<p>The Masters finally started Thursday after a delay of nearly 5 1/2 hours, held up by another round of bad weather that has plagued the PGA Tour since the start of the year.</p><p>Thunderstorms swept through Augusta National in the morning, saturating the azalea-lined course. A small stream ran across the first fairway. Puddles dotted the bunkers.</p><p>When play finally began, golfers used both the first and 10th tees _ a last-resort decision at the tradition-rich club.</p><p>David Duval, formerly the world's No. 1 player but now attempting to pull himself out of a mystifying slump, marked his return to Augusta National with a birdie on the second hole.</p><p>Duval, a two-time Masters runner-up, didn't play a year ago because his game was in such disrepair. His last round at Augusta was one to forget _ an 84 in 2003.</p><p>Also tied at 1-under were Jeff Maggert, Kirk Triplett, Trevor Immelman of South Africa, Mark Hensby of Australia and David Howell of England.</p><p>It was the fourth consecutive week players were kept off the course because of rain. The Masters became the ninth of 15 events on the PGA Tour schedule to be halted at some point because of weather _ rain, wind, fog, even a brief snow flurry last week in Atlanta.</p><p>"This isn't part of the PGA Tour," Ted Purdy said, listening to rumbles of thunder on the horizon. "But we're bringing the weather with us."</p><p>Then again, Augusta National has its own history of bad weather. This is the fourth straight year the Masters has been suspended because of rain, including 2003, when it rained so much the tournament did not begin until Friday.</p><p>The first starting time, originally set for 8:05 a.m. EDT, was pushed back to 1:30 p.m. Howell, Jonathan Kaye and Ted Purdy teed off from the first tee; old-timers Charles Coody, Tommy Aaron and Billy Casper began on the back.</p><p>For the third year in a row, there was no ceremonial first shot by an aging champion. Augusta National hopes that Arnold Palmer, who played the last of his 50 Masters in 2004, will eventually take over the duties.</p><p>With the first round unlikely to be completed Thursday, tournament officials announced a two-tee start on Friday as well, hoping to get the Masters back on schedule heading into the weekend.</p><p>At midmorning, the course was eerily quiet. The gates were still closed to patrons _ Augusta lingo for fans _ and a sign posted on the main scoreboard told it all: Weather Warning. From the second floor of the clubhouse, a waiter surveyed the empty grounds.</p><p>The rain finally let up, the eager crowds were allowed in, and the golfers headed to the practice range and putting green to get ready for the round.</p><p>With play under way, attention shifted to who will win the year's first major.</p><p>Most of the focus has been on the Big Four _ Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson. But don't forget Retief Goosen, who has a pair of U.S. Open victories.</p><p>"Inside, I'm confident," he said. "I know I can do it and play well."</p><p>The laid-back South African had a brilliant year in 2004, capturing his second Open title by making every putt in a duel with Mickelson at Shinnecock Hills, then knocking off Woods at the season-ending Tour Championship.</p><p>Goosen isn't quite as excited about his game these days. While many players dropped out of the weather-delayed BellSouth Classic last weekend, he hung around because he wanted to work on improving his consistency and club selection.</p><p>"I felt like I needed the practice," he said. "I'm not playing as well as I would like to, but you never know. This week, hopefully, it all starts falling together."</p><p>Woods, Singh, Mickelson and Els were in groups teeing off late in the day.</p><p>Woods is a three-time winner, Singh is No. 1 in the world, Mickelson is the defending champion and Els is a perennial contender at Augusta National, though he's never won.</p><p>"You need to get lucky here and there," Els said, "and hopefully it will happen this year."</p>
