Jack Nicklaus committed Thursday to participating in one cherished tradition of the Masters Tournament for at least the next 20 years, and he left the door open for eventually taking part in another.

Nicklaus, 68, said he will play again in the Par-3 Contest, which will be televised for the first time on ESPN the Wednesday before the Masters. A reservation on the first tee of the main course Thursday as honorary starter will likely have to wait.

"I am going to play in the Par-3," Nicklaus confirmed Thursday during a conference call promoting the Champions Skins Game. "I got into that a couple of years ago when my son Jack asked me, 'How about having (grandson) Charlie caddie for you? I know it would be a big thrill.' Once I have one grandchild, I only have 19 more -- 20 in another month. So I'll play the next 20 years."

As for joining longtime friend, rival and fellow Augusta National Golf Club member Arnold Palmer on the first tee as an honorary starter to the Masters, Nicklaus appeared to soften on his long-held aversion to being a "ceremonial" golfer.

"I have to be asked to do that," Nicklaus said. "Billy Payne has said that I would be welcomed whenever I wanted to. I think that Arnold should have his day for awhile and hopefully I'll have time to have mine at a later date."

Nicklaus insisted that he has never ruled out being an honorary starter, but that he simply wasn't ready yet to fill that role. He last competed in the Masters in 2005.

"I'm a member at Augusta, I love the golf course, I love the tournament, I've always been treated nicely at Augusta," he said. "If Billy Payne asks me and says, 'Jack, we would really like you to do it,' I would probably say yes. ... I told him when the time comes we will certainly discuss it."

While he was on the subject of Augusta National, Nicklaus echoed recent statements by Tiger Woods about the second cut of fairway that was first introduced to the course in 1999.

"I'm one of the proponents of no rough," Nicklaus said.

While the six-time champion believes the relatively light rough has accomplished the goal of making it harder for players to spin approach shots on the greens, he thinks other alterations to the course would be enhanced if the rough were eliminated and balls were allowed to roll unencumbered toward the various hazards.

"My feeling is now with all the new trees and all the new bunkers, I don't think the rough is really necessary and, frankly, I think it would play tougher if they didn't have it," he said.