MORECAST takes a look at how weather affects the game of golf and the history of weather’s impact on the Masters. Weather can have major impacts not just on how the ball moves but the golfer’s mentality as well. What kind of weather can we expect for golf’s first major of the season?
Obviously, golf cannot be played if course conditions are not suitable for players. Depending on how heavy rainy conditions are, it’s possible for golfers to play in the elements. However, If a thunderstorm is expected, play is suspended until the threat for lightning has passed. The same goes for windy conditions. If it’s too windy, play may get suspended until the wind calms down to a more tolerable speed.
Golfers play on courses all over the world in a variety of climates. Temperatures have an effect on course conditions, as well as the trajectory of the golf ball. Dry weather usually causes the course to play very fast. This means that when the ball is hit and initially lands in the fairway or rolls on the green, it will roll further/faster, making it easy for a slightly errant shot to roll into a pond or bunker. Conversely, when the golf course is damp and wet, the ball will not travel as far when it lands or rolls on the green. This would require a golfer to put more power into their stroke. Wind can also impact a golfer’s shot. Strong winds can alter a shot by large distances, which can lead to poor scores on holes and possibly blow away a player’s chances to win. At Augusta National, winds are known to swirl around the tall trees creating an uncertainty for the golfer on how to approach a shot. Some golfers even hire professional caddies with local experience of the golf course at Augusta National who can provide useful knowledge about the constantly changing conditions. With that in mind, it is essential for golfers to keep a close eye on current as well as forecasted weather conditions for strategies before teeing off.
In the past, weather has had an obvious impact on the scores of individual golfers at the Masters. Last year, Jordan Spieth shot a record-tying -18 overall to win the tournament. His low score might be partly credited to ideal weather conditions that favored low scoring rounds, including warm temperatures along with humid conditions that kept the course greens soft and moist throughout the tournament. Contrast that with 2007, when Zack Johnson finished with an overall winning score of +1. Throughout the whole Masters that year, conditions were very cold, dry, and windy. This made play and course conditions very difficult for low scoring rounds.
Here are some fun weather facts from the first 79 years of the Masters:
*courtesy of William Schmitz of the Southeast Regional Climate Center
Warmest Day: 92°F on April 7th, 1967.
Warmest Tournament: 86.8°F was the average max temp. in 1978.
Coldest Tournament: 58.8°F was the average max temp. in 1934.
Coldest Morning: 26°F on Sunday April 8th, 2007.
Coldest Morning Average: 35°F was the average min temp. in 2007.
Rainiest Day: 2.67 inches fell on Saturday April 7th, 1973.
Rainiest Tournament: 3.23 inches of total rain fell in 1936.
16 Masters had no rain, with 11 others only reporting a trace.
Weather caused 5 Masters to be finished on a Monday, last in 1983.
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