AUGUSTA Ga. — Adam Scott couldn’t see the line.
As daylight faded at the 2013 Masters, Scott called over a reinforcement, asking caddie Steve Williams to read the 12-footer on the second sudden-death playoff hole.
“(Steve) said, ‘It’s at least two cups. It’s going to break more than you think,’” Scott said moments after winning. “He was my eyes and it was an unbelievable read.”
A decade later, darkness may again play a factor on Masters Sunday.
When play was suspended Saturday at 3:15 p.m., leader Brooks Koepka was on No. 7 green, and will need to complete 30 holes on Sunday to finish as scheduled.
Masters 2023 leaderboard: Get the latest news from Augusta
When asked about the 2023 weather conditions, Scott said, “I feel like I just survived. I didn’t really give myself any chances. It was just hard work.”
In addition to 2013, the 1989 Masters also flirted with darkness, as Nick Faldo won his first of three jackets. Sports Illustrated wrote of the 1989 event, “The weather, which seemed to have howled straight down from Edmonton, shriveling the azaleas and pelting the dogwoods with an icy rain.”
Faldo won on the second playoff hole over Scott Hoch, while the 2013 and 1989 award ceremonies were held beneath ill-lit skies.
“This one was far more of a battle,” said Faldo, when asked to compare winning the 1989 Masters to his Open Championship victory at Muirfield. “Majors are all equal, but to come and win in America, to be honest, is harder.”
Most recently, the 2019 Masters was impacted by ominous skies.
With threats of afternoon storms, Augusta National did a Sunday first, electing to move tee times to 7:30 a.m.
Groups of three teed off on Nos. 1 and 10.
“The safety of everyone on our grounds is paramount,” Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, said in 2019. “We also believe the earlier start will give us the best opportunity to complete the Masters on Sunday.”
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