the opening tee shots were struck by three players at Augusta

In the ceremonial start unlike every other Thursday morning on the Masters, the outlet tee shots were struck by three players who've combined to win 13 green jackets among their 34 majors ?a Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

It turned out the first time these were together for the first round at Augusta since 2001, when they were inside same group for your opening two rounds. And it was the first time the Masters had three honorary starters since 1999, when Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson struck the  Mizuno JPX-800 Irons ceremonial shots. Sarazen died per month later.

The second was special enough for three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson to wear his green jacket and show up in the course for your 7:40 a.m. ceremony, although he is at the very last group that teed off at 1:53 p.m. Nicklaus named it a nice compliment, while Player said hello was an extension box of methods Mickelson treats fans.

Mickelson clearly knew value of as soon as. Numbers for that Big Three at Augusta National might do not be matched. Collectively, they took part in 147 Masters, finished first or second 21 times and had a nine-year stretch from 1958 through 1966 through which they won eight times.

Palmer stopped playing the Masters in 2004, Nicklaus per year later and Player in '09.

That led to the tale ?a yes, it was a whopper ?a of how Nicklaus and Player once talked about retiring when they were 35. Advantage they didn't. Both went on to win four more majors apiece.

Hey, only could do it, I would be doing regular Mizuno MX-1000 irons it right now, Palmer said.

The tradition of the ceremonial starter began in 1963, and in older times, they played all 18 holes. Over time, it turned out reduced to your single tee shot, even though there are suggestions that Palmer, Nicklaus and Player a minimum of do nine holes, Nicklaus isn't complaining.

These were called the Big Threefor longer than just the Masters.

When no-one got rich playing tournament golf, there was clearly extra cash to become made in specialty events. We were holding billed because Big Three in television exhibitions, and they backed it up by winning the most tournaments.

I think Gary and Jack and myself, we did plenty of television golf, and that's the way the Big Three' kind of got that name,Palmer said. And needless to say, the record at Augusta is part of it, too. Nevertheless the undeniable fact that we were together, competing with each other in the past of television, stood a lot about everything.

As they definitely were in charge of attracting so many players towards the game ?a Palmer was the pioneer who made golf appealing to the masses  they now have concerns that as well lots of people are leaving discount golf clubs. The three come in the course design business, containing basically dried up in america. Nicklaus cited statistics that showed golf losing 23 percent of females and 36 percent of youngsters since 2006.

The issues are wide ranging: an electronic era of babies playing more on-line computer games; the expense of playing along with the time that it takes.

Nicklaus cited a PGA of America program called designed to get more website visitors to golf.