Category: Masters

Honorary Starter ceremony kicks off 88th Masters Tournament: ‘I did it’

And with that, the 88th Masters Tournament was underway.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jack Nicklaus lifted both hands into the Georgia air and said three words.

“I did it.”

And with that, the 88th Masters Tournament was underway.

The annual Honorary Starter ceremony was delayed two hours Thursday morning by weather, but at 10:10 a.m. local time, Nicklaus, along with Gary Player and Tom Watson, walked from the clubhouse to No. 1 tee.

First to hit was Player, who planted his tee in the ground and told his audience, “Not so easy to put the ball on a tee anymore.”

Nicklaus countered with, “Put mine in too.”

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

After Player found the short grass, Jack took his turn.

“Watch out to the left and right,” Nicklaus said.

There was no need.

The six-time Masters winner striped his ball down the left side of No. 1, and then gave way to Tom Watson.

“Just one thing,” said Watson, as he prepared to strike his shot. “Jack, you’ve never hit a hook off this tee in your life.”

Nicklaus, laughing, said, “That was a neck pull.”

On hand for the ceremony were former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, and current head man Jay Monahan.

Also in attendance were past Masters champions Nick Faldo and Tommy Aaron, as well as CBS announcer Jim Nantz.

Nantz, who has covered the Masters since 1989, calls the annual tradition, “My favorite moment in golf.”

“It’s such a rich moment of nostalgia,” Nantz said. “It’s a passage of time. You look at these champions — these iconic figures who you looked up to so much in your youth. Every year, this ceremony is a moment of reflection.”

Photos: Masters 2024 honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson

Three legends of the game have officially started the 2024 Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — It was pushed back a couple of hours but Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson took to the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club to be the honorary starters once again ahead of the 2024 Masters Tournament.

It’s a time-honored tradition at Augusta National, with the three legends of the game taking to the first tee to officially start the tournament each year. Due to some inclement overnight and early morning weather, the threesome were on the tee box at 10:10 a.m., with Gary Player getting the honors. Jack Nicklaus, a six-time Masters Green Jacket winner, going second, with Tom Watson, the newest addition to the starters bringing up the rear.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

Take a look at some photos from the 2024 ceremonial tee shot at the Masters Tournament.

Photos: Masters 2024 Thursday first round at Augusta National Golf Club

Check out some of the best photos from the first round of the 2024 Masters.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Overnight rain put a damper, but only ever so slightly, on the first round of the 2024 Masters Tournament.

The first round, originally set for 8 a.m., saw tee times slide back to 10:30 a.m. ET at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday.

The honorary starters ceremony, in which Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, all hit the ceremonial first tee shot at 10:10 a.m., officially starting the tournament for 2024.

That pushed defending champion Jon Rahm’s start time back to 1 p.m. ET.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

Check out some of the best photos from the first round of the 2024 Masters.

Peter Malnati Masters 2024 rookie diary: Winning crystal at the Par 3 Contest on the best ‘golf day of the year’

I’d chalk up the Par 3 Contest as a laborious nine holes chasing around my kids and trying to keep up.

Editor’s Note: Peter Malnati qualified for his first Masters by winning the Valspar Championship last month. The 36-year-old veteran hadn’t won in nearly nine years on the PGA Tour. He’s sharing a first-person account of his experience daily only at Golfweek.com.

AUGUSTA,  Ga. — Webb Simpson, who is someone that I really look up to and have become close with, calls Wednesday at the Masters his favorite golf day of the year without a close second and I can totally see why.

The family involvement at the annual Par 3 Contest is really cool. My two sons, Hatcher, the eldest, and Dash were both suited up in their little caddie bibs. Hatcher had a little green bag and clubs. Dash was picking up golf balls. It’s a pretty cool site to see your 4-year-old hitting balls in the tournament practice area at Augusta National.

Parenthood is a labor of love and as much fun as I had, I’d chalk up the Par 3 Contest as a laborious nine holes chasing around my kids and trying to keep up.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

The Par-3 course was set up with a bunch of funnel pins. I think five of my nine shots felt like they had a chance to go in at one point. I hit to kick in range four times, made one long putt, hit one wedge that looked like it was going to spin into the hole. I’m counting five birdies – I’m giving myself birdie at the last hole despite my wife, Alicia, missing the putt. But I hit it in there pretty close. She’s good at a lot of things so I will let it slide. I kid. She’s the rock and the reason we are able to do everything we do so she’s forgiven for missing a 2 footer. In her defense, it did break sharply from left to right. I could’ve left her a straighter putt.

We played with a couple of other Masters rookies in Adam Schenk and Stephan Jaeger. They are both parents, too, but don’t have the 4½-year-old like we do but they have younger kids in the 1-1½ range so it was similar family dynamics at play.

One last cool thing about the Par 3 Contest: My shot at the second hole to 16 inches held on as the closest of the day, which means I get a crystal trophy that will make for a cool souvenir.

Peter Malnati lifts his wife Alicia on the No. 9 tee during the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network

Prior to the Par 3 Contest, I did a morning workout and was one of the first players out on the front nine.

Do I know all the nuances of Augusta National? Have I seen it in different conditions and directions? Of course not. But I feel like I have a pretty good map of the course in my mind. I have a pretty good idea of where the hole locations are just from historical information. I did a lot of the practice around the greens and on the greens to different locations. I have a good sense of the strategy I want to use after my prep work. But I think none of it is going to come down to whether or not I have the right information to form the right plan. It’s just going to come down to execution. That’s the question every week and I do feel ready to do that too.

I guess there’s inclement weather in the forecast for Thursday that could throw a wrench in the starting times. We’ll have to see how that affects the course and the way it plays and what time we get to play and all that. Regardless. I’ll be ready for it and I’m thankful we got here early. I got to play all 18 holes on Sunday. I definitely feel like we’ve been here a full tournament week already. I’m ready to get the action started. I think I did a relatively good job of pacing my prep work. I don’t feel like I’ve overdone it. From an energy standpoint, I should be ready to go.

Whatever time it is when I get to peg it on the first tee on Thursday, I’m sure I will feel some nerves. I’ve felt those nerves at just about every PGA Tour event I’ve played and I don’t think tomorrow will be any different. Maybe it will be a little more intense in terms of the nerves but whatever I feel, I’ve done the work, I have the support system around me, and I’m ready for it. I’m excited to get this started.

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Want to go to the 2025 Masters? Here’s how to get tickets to Augusta National

You can go to the Masters next year. Yeah, you.

You can go to the Masters next year. Yeah, you.

The Masters Tournament is one of the hottest tickets to get in sports, but it’s also one of the hardest to get your hands on. That’s because Augusta National Golf Club holds a selection process every year for the Masters, Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.

The applications for tickets to all three events generally opens around the first week of June. The first step is as easy as creating an account on the Masters, ANWA and DCP websites (it’s one account, but you’ll need to visit each individual site and log in to apply for tickets to each event).

Hopeful patrons can apply for multiple days at each event but are only eligible to secure tickets for one day. Applications are also limited to one per household.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

Prices fluctuate, but the 2024 ticket cost was $100 for practice rounds and $140 for tournaments rounds. For the final round of the ANWA, it was $100; the DCP National Finals tickets were $25.

Hard to beat that value.

The only way to pay for tickets is through the website. Augusta National will inform those who have been selected in late July.

More information can be found on the official Masters website, which includes this message for anyone thinking about reselling tickets:

As a reminder, Augusta National, Inc. is the only authorized source/seller of Masters® Tickets. The resale of any Masters Ticket is strictly prohibited. Holders of Tickets acquired from third parties, by whatever means, may be excluded from attendance to the Tournament.

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Masters 2024 first round delayed by inclement weather on Thursday

For the third year in a row the Masters has been impacted by inclement weather.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — For the third year in a row the Masters has been negatively impacted by inclement weather.

Augusta National Golf Club announced on Wednesday night that forecasted weather during Thursday’s first round had delayed not only the opening of the patron gate but the round itself. The club sent an update shortly after 7:30 a.m. ET on Thursday morning that noted the first round would start at 10:30 a.m. ET, instead of at 8 a.m. ET as originally planned. Patron gates open at 9:30 a.m. ET and the Honorary Starters Ceremony featuring Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson will start at 10:10 a.m. ET.

Rain has now fallen during 48 of the 88 tournaments, including each of the last six. Eight days of play have been postponed, but four days were made up by scheduling 36 holes in one day in 1936, 1938, 1939 and most recently 2003. The last Monday finish due to weather occurred in 1983.

MASTERS: Live updates | TV, streaming

Last year inclement weather suspended play for 21 minutes on Friday before it was ultimately suspended for the day later in the afternoon. Play was once again suspended on Saturday afternoon due to more heavy rain.

Thursday’s forecast calls for morning thunderstorms with a 95% chance of rain, upwards of 20 mph winds and a high of 80 degrees.

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Tony Finau adds a second driver for 2024 Masters at Augusta National

Finau realized that unless very unusual conditions arise, he was not going to hit his 3-wood off the ground.

Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket at the 2006 Masters while carrying two drivers in his bag, and it appears that big-hitting Tony Finau is planning to try to capture his first major this week at Augusta National using the same strategy.

According to Kenton Oates, a PGA Tour rep for Ping, Finau is planning to use two Ping G430 LST drivers during the 2024 Masters because, after developing his course strategy, he realized that unless very unusual conditions arise, he was not going to hit his 3-wood off the ground. Perhaps if the anticipated rain on Thursday significantly softened the turf on the par-5 eighth hole, or if the wind blew into Finau on the second shot on that hole, maybe a 3-wood would be in order, but aside from that, he was not going to need the club.

Ping G430 LST driver
Ping G430 LST driver. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

With that in mind, Ping built Finau a second G430 LST driver, built to his 3-wood specifications. Finau’s standard driver is a 9-degree G430 LST, but it has an actual loft of 7.75 degrees and is fitted with a 45.25-inch Mitsubishi Diamana GT 70TX shaft. The stated loft of the 3-wood-replacement-driver is 10.5 degrees, but with the adjustable hosel set to the small minus position, Kenton Oates, a PGA Tour rep for Ping estimates the head has about 8.9 degrees of loft. Ping gave the short driver to him last week in Texas.  Finau brought the shorter driver to Augusta with the rest of his gear this week.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

“It’s probably going to give him a carry distance of about 290 yards and then roll out to about 300,” Oates said. “It’s still going to go really far. Tony was getting ball speeds with his gamer driver in the high 180s and ball speeds with the little one in the low 180s on the range this week.”

According to Oates, the increased loft and shorter shaft allow Finau to shut the face more aggressively and produce the draw-style flight. That shot shape could be very handy on the newly lengthened second hole, as well as the seventh, 10th, 13th, 14th and 17th holes, which all encourage a right-to-left shot.

Past the Masters, Oates explained, Finau and other pros may start to consider carrying two drivers more frequently because if they don’t need to play a 3-wood off the turf to reach par 5s, elite golfers could find having a draw driver and a fade driver to be an advantage worth exploring.

Rickie Fowler wins Masters Par 3 Contest on sunny day where aces were aplenty

Can Rickie break the curse?

AUGUSTA, Ga. — With so much focus on the competition the week of the Masters Tournament, Wednesday has become a welcome sight for many in the field.

The Masters Par 3 Contest is a way for players to decompress the day before the opening round, but also make lifelong memories with their families. Competing in his third Masters, Augusta resident Luke List embraces the ‘calm before the storm,’ so to speak.

“It’s a special week, and this kind of gets everything rolling,” he said. “Once this is over it’s time to go. Living here in Augusta now it’s really special being here, and, yeah, I just can’t wait to get going.”

Rickie Fowler took the day with a score of 5 under. Since its inception in 1960, no winner of the Par 3 Contest has ever donned a green jacket that same week. The level of superstition among the field continues to this day, with players letting caddies, significant others or their children step in to make the next shot, disqualifying them in the process.

Masters: Best Par 3 Contest photos | Kids galore at Par 3 Contest

Few moments are more iconic than a player’s child taking the club from their father. Gary Woodland knew long before setting foot on the No. 9 green who’d be taking his final stroke: his 6-year-old son, Jax.

“It was exciting. He’s thought about it all day,” he said. “He’s known that was going to be his shot. He told me to hit it a lot closer than that so I was apologizing I didn’t hit it closer for him. That was so cool. Just so see his reaction, that was very special.”

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

Of the 80 players in the field, just 16 turned in complete scores.

The Masters Par-3 Contest aces

Sepp Straka

Straka was the only player who aced a hole (No. 5) and played a complete round, finishing two strokes behind Fowler in a tie for second.

Luke List

The first hole-in-one of the day came from the Augusta resident. Oddly enough, this wasn’t List’s first ace during the Par-3 Contest, but to talk about that we’ll have to go back to when he was an amateur.

“A long time ago, 2005, I made one on No. 7 in the Par-3,” he said. “So this was kind of — it was awesome to have my family there. It was neat. I didn’t see it go in, just heard the crowd, you know it is. It’s organized chaos out there with the kids, but we had a good time.”

Gary Woodland

Woodland followed up List with the second ace of the day, which was also the first Par-3 Contest ace of his career.

“This is my 12th time playing the par-3. I’ve had some close calls. It was nice to see one go in,” he said. “Nice to see my kids’ reaction. They were so excited. I will say, my son making the putt on the last was more exciting for me than that ball going in.”

Viktor Hovland

Hovland was the third to ace No. 6 and the final hole-in-one of the day.

Lucas Glover

Glover aced No. 7.

Brennan: The magic of the Masters can’t overshadow fact that men’s golf is in some trouble

This is a revered tournament, the most famous on earth, but it’s also something more.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The game of men’s golf marks time from one year to the next when Augusta National opens its doors for another Masters. This is a revered tournament, the most famous on earth, but it’s also something more.

It’s a measuring stick of sorts, an annual gathering to tell us how the men’s game is doing. How is Tiger holding up? Is Rory ready to finally win here? And, perhaps most important, where does the game stand in these fraught times, with the sport increasingly and devastatingly sectioning itself off from the people it needs the most, its fans, all because the game’s most compelling matchup these days is PGA Tour vs. LIV?

By any measure, as the Masters begins Thursday morning, golf is a sport in some significant trouble. The glory days of Tiger are long since over, replaced by little more than hope: hope that he can make the cut here this week, hope that the people who love and miss him can will him into the weekend and up the leaderboard.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

TV ratings are down (the Players’ Championship dropped 15 percent from last year to this), and while it’s convenient to say that’s happening in all sports, we know that’s not true because we just lived through the past magical month following a certain player in March Madness.

The players themselves are concerned, even though some of the biggest worry-warts are the ones who bolted their multi-million-dollar lives for LIV’s Saudi blood money.

Bryson DeChambeau for example.

“It’s great to have the majors where we come together, but we want to be competing, at least I want to be competing every week, with all of the best players in the world for sure,” said the man who walked away from playing against the best players in the world to go to a no-cut, exhibition style shell of a golf tour. “And it needs to happen fast. It’s not a two-year thing. Like it needs to happen quicker rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest.”

There’s a sentence, as problematic as it is honest, that you don’t see very often from a pro athlete in a big-time sport: “Too many people are losing interest.” Of course, they are losing interest precisely because of the actions of people like the guy who uttered the quote.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley, watching the game he loves descend into what it never was supposed to become, is also understandably concerned.

“I will acknowledge that, if you look at the data this year, golf viewers are down (on) linear television while other sports, some other sports are up,” he said Wednesday. “So you can draw your own conclusions. Certainly the fact that the best players in the world are not convening very often is not helpful. Whether or not there’s a direct causal effect, I don’t know. But I think that it would be a lot better if they were together more often.”

One of the allures of golf has always been how players have conducted themselves. Golfers call penalties on themselves. That’s unique and notable, something that requires at least an element of honesty.

Keep that in mind as we consider defending Masters champion Jon Rahm. Back in 2022, as golf’s civil war was exploding, Rahm was quite adamant that he had absolutely no interest in joining LIV.

“Money is great, but when (his wife) Kelley and I started talking about it, and we’re like, Will our lifestyle change if I got $400 million? No, it will not change one bit,” Rahm said.

“Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I’ve made and live a very happy life and not play golf again. So I’ve never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world. I’ve always been interested in history and legacy, and right now the PGA Tour has that.”

In December 2023, he left the PGA Tour for LIV.

Rahm will get his applause and cheers here this week, but he will never be able to recapture his honor. It’s so fitting in golf’s troubled times: the man who lied and sold out for money is the reigning Masters champion.

LIV Golf’s Greg Norman shows up at Augusta National to support his players at Masters 2024

There are 13 LIV players in the field this year, down from 18 last year.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Ahead of last year’s 2023 Masters, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman said there would be a party on the 18th green if one of his players were to win at Augusta National. An invitation was withheld from Norman in 2023 “to keep the focus on the competition” after Norman and company blew up professional golf as we know it.

This year, the Great White Shark showed up to the party among the Georgia pines on Wednesday with a pair of LIV executives.

“I’m here because we have 13 players that won 10 Masters between them,” Norman told the Washington Post. “So I’m here just to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, you know, the boss is here rooting for you.’”

In 23 appearances at the Masters as a player, Norman logged eight top-five finishes, including a trio of runners-up showings highlighted by his blown six-shot lead on Sunday in 1996. This year marks Norman’s first time back at Augusta National since 2021 when he was a SiriusXM radio analyst.

Earlier on Wednesday, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley addressed LIV Golf and their desire for a special qualification criteria.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

“Now, historically, and as stated in our qualification criteria, we consider international players for special invitations,” Ridley continued. “But we do look at those every year and we, I will say that if we felt that there were a player or players, whether they played on the LIV tour or any other tour, who were deserving of an invitation to the Masters, that we would exercise that discretion with regard to special invitations.”

In fact, one was given to LIV’s Joaquin Niemann due to his performances on the DP World Tour over the last several months. Norman thinks a few more players should have been invited.

“I think there’s probably a couple that have been overlooked that should be in,” Norman said. “What is that number? I’m not going to give it a definitive number, but they’re definitely quality players that have done incredible performances over the last six to nine months that are worthy of it.”

There are 13 LIV players in the field of 89 this week, down from the 18 that made their way down Magnolia Lane in 2023.

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