Palmer, Nicklaus return as starters

Two of the most celebrated men in Masters Tournament history will be back this year to serve as honorary starters.

Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will get things started Thursday with the opening ceremony, which features tee shots on the first hole from the two legends.

The tradition has been around since 1963, and Palmer revived it in 2007 after a brief hiatus. Nicklaus joined him for the first time in 2010.

Palmer was the first four-time Masters winner, and Nicklaus is the only player to win six times at Augusta National Golf Club.

It is expected that fellow champion Gary Player will join them soon. Palmer, Nicklaus and Player were known as the Big Three and dominated golf throughout the 1960s and into the '70s.

Both men seemed to enjoy last year's ceremony.

After introductions by Augusta National and Masters Chairman Billy Payne, Palmer hit the right side of the fairway with his tee shot.

"How'd you do that?" Nicklaus asked as he prepared to hit his tee shot.

Palmer said, "Keep your eye on the ball."

"Keep your eye on the ball and keep your head down," Nicklaus replied.

Then Nicklaus settled in over the ball. With thousands of patrons circling the tee and lining the fairway, he let it rip. The ball settled in the second cut on the right side of the fairway, beyond Palmer's ball.

"I've never been up this early at Augusta," Nicklaus said. "Never had the tee at 7:40 before, but now I have, so I've run the gamut."

GOLF STATUES ON DISPLAY

Five larger-than-life bronze statues of Masters Tournament winners are on display at the Augusta Museum of History, 560 Reynolds St.:

- Bobby Jones (co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament)

- Arnold Palmer (1958, '60, '62, '64 champion)

- Jack Nicklaus (1963, '65, '66, 1972, '75, '86 champion)

- Ben Hogan (1951, '53 champion)

- Byron Nelson (1937, '42 champion)

The sixth statue is at Augusta Regional Airport:

- Ray Floyd (1976 champion)

LANGER WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN TOURNAMENT

Bernhard Langer, who won the Masters in 1985 and 1993, will miss this year's tournament after undergoing surgery on his thumb.

Langer was injured in a biking accident and plans to return to his Champions Tour schedule later this year.

Langer is one of 14 living Masters champions not competing this week at Augusta National Golf Club. The others are Tommy Aaron, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Burke Jr., Billy Casper, Charles Coody, Nick Faldo, Raymond Floyd, Doug Ford, Bob Goalby, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller.