AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods is in a familiar position in the final Sunday tee time at Augusta — but this year, it’s different. Because of bad weather in the forecast, the powers-that-be at the Masters have decided to move up final round tee times for the final round, and to play in threesomes. That puts Woods alongside Tony Finau and leader Francesco Molinari; the three will go off last off the first tee at 9:20 a.m.
In a post-round interview, Woods acknowledged a morning tee time and a threesome — in contrast to the typical Sunday afternoon pairs — will make this a decidedly different experience.
“There’s some weather coming in, and this is gonna be different,” Woods told CBS. “It’s gonna be a little different, going off two tees, threesomes. It doesn’t feel like Augusta National — but I remember when Jack finished up his last round here he finished up on nine, so I guess some precedent has already been set.”
Tee times will begin at 7:30 a.m. off both the 1st and 10th tees.
The weather forecast for Sunday morning in Augusta, Ga., calls for a 20 percent chance of rain and winds between 10-15 mph. But isolated thunderstorms are expected to hit at noon, and scattered thunderstorms are predicted for 1-3 p.m. with the chance of rain rising from 35 percent at 1 p.m. to 60 percent at 3 p.m.
“The safety of everyone on our grounds is paramount,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said a press release. “We also believe the earlier start will give us the best opportunity to complete the Masters on Sunday. This decision should benefit everyone – the players, our patrons and our fans watching around the world. Given the competitiveness and drama of this year’s tournament, we look forward to an exciting conclusion tomorrow.”