The Masters Gets Underway With Nicklaus, Player And Watson Hitting Ceremonial First Shots

AUGUSTA, Georgia—The Masters began Thursday after a 2 1/2-hour weather delay, with wind still whipping beneath an overcast sky. It marks the first time golf’s top players have competed on the same course since the British Open in July.

With his wife Barbara on the bag, six-time champion Jack Nicklaus joined three-time winner Gary Player and two-time champion Tom Watson as hundreds of spectators gathered around the first tee to witness them take the ceremonial first shots.

The Masters Gets Underway With Nicklaus, Player And Watson Hitting Ceremonial First Shots

“It’s not so easy to put the ball on the tee now, is it?” The player inquired of the others before stripping one down the fairway.

“Watch out on the left and right,” Nicklaus said before driving it straight down the middle.

Erik van Rooyen and Jake Knapp were the first participants to tee off, with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf strong hitters spread out in highlighted groups throughout the day. Those with later tee dates, such as Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Dustin Johnson, would likely finish after dusk, forcing them to return on Friday to complete their first rounds.

This year’s tournament features 13 players from Saudi-funded LIV Golf, including defending Masters champion Jon Rahm, who quit the PGA Tour late last year for millions in guaranteed money. That’s down from 18 a year ago when people were still determining how the split between the breakaway league and the long-established PGA Tour would play out at Augusta National.

However, the ongoing schism is just one of many topics this year.

The Masters Gets Underway With Nicklaus, Player And Watson Hitting Ceremonial First Shots

Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 champion and world’s number one player, has been the 4-1 betting favorite since Woods ruled nearly two decades ago, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut last year, is attempting to complete the career grand slam for the tenth time. Woods is only playing for the second time this season due to illness and injury.

Scheffler and Sam Burns both have wives who are expecting their first children. Both players have stated that they would retire if they heard their wives were in labor, which is difficult to believe given their advantage on Sunday’s back nine.

The Masters Gets Underway With Nicklaus, Player And Watson Hitting Ceremonial First Shots

Last year, the rain stretched the third round to Sunday, and Rahm entered the long day four shots behind Brooks Koepka. He had halved it at the start of the final round, and Rahm became the fourth Spaniard to win a green jacket with a four-shot triumph against Koepka and Phil Mickelson, who finished with a 65 at the age of 52.

SOURCE – (AP)