Too frail to perform his duties, the 86-year-old Palmer looked on longingly from a white lawn chair as the two other members of golf’s “Big Three”, longtime rivals and friends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, soldiered on without him to get the year’s first major off to an emotional start.
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AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 7 Crowded around Augusta National’s first tee, “Arnie’s Army” was out in force to salute their leader on Thursday as Arnold Palmer’s ceremonial first shot to open the Masters was limited to an honorary appearance.
“I’d never seen greens like this before”, said Langer, who played his first Masters in 1982 and is now a golf brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, a global partner of the Masters. He said “let me think about it”. I think we were delighted to have him there. I hit the ball well, just didn’t get the kicks or the bounces that I needed to, to make the putts and make more birdies and less bogeys. I don’t care if you putt it off the tee. “I think we’re focused on the golf course”.
“My eyes aren’t so good anymore”, Player said, explaining why he brought a muni club-colored ball to America’s most famous golf course.
Jason Day backed that up, saying “last year I felt like maybe the greens were just a tad slower than we expected them to be”.
Masters chairman Billy Payne introduced Palmer as “not driving this year, but forever a part of Masters tradition”.
Spieth, who is looking to become just the fourth player after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to successfully defend the year’s first major championship, led from start to finish after an opening 64 last year and w as quickly into his stride with birdies on the third, sixth and eighth.
The original “Big Three” featured Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, and it was as much about marketing as the majors they won.
Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, said: “Rain dictates a lot”.
Player said, “It was gratifying and sad, because everything shall pass. But it was nice to have him on the tee”. I dedicated my first tee shot to him in respect.
A tee shot to within 4 feet at the par 3, 16th led to a birdie and three-way tie at 8 under with Ballesteros – who was finishing off a bogey – and Kite – who made a birdie – one hole behind Nicklaus. People from Zurich and Australia all sending us a message.
The South African pulled a bright yellow ball and plugged it into the ideal carpet of grass.
Watson, who captained the losing 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup side, said he plans to continue playing some Champions Tour “and when the reality sets in that that is not what I should be doing, then I’ll call it quits then”. “I don’t know if he’s ready to win yet or not, but he will be the favorite here for the next 20 years”. It took me a while to accept my position as far as that goes.
To me it’s very simple. “I turned around the corner on 13 with a 3-wood and hit a 3-iron on the green….I didn’t make an eagle but it sort of gave me – making the bogey on 12, even though I’m kicking myself in the rear end, I knew that I had to turn my thought process around”.
Another kid, Bryson DeChambeau, was there for the ceremonial tee shot as well. “I think it probably said ‘illegal'”.
“And now, ” Michael Watson said, “he needs to play his best just to have a chance to make the cut”.
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“And then I watch Jack, ” Watson said, his voice trailing off. He raised his hand to show how Nicklaus hoisted the trophy barely an hour later. “It looks exactly the same as did 30 years ago, or 50 years ago, 60 years ago”.
