Frustrating start to Masters as play is suspended due to bad weather

After being rescheduled from April due to the coronavirus, it was a frustrating start to the 84th Masters for both players and armchair golf fans.

The scoreboard is updated with a "weather warning" and "play suspended" sign during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Picture: Rob Carr/Getty Images

The first round at Augusta National was delayed by 10 minutes due to darkness before play was suspended after just 25 minutes because of a thunderstorm.

When the hooter was sounded, only nine players had completed their opening hole under a two-tee start being used for the event’s novel November slot.

Sandy Lyle, the 1988 winner and sole Scot in the field, had hit the opening shot at the 10th hole in his 39th appearance in the tournament.

Wearing braces, the 62-year-old safely found the fairway in the company of former US PGA champion Jimmy Walker and Chinese amateur Yuxin Lin.

But, after coming up short with his approach from 197 yards then getting too cute with his third to a front-right pin position, he started with a bogey-5.

The two-time major winner had just found the fairway with his drive at the 11th - one of the toughest holes on the course - when the hooter had sounded.

The rain had just started when Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hit tee shots at the first in their role as honorary starters just before 7am local time.

“I’m pleased it was dark because I could not see where the ball went,” joked Nicklaus later.

Bryson DeChambeau, the title favourite after his six-shot success in the US Open in September, was just about to get his round underway when play was suspended.

The action eventually restarted at 10.20am local time following a delay of just under three hours.

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