The Augusta National bigwigs can do many things with the almighty resources at their disposal, but they can’t do anything about Mother Nature’s mischievous meddlings.

Then again, the Masters boffins are probably beavering away on the construction of an elaborate Weather Modification Office akin to the meteorological bureau of Beijing which trained rocket launchers on encroaching rains clouds in an effort to keep the 2008 Olympics dry. Watch this space, folks.

A year ago, golf’s Garden of Eden lost a couple of its treasured, towering pine trees when storms hurtled in and blew them over amid dramatic, chaotic scenes.

Either that, or they just keeled over out of sheer boredom as well-kent slow coach Patrick Cantlay plootered and plodded through his agonising pre-shot rituals?

Yesterday, after a nine month wait since our last taste of men’s major championship fare at The Open, we had to twiddle our thumbs for a bit longer as heavy rain and strong winds delayed the start of the 88th edition of this cherished Georgia showpiece by two-and-a-half hours.

TV coverage subsequently became full of the kind of vast padding you used to get in the shoulders of one of Krystle Carrington’s jackets in an episode of Dynasty.

The hold up at least gave 88-year-old old Gary Player the opportunity to do a few thousand more sit ups and press ups, and have another bowl of breakfast twigs and elixirs, before cracking on with the honorary starting duties alongside fellow golden oldies, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

For Tiger Woods, meanwhile, the news of the delay must have generated a huge groan of cursing despair that could’ve been heard in South Carolina. The only thing that was louder was the agonised shriek of the flustered golf writers from this side of the pond facing a 10pm deadline.

Tiger’s new tee-time on the rehashed draw was just before 4pm on the local clocks and the prospect of returning early Friday morning to complete his first round would’ve gone down like a sack of spanners.

Woods’ pre-round warm-up routine already takes an age due to the general creakiness of his injury ravaged frame. An extended second day of play would be a serious test of Tiger’s mettle.

If we all thought Woods was a medical marvel, then Danny Willett’s re-emergence this week would be worthy of an essay in The Lancet.

The 2016 Masters champion was told by doctors that he’d be sidelined for 12 to 18 months after shoulder surgery last September. Six months on, he was up on the early Masters leaderboard after a fine four-under 68. Beware the injured golfer and all that.

Willett, whose presence in the opening major of the year was still touch-and-go at the start of the week, made the first birdie of the tournament on the very first hole.

After a little wobble in the middle of the round, he put the tin lid on a spirited card with three birdies on his last four holes as he finished with a flourish. “I didn’t see a 68 six months ago,” said Willett with a beaming grin. “From where I was seven, eight, nine months ago, to be able to play pain-free is a pretty nice thing.

“I’ve spent the last six months watching people play golf on the TV. It was nice to hear an Augusta roar.”

Bryson DeChambeau, meanwhile, was roaring along. The 2020 US Open champion put a few noses out of joint a couple of years ago when he suggested his own personal par around Augusta National was 67 due to the raking howitzers he could launch from the tee. The man from Modesto in California never did do, well, modesty.

He at least went some way to backing up his cocky claim with a delightfully assembled seven-under 65 which set a robust early standard and was his lowest ever round in this parish.

The LIV Golf rebel, whose best finish in the Masters came back in 2016 when he was the low amateur in a share of 21st, came barging home in just 30 blows thanks to a thrilling thrust of five birdies in his last seven holes.

“It was a great test and I’m a more all-round player now,” said DeChambeau after passing the examination with flying colours.

Scottie Scheffler, the undisputed world No 1 and the Masters champion in 2022, was ambling along nicely at two-under through nine-holes while Jon Rahm, the defending champion, was two-under at the turn. Rory McIlroy was level at halfway.

The 88th Masters is off and running.