By Phil Casey, PA Sport, Augusta

Masters officials are confident of having the Augusta National course in top condition despite bad weather over the past few days.

Almost an inch of rain fell during Monday's thunderstorms which forced practice rounds to be cancelled and the gates to be closed to the public for the first time since 1983.

Further heavy rain has continued to fall since then, and the weather is not forecast to improve until Friday at the earliest.

Greenkeeping staff have been out in force spraying a drying agent on the course, and competition committee chairman Will Nicholson is optimistic there will be no disruption to play when it gets under way on Thursday.

"The golf course has taken just about as much water as it can take," Nicholson said.

"We have made arrangements and have hired, in the local community, 31 hand-pushed mowers to mow the landing areas on the fairways as we may not be able to get mechanical equipment on the fairways.

"We have redone the bunkers three times since Sunday and are in the process of redoing them again today. I think they will be in the condition we want."

Despite the extremely wet conditions, tournament officials will not sanction the use of 'preferred lies,' where players can lift and clean their ball on the fairway.

Even before that decision was confirmed, Phil Mickelson knew exactly what would happen. "We'll play it down with mud (on the ball)," the left-hander said.

"They have never done it (preferred lies) in the past. History just tells us that."