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The Masters in November is Better Than No Masters at All

By Tim Letcher

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 08: Tiger Woods of the United States, Ben Crenshaw of the United States and Jordan Spieth of the United States walk over the Hogan Bridge with their caddies during a practice round prior to the start of the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 08: Tiger Woods of the United States, Ben Crenshaw of the United States and Jordan Spieth of the United States walk over the Hogan Bridge with their caddies during a practice round prior to the start of the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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While it may not be in its traditional April slot, it appears that there will be a Masters tournament this season. Despite some logistical issues, playing the Masters in 2020 good idea, and here’s why.

The Augusta National Golf Club announced on Monday that the Masters, which was originally scheduled to be played this week, has been tentatively scheduled for Nov. 9-15, 2020. That would mean the Masters would be played in the fall for the first time since its inception in 1934.

So, what will a fall Masters look like? That remains to be seen, but keep in mind that November is prime time for the Augusta National membership to be playing the course.

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For anyone concerned that the course will be much different than it would be in the spring, never fear. The folks at Augusta National have an image to protect and preserve and that includes an immaculate golf course that will be ready to host the world’s best players.

The one unknown for that time of year will be the weather. While temperatures were slated to be in the 70s and 80s this week in Augusta, the weather for the second week of November will be slightly cooler. Temperatures in the high 60s or low 70s would be normal for that time of year.

There are two other major factors that will come into play as further discussions are being had about the 2020 Masters. One is the amount of daylight that will be available for play, and the other is the competition for television time during the fall.

During April, Augusta usually sees over 12 hours of sunlight in day. That makes it fairly easy to get every player through, even on Thursday and Friday when there is a full field. In November, that window of sunlight will be cut by almost two hours, which could make it tougher for the entire field to complete their rounds.

A more pressing concern for the folks at Augusta National may be that there will be much more competition for viewership in November than there generally is in the second week of April. The Masters will find itself fighting with college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday. This is something that will need to be addressed in order to keep the sponsors happy.

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Playing the Masters in November is better than not playing it at all. And while there are still logistical issues to be addressed, it looks like we will indeed have the Masters in 2020.

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