Golf: Augusta set for wet start

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Weather has blighted the 2005 PGA Tour and golf organisers are preparing for a wet opening round in the US Masters tomorrow.

Local forecasts expect a mix of scattered showers and heavy thunderstorms at Augusta National, with over an inch of rain likely during the afternoon.

However, the anticipated weather for the next three days is a lot more optimistic with a possibility of showers on Friday and mainly dry conditions predicted for the weekend.

Should that forecast prove accurate, then round one could spill over into Friday before the first major championship of the year gets back on track for the weekend.

Eight of the 14 events completed on the 2005 tour have been severely hit by rain, with last week's BellSouth Classic the most recent to succumb.

The event, despite being reduced to three rounds, was forced into a fifth day on Monday before US Masters champion Phil Mickelson clinched the title at the fourth extra hole.

"I'd be very surprised and shocked if we didn't get wet here at Augusta," 1996 British Open champion Tom Lehman said today.

"The history of the last two months doesn't give you a lot of confidence about dry weather."

Fellow American David Toms, the US PGA champion in 2001, added: "We're in the springtime in the south-east.

"If it doesn't rain, it will be a minor miracle, I guess."

The 69th Masters is scheduled to begin just after 8.00am local time tomorrow (Thursday night NZT), with Americans Jonathan Kaye and Ted Purdy and Britain's David Howell teeing off at the par-four first hole.

Rain has intervened at the last three Masters, including a complete washout on the scheduled opening day in 2003.

Six of the last seven editions have been hit by rain, although a Monday finish has not been needed at Augusta National since 1961, when South Africa's Gary Player became the first non-American to win the Masters.

- REUTERS