how to play it.”

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.