Masters Week Can Begin For Relieved Patrons As Augusta National Opens The Gates Following Weather Delay

After a rough start and an early scare, Augusta National opened its gates to patrons on Monday morning to allow the week of The Masters to finally begin.

Officials at Augusta National had initially decided to close its doors to the public for the start of Monday's practice day due to thunderstorms in the area and expected heavy rain to follow.

However, after an early check on Monday morning, Augusta National said that patrons with tickets would be allowed on the property after all, with gates opening at 8am local time.

There was a warning though that if the weather turned nasty then the situation could change later on in the day - so conditions will be closely monitored.

"Given the current forecast, we will open ticket gates at 8am and patron parking lots are now open," confirmed an Augusta National bulletin.

"We will continue to monitor the approaching weather. The grounds will remain open this morning as the weather permits."

The first practice day of the week usually attracts thousands of patrons to Augusta National to get their first glimpse of the iconic course and also a first glimpse of some of the players taking part.

However, with thunderstorms and heavy rain moving through Georgia, officials at Augusta National decided on Sunday night that the course should be closed to patrons meaning they would not be able to attend as usual.

"Due to expected inclement weather and safety concerns, patron gates will not open as scheduled for Monday’s practice round," read the initial statement from Augusta National on X.

"All patron parking lots will remain closed until further notice. No patrons should approach Augusta National Golf Club until more details are released."

So, for a few nightmare hours, those with the hottest tickets in golf have been watching the weather closely hoping to avoid what would be a huge disappointment in missing the first day of Masters week.

The Masters is more than just a Major championship event, it's a bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime trip for many of those that attend, and getting as much time on the property as possible is always the aim.

And practice days such as Monday are not only scouting trips for the players tackling the course, but also for first-time patrons who walk miles among the Azaleas and Georgia Pines to select their favorite vantage points.

It remains to be seen just how much preparation players will get in around Augusta National, which will obviously play a lot different under current conditions then it will do come the tournament.

The good news is that after Monday's storms the Masters weather forecast looks pretty clear for the rest of the week apart from Friday, when more rain is expected.