2020 Masters Tournament to begin in November

The 84th Masters Tournament, the most prestigious major championship in the PGA Tour, will begin on Thursday (local time). The Masters, which is held in April every year as the first major championship of the season, has been postponed this year due to COVID-19. The location will be the same as originally scheduled at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, but spectators will not be allowed to prevent viral infections.

This year’s Masters in November will be quite different from before. The most significant variable is the weather. In Augusta, the average temperature of November is about four degrees Celsius lower than April’s. Colder weather affects players’ performance. Zach Johnson won the Masters with an over-par score in 2007 when it was particularly cold and windy.

As the green becomes harder to due to colder weather, longer drivers will have an advantage. In addition, players will be divided into two groups, each teeing off in the first and tenth holes, unlike the normal year when all players tee off in the first hole as the day length is shorter by 2.5 hours compared to April. Moreover, instead of azaleas and royal azaleas blossoming during the Masters in April, the golf course this year will feature autumn leaves.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com