Sight of trio never gets old

By RICK MILLIANS
Courtesy of The State

In an event that featured kid caddies across the course, age got its due Wednesday in the annual Par 3 Contest at the Masters.

Where else can you find a threesome that has played in 147 Masters and won 13 Green Jackets?

Jack Nicklaus (45 Masters, six titles), Arnold Palmer (50 Masters, four wins) and Gary Player (52nd and final Masters this year, three titles) played in the same group.

Nicklaus was grinding on putts like he had to have an eagle on 15 to take the lead. Or he backed off shots and changed clubs when the wind changed.

Palmer hitched his pants before shots just like he did when he was charging to championships in the ‘60s with Arnie’s Army in full force.

Player wore all black (well, dark blue) like he always did on Sundays.

But now Nicklaus, 69, gingerly bends over to tee his ball. He shook hands with one of the Augusta members on the third tee. “I’m 87,” was all the man wearing a Green Jacket said to Nicklaus.

Palmer, 79 and walking with a slight limp, hit a ball into the crowd on the fourth hole. “We thought about kicking it on the green,” a fan says to Palmer. “Well, what were you waiting for?” Palmer replied.

Player, 73, had William, one of 20 grandchildren, as his caddie. How did William get the job? “I didn’t want to do it,” said Damion, another of Player’s grandsons.

Among the round’s highlights:

Nicklaus birdied the first two holes and was in contention at 3-under until he dunked a shot in the water on No. 9.

Player aced the ninth — on his second try after hitting his first shot in the water. But the crowd still roared.

Still, the round was more about memories.

As they waited to hit their tee shots on the fourth hole, Nicklaus, Palmer and Player took seats side-by-side-by-side on a bench — a perfect photo opportunity for thousands of fans.

“Fast-forward 40 years and who’ll be sitting on that bench?” asked a fan.

“Tiger, Phil and who?” answered his friend.

The point exactly.

A similar threesome won’t be coming along soon.