Move over, Arnie. The Golden Bear will be joining you on the first tee next spring as an honorary starter at the Masters Tournament.
Six-time winner Jack Nicklaus will become the eighth honorary starter in tournament history and will join Arnold Palmer in the ceremonial role, Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Chairman Billy Payne announced Monday.
"I am honored that Jack Nicklaus has accepted our invitation," Mr. Payne said in a prepared statement. "We are delighted and fortunate to have such a great ambassador and icon of our sport take part in this tradition. He has inspired generations of golfers, and having Jack join Arnold on the first tee next April will be a special thrill for his many loyal fans around the world."
Mr. Nicklaus, who downplayed his desire to be an honorary starter after retiring from Masters competition in 2005, said he agreed to join Mr. Palmer after getting a personal invitation from the four-time Masters winner.
"I have always had great respect for Arnold and his legacy at the Masters, and I did not, in any way, want to infringe on the opportunity for Arnold to have and enjoy this Masters tradition for himself," Mr. Nicklaus said in a prepared statement. "He is so deserving of this honor, and thus I felt it was his time, not mine. Recently, I was invited by both Augusta National and Arnold to join him on the first tee, and because he enthusiastically supported the invitation, it became an easy decision for me."
The two legends' careers have been intertwined since Mr. Nicklaus burst onto the national scene as an amateur in the late 1950s. The two players put a stranglehold on the Masters from 1958 to 1966, winning all but two during that span. Both men are among the all-time leaders on the PGA Tour, and both enjoyed success off the course in business and course design. Both are also regular members of Augusta National, the only two winners to hold that distinction.
Mr. Palmer revived the honorary starter tradition in 2007 after the deaths of Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead left a void in the role from 2003 to 2006.
Mr. Nicklaus, who turns 70 in January, retired from Masters competition in 2005 after 45 appearances. He left behind numerous records that include wins (six) and oldest winner (age 46 in 1986).
"I have had such a long-standing appreciation and love affair with Augusta National and the Masters Tournament, and this honor is a wonderful way for me to say thank you to the many patrons who have supported me over the decades," Mr. Nicklaus said.
The 2010 Masters is scheduled for April 5-11.
Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or john.boyette@augustachronicle.com.
Related: See more than 100 photos from Jack Nicklaus' past appearances at the Masters Tournament.
THE TRADITION
The honorary starters tradition at the Masters began in 1963 with Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod, the winners of the PGA Seniors' Championship held at Augusta National in 1937-38, starting the tournament together on Thursday morning.
By the 1980s, the rite of spring had evolved, with the trio of Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson all hitting opening tee shots. Former CBS analyst Ken Venturi also filled in one year. Sarazen died in 1999, and Nelson retired from the role after 2001. Snead continued alone in 2002, but he died the next month. Nelson died in 2006.
THE STARTERS
Jock Hutchison 1963-73
Fred McLeod 1963-76
Byron Nelson 1981-2001*
Gene Sarazen 1981-99
Ken Venturi 1983
Sam Snead 1984-2002
Arnold Palmer 2007-09
*Nonconsecutive
BY THE NUMBERS
The Golden Bear set many records at Augusta National Golf Club. Here's a look at the Masters Tournament records he still holds:
- Most victories: Six (1963, '65, '66, '72, '75, '86)
- Most top 5 finishes: 15
- Most top 10 finishes: 22
- Most top 25 finishes: 29
- Oldest winner: 46 years 2 months 23 days, 1986
- Most career eagles: 24 (3 on Par 4s, 21 on Par 5s)
- Most career birdies: 506
- Lowest career scoring average (100 or more rounds): 71.98 (163 rounds)
- Most frequent runner-up: 4 times (1964, '71, '77, '81) (tied with Ben Hogan and Tom Weiskopf)
A BIG THREE REUNION?
Gary Player, the third member of golf's famed Big Three, retired from Masters Tournament play in April after a record 52nd appearance. The three-time green jacket winner from South Africa indicated at the time that he would be willing to become an honorary starter if invited by Augusta National Golf Club.
"I'll even exercise harder to make sure I outdrive Arnold," Player said.
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Absolutely, invite Gary Player. he and Arnie were the gentlemen of an era gone. Sorry Jack, you don't hold a candle to them in stature off the course.
augustadog you should change your name to low-life-dog-from-augusta. All three of the above mentioned gentlemen are simply the best and are wonderful ambassadors to the game of golf. What have you done for the game of golf lately? Nothing? Well then keep your condescending mouth shut.
I'm not negative about any of these great golfers, but I do find it strange that Arnie would step down so soon. I hope his health is good....Jack's, too, for that matter.