The Masters is an event that is steeped in tradition, with one of those being the Honorary Starter ceremony that takes place prior to the first tee time of the competition.
It’s one of the biggest honors a former champion can have, with Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player striking their tee shots off the first tee to signal the start of The 87th Masters.
The Honorary Starters, a tradition dating to 1963, is available to stream below. #themasters https://t.co/REzoA3sUbuApril 6, 2023
The trio have a combined 11 Green Jackets between them, as well as 140 Tournament appearances, with the World Golf Hall of Famers carrying on their Honorary Starter roles from 2022.
A tradition that first started back in 1963 with Jock Hutchison (1963-1973) and Fred McLeod (1963-1976), the ceremony has seen legends of the game continuing the ceremony. These include Byron Nelson (1981-2001, non-consecutive), Gene Sarazen (1981-1999), Ken Venturi (1983), Sam Snead (1984-2002), Arnold Palmer (2007-2016), Nicklaus (2010-present), Player (2012-present), Lee Elder (2021) and Watson (2022-present).
The most recent player to take up the mantel is Watson, who boasts an incredible record at Augusta National, with the American a two-time Green Jacket winner, in 1977 and 1981, as well as a three-time runner-up finisher.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In the build up to the event, there had been a possibility that Watson wouldn’t be present at the ceremony, as the 73-year-old underwent shoulder replacement surgery in November 2022. However, just under a week ago, he confirmed that he had recovered enough to take his place on the first tee on Thursday.
As the three legends took to the tee, we were treated to Player delivering a kung fu type kick after his drive, Nicklaus producing a humorous quip of “that’s the hard part done” as he put his tee into the ground, and Watson delivering a swing that even a player half his age would be proud of! Following the tee shots, Augusta National Chairman, Fred Ridley, announced that “The 87th Masters is officially underway”.
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