Watch: 2026 Masters officially begins with Thursday's Honorary Starter ceremony

[ASFN Admin]

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The 2026 Masters is officially underway.

Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson kicked off the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club with the opening tee shots at 7:25 a.m. ET Thursday. This is the fifth year the trio has hit the opening tee shots at the Masters. Nicklaus has been an Honorary Starter since 2010, with Player joining him in 2012 and Watson in 2022.

The 90th Masters Tournament begins with ceremonial tee shots from Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson. #themastershttps://t.co/5WMvw0UeKz

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2026

When did Honorary Starter ceremony begin?​

Having someone hit the first shot at the Masters dates to 1941, when amateur Francis Ouimet played the first round before withdrawing. While the role of Honorary Starter wasn’t official quite yet, Ouimet’s appearance at the urging of tournament co-founder Bobby Jones was enough to plant the seed of an idea that would eventually start the tradition, per the Masters website.

Who has been a Masters Honorary starter?​

• Jock Hutchison: 1963 – 1973
• Fred McLeod: 1963 – 1976
• Byron Nelson: 1981 – 2001 (non-consecutive)
• Gene Sarazen: 1981 – 1999
• Ken Venturi: 1983
• Sam Snead: 1984 – 2002
• Arnold Palmer: 2007 – 2016
• Jack Nicklaus: 2010 – present
• Gary Player: 2012 – present
• Lee Elder: 2021
• Tom Watson: 2022 – present

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Watch: Masters 2026 kicks off with Honorary Starters ceremony

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