The Masters kicked off in style Thursday morning as three golf legends – Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson – hit the ceremonial first shots at Augusta National.
Player, the 89-year-old three-time Masters champ, got things started at 7:30 a.m. After crushing his drive, he couldn’t resist showing off his trademark high kick – pretty impressive for someone pushing 90.
"That fairway gets a little more narrow every year," Player joked to the packed gallery.
Next up was Jack Nicklaus, celebrating 50 years since winning his fifth Green Jacket. The 85-year-old had the crowd laughing when he announced "I won!" after successfully putting his tee in the ground.
The Golden Bear struck his shot cleanly down the fairway, then quipped to his wife Barbara that he was just happy to see his ball get airborne.
Tom Watson rounded out the trio of legends. The 75-year-old two-time Masters winner showed he’s still got it, smoothly sending his drive down the first hole to loud applause.
With the traditions taken care of, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley officially declared the 2025 Masters Tournament open.
The real competition began with Davis Riley and Patton Kizzire. Riley recovered from a wayward tee shot to save par, while Kizzire’s wild drive cost him a bogey on the opening hole.
Perfect scoring conditions greeted the 95-player field Thursday morning, with sunny skies and barely a breath of wind.
But Mother Nature might shake things up Friday. The forecast calls for thunderstorms and gusty winds that could throw a wrench in players’ plans to make the weekend cut.
Scottie Scheffler, looking to defend his title and grab a third green jacket, tees off at 10:15 a.m. EDT alongside Justin Thomas and amateur Jose Luis Ballester.
