Honorary starters Jack Nicklaus (L), Tom Watson (C) and Gary Player (R) pose with caddies before teeing off from hole No. 1 during the honorary starters ceremony at the Masters Tournament on ...

Honorary Starters first made an appearance at the Masters in 1963. Since then, 11 golfers, each with extensive history at Augusta National Golf Club, have helped kick off the Masters with the ...

The role of honorary starters was later formalized when Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod hit the first shots of the 1963 Masters. Since then, 11 golfers, each with extensive history at Augusta ...

Others who have been honorary starters were Gene Sarazen (1981-1999), Sam Snead (1984-2002) and Arnold Palmer (2007-2016). Nicklaus has been part of the ceremony since 2010, Player since 2012 and ...

Watson said he recalls watching them when he was an amateur in 1970. Nicklaus, 82, became an honorary starter in 2010, the eighth player to do so. Player, 86, joined in 2012, the ninth player.

Now would seem to be a good time to restore some tradition at the Masters, a major already loaded with it. The practice of an honorary starter began in 1963, although it goes back even further.

This year, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player have been named as the honorary starters for the 87th Masters. They will tee off at 7:40 am (EST) on Thursday, April 6. The same group was the ...

A little-known honorary starter fact is that Ken Venturi, who twice nearly won the Masters as an amateur, pinch-hit for Nelson in 1983 as Nelson was tending to his wife, who was ill.

Other honorary starters include Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen, Ken Venturi, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus, Player and Lee Elder. The 86th Masters is April 7-10.

Nicklaus, the six-time Masters champion, has been an honorary starter since 2010, while Player started in 2012. Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod started in 1963.