AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - The Masters will bring together golf's best in an increasingly rare gathering of the sport's top talent when opening round play gets underway on Thursday at Augusta National with heavy rain threatening to dampen the excitement.

As the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf try to iron out an agreement, the reality that fans are the big losers in a feud that has split the sport have sunk in with even Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley on Wednesday taking notice during his annual pre-Masters press conference.