Nothing beats golf on a bright, sunny day.
That doesn't seem to be in store though for Monday's practice round at Augusta National Golf Club ahead of the 2025 Masters. Rather, the weather is expected to be troublesome, so much so that gates for patrons hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite golfers practicing on the course will be closed "until further notice."
"All patron parking lots will remain closed until further notice," stated a Masters representative Sunday evening. "No patrons should approach Augusta National Golf Club until more details are released."
While this currently has no effect on the timeline for the actual Masters Tournament beginning on Thursday, April 10, this is still a major letdown to fans who were hoping to attend the practice round.
What is the forecast?
Monday's forecast for Augusta, Georgia, cites a 99 percent chance of precipitation with "periods of heavy rain and a thunderstorm," according to AccuWeather. It won't just be for a few hours, either. Rain is expected to fall all day.
The expected thunderstorms are the bigger issue, obviously. While it is expected to calm down in the afternoon, that would likely be too late for fans to get their fill given what they paid for.
Forecast for Day 1 of the Masters on Thursday
On the bright side, Thursday is not expected to have any rain for the first round of the 2025 Masters, with only a 5% chance of rain between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time. Unfortunately, there is a much higher chance of rain on Friday for Round 2 with a 50% chance of rain as early as 9 a.m.
What happens to fans with Monday tickets?
Augusta National has the right to reserve refunds or any other form of compensation for fans with tickets if gates are not opened on Monday. That said though, the last time a practice round was canceled for fans in 2022, fans were given refunds and a early opportunity to buy tickets for 2023.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why are the gates for the 2025 Masters closed?
