AUGUSTA, Ga. – Before what promises to be an intense day at a Masters chock-full of contenders, the tournament got off to a genteel start with its traditional opening ceremony. Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus strolled out of Augusta National’s white clubhouse shortly before 8:15 a.m. on a chilly Thursday morning, parting the patrons as they made their way to the first tee. Augusta National’s new chairman, Fred Ridley, introduced the two honorary starters as “men whose legacies will live forever throughout the history of Augusta National.� The tee shots of Nicklaus and Player offered a quaint respite from a modern age focused on quantitative analysis. Even the fitness-crazed Gary Player doesn’t care about his swing speed. Jack Nicklaus is as competitive as they come – and of course he’d love to sneak his drive past Player’s – but we’re not worried about his launch angle. We’re honoring history. “I said, ‘Jack, don’t worry about outdriving me now. You’ve been outdriving me for 50 years,’� Player said. In an era obsessed with what’s next, this short ceremony offers a sweet sentimentality that can easily be lost in a cynical age. The rest of the day will be about parsing through the performances of the game’s best players. Instead of worrying about the future, the honorary tee shots are an opportunity to reflect on the past. With nine Green Jackets between them, they’re two of just five men who have won the Career Grand Slam. The tradition of honorary starters began in 1963 with Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod. Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead were the first tee’s legendary triumvirate from 1984-1999. The Big Three of Nicklaus, Player and Arnold Palmer reunited on Augusta National’s first tee from 2012-16. This is the second year that Nicklaus and Player have teed off together since Palmer’s passing in 2016. While it pains the two proud champions to no longer see their shots sail over the valley in the first fairway, the patrons are pleased simply to see the two legends swing a club and appear on Augusta National one more time. “Time moves on,� Nicklaus said. And now, a potentially historic Masters is officially underway.
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