AUGUSTA – Golfing greats Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus launched the 75th Masters on Thursday while three-times champion Phil Mickelson prepared to begin his title defence later in the day.
Watched by a packed gallery under sunny skies at Augusta National, four-times champion Palmer and six-times winner Nicklaus hit the ceremonial first shots at the par-four opening hole.
Palmer struck a solid blow up the left side of the fairway before Nicklaus outdrove him by around 60 yards, his ball ending up just beyond the crest of the hill in the middle of the fairway.
“At least I hit the ball on the face (of the club) and I got it out of the shadows (on the fairway),” a smiling Nicklaus told reporters afterwards.
The 71-year-old American had earlier joked about his advancing years when he bent down to place his ball on the tee.
“Now if I can just get back up,” Nicklaus said, sparking laughter from the watching fans.
Ten minutes later, American Jonathan Byrd struck the tournament’s first competitive shot by teeing off at the opening hole. Byrd was followed by Britain’s Ross Fisher and American Sean O’Hair.
Mickelson, who won last year’s title by three shots, was scheduled to tee off with fellow American Peter Uihlein and Australian Geoff Ogilvy at 1348 local (1748 GMT) in the penultimate group of the day.
Former U.S. Open champion Ogilvy is competing in his sixth Masters while U.S. amateur champion Uihlein will be making his debut.
Four-times champion Tiger Woods, whose world ranking has slipped to seventh after a run of almost 17 months without a tournament win, has been grouped with U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell of Britain and Australian Robert Allenby.
Woods and his playing partners start at 1041 (1441).
Germany’s world number one Martin Kaymer, second-ranked Briton Lee Westwood and 10th-ranked American Matt Kuchar will tee off two groups in front of Woods and company.
In other groupings, 2009 champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina will set off with Britain’s Ian Poulter and American David Toms while three-times major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland has been paired with Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and American Bill Haas.
