Golf: Weather threat to Masters

Rain clouds threatened overhead as what could be an historic Masters began in Augusta today.

Tiger Woods’ bid to become the first golfer ever to hold all four Majors at the same time was the main focus of attention, but the crowd had to wait until the afternoon to see the world number one tee off.

The day started in traditional fashion with Sam Snead and Byron Nelson, aged 88 and 89 respectively, acting as honorary starters by hitting off the first tee and then retiring.

Snead’s drive was a beauty, arrow straight and for his years long too, while Nelson carved one off towards the main scoreboard, but received the same ovation.

He has said it was his last time and when told he could be on his own next year Snead joked: ‘‘I can do a clinic.’’

When the tournament proper opened 69-year-old Billy Casper, winner in 1970, took a quadruple bogey eight on the first hole after he needed three attempts from left of the green to negotiate the steep bank up to the putting surface.

It made the double bogey six of 78-year-old Doug Ford look almost respectable and the par of 63-year-old Charles Coody seem sublime.

Ford is making a record 49th appearance, but for the last three years has withdrawn after the first round. He last made the halfway cut in 1971.