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Grim weather reports for the final round of the Masters prompted officials on Saturday to announce an unprecedented split-tee off in addition to an earlier start.
Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament Fred Ridley announced that groupings and tee times for the final round were adjusted after threats of severe weather threatened to delay the game.
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“The safety of everyone on our grounds is paramount,” he said in a statement.
The 65 players will be grouped in threes, with half teeing off at the first and the other half on the 10th. The official start will be 7:30 a.m., as opposed to the customary afternoon start.
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Ridley said the earlier start and split-tee is an attempt to avoid dragging the tournament on for another day.
Fans use umbrellas near the ninth hole during the second round for the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 12, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
“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.”
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Threats of strong winds and severe thunderstorms prompted the unprecedented decision making this the first final round split-tee start in the tournament's history, golfdigest.com reported.
According to Augusta National, the famous green jacket presentation ceremony will not take place on the putting green in order to “expedite gate closures.”
Fox News’ Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report.