Watson humbled to be honorary starter
AUGUSTA — For the first time since 2016, there is a third permanent member in the crew of honorary starters to the Masters.
Two-time champion Tom Watson said he is humbled by the opportunity.
Watson became the 11th honorary starter in Masters history, stepping into the role vacated by his hero, Arnold Palmer, who died in 2016. Last year, Lee Elder — the first Black player to play in the Masters in 1975 — was the third honorary starter alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, but Elder died Nov. 28 at the age of 87.
“I felt honored to be out there,” Watson said. “When (Augusta National chairman Fred) Ridley called my office and said, ‘We’d like to speak with Tom at 10 a.m on Monday morning,’ I was kind of expecting he might ask me to be an honorary starter, but I was overjoyed and actually humbled because the way I look at these old goats right here (Nicklaus and Player), I can’t carry their shoes. I don’t kind of belong in the same realm as these two players here.
“I was very honored to be selected, and as I said today, I’ve seen many opening tee shots during the Masters over my years — from Fred McLeod and Jock Hutchison when I was an amateur in 1970, to Arnie’s last event when he sat down and sat on the chair there. I’ve seen several in the middle, with Sam Snead and Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen.
“It’s just part of the heritage of the tournament that I personally very much like, and to be a part of it, as I said, I’m very humbled to be a part of it.
While Watson said he felt he did not belong in the conversation with six-time Masters winner Nicklaus and three-time winner Player, fans of the eight-time major champion felt otherwise.
“People had asked me, ‘When are you going to be the honorary starter at Augusta?’ for the last several years, I said, ‘Well, I don’t belong there.’ Honestly,” Player said.
“Chairman Ridley called me. He asked me fairly quickly in the conversation. He said, ‘Tom, we really would appreciate it if you would accept our invitation to be an honorary starter with Jack and Gary,’ and I told him exactly how I just told him. I feel very humbled. I don’t deserve to be there, and he said, ‘No, we’d really like you to do this.’
“I said, ‘I’m more than happy to do it.’ Then, he followed up very quickly and said, ‘Tom, you can do it for as long as you’d like,’ which I — wow. That meant a great deal to me.”
Watson has had many memorable moments with Nicklaus and Player over their careers. Watson beat Nicklaus by two shots to win his first Masters in 1977 and, later that summer, bested him again in the famous “Duel in the Sun” to win the British Open at Turnberry.
Back at Augusta the following year, Watson finished in a threeway tie for second when Player shot 64 in the final round to beat him by a shot.
Those are just three examples, but some of the competitive juices were rekindled Thursday morning when the trio stepped to the first tee.
When asked who hit their tee shot the furthest, a polite banter began. “We all hit it,” Nicklaus said. “That was the key,” Watson followed.
“I was definitely the shortest,” Nicklaus said. “I think Tom — Gary was close to Tom. Gary and Tom were pretty close probably.”
“Oh, I got him by 50 (yards),” Watson said.
It seems like the debate will be continued until this same time next year.
“If the good Lord is willing, and the creek don’t rise,” Watson said.