Player, Palmer and Nicklaus hit honorary tee shots to open Masters | Masters

A great tradition continues with a touch of class.

Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are no longer Masters Tournament competitors, but they showed Thursday morning they still have plenty of game.

All three men hit the fairway with their tee shots as honorary starters to begin the 76th Masters.

Although the trio hardly needed any introduction to the patrons who lined the first tee and down the fairway, Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne did so anyway.

“Three great legends, three great men,” Payne said.

Palmer, 82, teed off first. He hit it straight down the fairway.

Next up was Player, who was making his debut as an honorary starter. The 76-year-old bombed his shot down the right center of the fairway.

Up last was Nicklaus, 72. His tee shot found the left center of the fairway.

True to his word, Player hit the longest tee shot.

“I don’t think any of us can see that far,” Nicklaus quipped. “We can hear them land, though.”

The Big Three dominated professional golf in the 1960s and won a total of 13 Masters. From 1958-66, the men collected all but one of the green jackets.