Masters week: From Big Three to two legends on the first tee to one more special memory

Jack will join Palmer, Player
in Par 3 Contest and then step
on first tee and into history
as Thursday’s Honorary Starter

No Masters Tournament week passes without reliving special memories created in the career and life of Jack Nicklaus. During this Masters, however, the Golden Bear will create a few more scrapbook moments.

Jack will join good friends and long-time competitors Arnold Palmer and Gary Player as the highlight group of Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest. The Big Three will kick off ESPN’s 3:00 p.m. (ET) telecast of the wildly popular event. Jack will then step on the first tee at Augusta National on Thursday morning with Palmer in the Golden Bear’s first appearance as an Honorary Starter for the Masters Tournament.

“Every year I drive up Magnolia Lane, it’s a special experience,” Nicklaus said. “But this year will have a little different feeling and perhaps the most sentimental significance since my last tournament appearance in 2005.

“I always enjoy getting together with Arnold and Gary, especially at a place that means so much to all of us. We’ll have a good time, share some laughs and a few needles, but rest assured there will be some competitive juices flowing as well when we tee it up.”

Some time between 7:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Thursday, a sea of patrons will surround the first tee when Jack joins Palmer in his first appearance as an Honorary Starter and only the eighth in the storied history of the Masters Tournament.

The custom of having Honorary Starters began in 1963 with Jock Hutchison (1963-1973) and Fred McLeod (1963-1976) performing the duties. Byron Nelson (1981-2001, non-consecutive), Gene Sarazen (1981-99), Ken Venturi (1983), Sam Snead (1984-2002) and then Palmer (2007-present) continued the practice. The Golden Bear was invited last year by Chairman Billy Payne to join this legendary group.

“Such a significant part of what makes the Masters Tournament so special is its link to the past, the way it embraces its traditions and past champions,” Nicklaus said. “The Honorary Starter’s role is one of those cherished traditions. Simply look at the names who have stepped on that tee before me and they represent some of the greatest who have played the game and, of course, have made their mark on the Masters. It is a relatively short list of people, yet they have combined for something like 10 green jackets. It’s a humbling honor to join those names.”

The Golden Bear made his first appearance at the Masters in 1959 as an amateur. In 45 starts at Augusta National, he became the most decorated Masters champion with a record six Green Jackets, winning in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986. Among his many remarkable records is his tie for most runner-up finishes (four) and his record as oldest champion (46 years, 2 months, 23 days) with his win in ’86.

“It (being an Honorary Starter) is a wonderful acknowledgement of my 45 or so years of play at Augusta National and my record there,” Jack added. “It is also a meaningful thank you from the Masters Committee and the tournament for being what they feel has been an important part of their event over the years.”

The 2010 Masters Par 3 Contest will be held on Wednesday, starting at 1:00 p.m. Not only will ESPN broadcast the event from 3:00-5:00 p.m., www.masters.com will feature live streaming video coverage of the Par 3 Contest at 2:00 p.m.

First played in 1960 and won that year by Sam Snead, the Par 3 Contest has become a Wednesday tradition at the Masters. The Par 3 course was built in 1958 by architect George Cobb and Clifford Roberts. Tournament participants, non-competing past champions and Honorary Invitees are invited to participate in the Contest. The nine-hole course is par 27, 1,060 yards and played over DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike's Pond.

In the history of the Contest there have been 70 holes-in-one made, a record five in 2002. No Par 3 Contest winner has won the Masters the same year as his short-course victory. There have been 18 sudden death playoffs. Art Wall (1965) and Gay Brewer (1973) share the course record of 20.