The final PGA tournament before next week's Masters has been delayed by heavy rain.

At least a day will be lost as the first round of the BellSouth Classic was postponed on Thursday.

The first groups teed off in the morning, but play was halted after only 48 minutes when a heavy line of storms swept through Sugarloaf.

Only 21 golfers completed at least a hole and no one got in more than two, so PGA officials decided to cancel the round completely and start again on Friday.

Defending champ battles on

However, with more rain forecast, there is a chance that some golfers who are playing at Augusta National next week might have to withdraw.

"No disrespect, but Augusta means a lot more to me than this tournament," said Dennis Paulson, who will be playing the Masters for the second straight year.

The second round is now scheduled for Saturday with officials unsure on what to do beyond that point.

Phil Mickelson, the defending BellSouth champion, felt it was better to be on the course the week before a major tournament.

"I found that by taking a week off, I wasn't prepared for competitive golf," he said.

"Playing the week before got me mentally ready."

Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh skipped the tournament, preferring to rest before their Augusta National showdown.