AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Monday the world’s best take center stage at Augusta National Golf Club as preparations begin for the 88th Masters Tournament.
“It’s always great to be back at the Masters,” said Rory McIlroy prior to the 87th tournament. “I feel like the whole field has sort of been building up to this point the entire calendar year.”
Among the early arrivals was Tiger Woods, seeking his sixth Green Jacket, which would tie him with Jack Nicklaus for most in Masters history. Woods has not played competitively since the Genesis Invitational in February.
“My ankle doesn’t hurt anymore because no bones are rubbing anymore,” Woods said prior to the Genesis. “But then again, it’s different. Other parts of my body have to take the brunt of it.
Just like my back is fused so other of my body have taken the brunt of that. I have two different body parts that are now fused. Yeah, other parts of the body have to adapt.
A far as the love, I still love competing, I love playing, I love being a part of the game of golf. This is the game of a lifetime and I don’t ever want to stop playing. I love being able to compete.”
Monday at the Masters also features a partial solar eclipse, part of the total eclipse taking place across North America.
“At the course you will see the moon crossing over the surface of the sun,” said Gary Senn, PhD, Director of the Ruth Patrick Education Science Center at the University of South Carolina-Aiken. “You’ll have to notice it and look up because there won’t be a dramatic change in light.
But I would imagine with the number of people out there, they’re going to be looking up and what they’ll notice is it looks like part of the sun is missing.”
According to WJBF’s meteorologists, the maximum impact of the eclipse can be viewed at Augusta National Golf Club at 3:08 p.m. Viewers should make sure to have special eclipse glasses to watch. Augusta National is handing out glasses to patrons on Monday.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
