The Live Report: The Masters, Round 1
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By PGATOUR.COM Staff
BACK IN THE GROOVE (8 p.m.): When he got to the first tee on Thursday, ending a layoff of more than four months, Tiger Woods said it felt "like normal." He wanted to start the the ball down the left side, find the fairway and hit it again.
"It felt really good just to get out there and get into the rhythm of the round, and just kind of go about my business," Woods said after shooting a 68 that left him two shots off the lead.
The reception he got as he walked from the practice green to the No. 1 tee, though, was nothing short of extraordinary. The fans clearly wanted to see him play golf again and put the reports of his admitted infideliity behind them all.
"It was unbelievable, I mean, all day," Woods said. "The people, I haven't heard them cheer this loud in all my years here. So it certainly helped keep my spirits up because I was certainly missing a bunch of putts out there in tough conditions like that. It helps when you get the crowd like that."
Asked whether he heard any negative comments, Woods answer was firm. "Absolutely not," he said. -- Helen Ross
NO YIPS HERE (7:45 p.m.): The oldest player in the field, 60-year-old Tom Watson, and Fred Couples, who is a decade younger, had the steadiest hands on the greens Thursday. Both had 24 putts to lead the field.
On the Champions Tour, Watson ranks No. 1 in putts per round while Couples is third. -- Helen ross
IN THE BOOKS (7:38 p.m.): For a while, it had looked iffy as dark clouds enveloped the Augusta National and a tornado watch was issued. But the first round of the 74th Masters Tournament waas completed with no delays.
Fred Couples leads at 6 under while Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang will start the second round one stroke behind. The group at 4 under includes Tiger Woods, Nick Watney, Ian Poulter, Ricky Barnes and Anthony Kim, who won the Shell Houston Open on Sunday. -- Helen Ross
TIGER'S BEST START AT AUGUSTA (7:20 p.m.): Until Thursday, Tiger Woods had never broken 70 in the first round of the Masters. Not even in one of his four victories.
Woods broke the trend with a 68, though. Not that he needs more crystal, but his round of 4 under included two eagles, three birdies and three bogeys.
Most importantly, it left the world No. 1 just two strokes off the lead held by Fred Couples. -- Helen Ross
FIRST ROUND WINDING DOWN (6:30 p.m.): Tiger Woods just did something he's never done before at the Masters: Make two eagles in the same round. Woods' second eagle of the day came at the par-5 15th, where he stuck his second shot close then made the putt.
That moves Woods to 4 under and withing two of the lead with three holes to play. -- Brian Wacker
FREDDY IN FRONT (6:11 p.m.): The last time Fred Couples held the first-round lead at the Masters was in 1998 -- until now. The 50-year-old Couples just birdied the 17th hole to get to 6 under on the day, one shot clear of four others, including Tom Watson.
The biggest reason Couples is leading: His usually balky putter. But when he makes them, he makes a lot of them. Couples has just 22 putts through his first 17 holes.
Of course, he's not the only Champions Tour player having a big day in the opening round. Watson is one shot back, Sandy Lyle is three back and even Bernhard Langer is under par.
Speaking of Couples, Langer and Watson, they're 1-2-3 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings and the only players to win stroke-play events on the Champions Tour this season. -- Brian Wacker
YANG'S CAREER DAY (6 p.m.): With Tom Watson and Fred Couples making their own version of "Hot Tub Time Machine," and Phil Mickelson playing the best golf he has in a while, Y.E. Yang was lost in the shuffle on the leaderboard Thursday.
Yang also shot a 5-under 67 and has a share of the lead with Watson, Lee Westwood, Couples and Mickelson. It was also a career round for the PGA champion at Augusta National. In fact, this is just Yang's third trip to the Masters. He tied for 30th in 2007 and missed the cut last year. His previous best score here was a 73 in the opening round last year. -- Brian Wacker
TIGER UPDATE (5:47 p.m.): Since closing out his front nine with an eagle and a birdie, Tiger Woods has since given one back with a bogey onthe par-4 10th. Woods followed with pars on Nos. 11 and 12 and is now 2 under with six holes to play in his round.
Of course, Woods doesn't exactly have a history of fast starts here at Augusta National. He's never broken 70 in the opening round of the Masters and has broken par just once in the last five years (see below for more). The flip side to that? He's never finished worse than sixth in the last five years. In other words, the opening round means pretty much squat. -- Brian Wacker
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DIAGNOSIS OF DISASTER (5:30 p.m.): As mentioned earlier, Transitions Championship winner Jim Furyk shot an opening-round 80.
Only two scores were worse, but perhaps most surprising was just how Furyk got there. He was 2 under at one point, made three birdies, but still closed in 44.
As a result, Furyk recorded his worst score since the 2000 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, where he shot a third-round 84. -- Brian Wacker
PLAYING ON (5:20 p.m.): Despite the tornado watch that was issued about an hour ago, they have played on here at Augusta National, where there has yet to be a stoppage. There is still considerable cloud cover and the wind is blowing -- though not quite as strong -- but so far, whatever bad weather there or is or was supposed to hit here hasn't. -- Brian Wacker
TEENAGER FEELING GOOD (5:04 p.m.): Who says you need experience to navigate your way around Augusta National. Matteo Manassero, the 16-year-old amateur from Italy, made his first look a memorable one with a 1-under 71 ... even though he thinks his score could've been lower.
"I should have done even less than 71," he said, "but I'm really happy about my score."
Mannassero said he thought he would be more nervous than he was, but perhaps his perspective kept him calm.
"It's not a tournament that may actually change my life," he said. "It's just an experience that I am priviledged to do."
Still, his fellow competitors were dutifully impressed by the youngster's score.
"That's amazing because usually around here you need some experience," said two-time Masters champ Bernhard Langer. "... It usually takes a few rounds around here to know what you're doing and where to go, where not to go and know where the putts break and the whole thing.
"That's a phenomenal round of golf. If he can keep that up, that's incredible."
'I think he's got a big future," said Lee Westwood, one of Manaserro's playing partners Thursday. "You have to pinch yourself and remind yourself that he's only 16 and got a very mature game. He'll be around for a long time. There's not that many weaknesses in his game."
Asked whether Manassero reminded him of a very young Seve Ballesteros, the 36-year-old Westwood couldn't resist the jab.
"Well, I can't really compare because I wasn't around when Seve was young like you," said Westwood, who is tied for the lead at 5 under.
TIGER AT THE TURN (4:42): Tiger Woods has just made the turn, nearly three hours after he teed off. It's been a productive front nine for Woods, who carded an eagle, two birdies and a bogey on his way to 33. He's currently at 3 under, two strokes off the lead.
Woods hit four of his first seven fairways, and seven of his first nine greens, needing 14 putts in the process.
At the current rate of play and with sketchy weather on the way, there may be a chance that Woods -- who started in the penultimate group Thursday -- doesn't finish his round today. -- Mike McAllister
AMY'S IN AUGUSTA (4:41 p.m.): Phil Mickelson's wife Amy and their three children are with him in Augusta this week as he plays in the Masters.
They had not traveled with him since last year's PLAYERS Championship, which was just weeks before Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Maybe it was good karma -- but Mickelson opened with a 67 that left him tied for the first-round lead. Lefty said he doesn't expect Amy to come out to Augusta National, though.
"It would be cool," he said with a smile, "But I know it would be tough. It's just great to have them out here this week." -- Helen Ross
IF PHIL REMAINS THE CO-LEADER ... (4:35 p.m.): Phil Mickelson has won the last five times he has been the leader or co-leader in a PGA TOUR event. He currently shares the clubhouse lead at 5-under with Tom Watson, Lee Westwood and Y.E. Yang, although Nick Watney is also 5 under with two holes to play.
Going back a little further, Mickelson has won six of his last seven TOUR starts when holding the first-round lead or co-lead. The only exemption in his last seven was when he finished second at the 2005 Ford Championship at Doral. -- Mark Stevens
WEATHER UPDATE (4:31 p.m.): The National Weather Service has just issued a tornado watch for the area, but play will continue ... for now.
EARLY SURPRISES (4:26 p.m.): Tom Watson's 5-under 67 isn't the only unexpected development thus far in the first round. A few other notable surprises -- good and bad:
• David Toms' 3-under 69: It's the first time in his last 33 rounds at the Masters that the veteran has broken 70.
• Bernhard Langer's 1-under 71: The two-time Masters winner continued the feel-good 50-and-over story on Thursday with his lowest round at Augusta National since opening with a 71 in 2004.
• Matteo Manassero's 1-under 71: The 16-year-old from Italy, in the field this week due to his British Amateur championship, posted a solid score in his first appearance here.
• Paul Casey's 3-over 75: The Englishman has been in consistently solid form all year, having notched top-10 finishes in all four of his PGA TOUR starts. His 75 is his highest score of the year.
• Jim Furyk's 8-over 80: Furyk recently ended his drought by winning the Transitions Championship and had finished tie for 10th here last year. But after starting out with two birdies in his first three holes, Furyk fell apart, shooting 44 on the back nine. -- Mike McAllister
QUICK QUOTE FROM MICKELSON (4:10 p.m.): "I needed a good solid round because I've been putting myself behind early and I have to force things," Phil Mickelson said after his 5-under 67.
LOTS OF 67s (4 p.m.): Tom Watson has been joined atop the clubhouse leaderboard by Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Y.E. Yang, each posting 5-under 67s.
Watson, however, has the only bogey-free round of that quartet.
The other three shot 32 on the back nine to Watson's 33. Mickelson recorded the only eagle of the four, with an eagle at the par-5 13th. -- Mike McAllister
WEATHER UPDATE (3:55 p.m.): It appears to be just a matter of minutes before the rain starts falling at Augusta National. Clouds have wiped out any hint of sunshine. According to weather.com, rain showers already have popped up in the area and will impact play later today.
In the press room, the sign just went up: Weather Warning.
WATSON'S LOWEST ROUNDS AT AUGUSTA (3:35 p.m.): With his 5-under 67, Tom Watson tied his career-low in 119 rounds played at the Masters. Three other times in his career, Watson has carded a 67 at Augusta National.
More good news for Watson -- every time he has shot either 67 or 68 at Augusta National, he has finished in the top 10 that week. Will that trend still hold true for the 60-year-old on Sunday?
Oh, and if Watson remains atop the leaderboard at the end of the day, it will be the first time since the 2003 U.S. Open that he has been the leader or co-leader after the first round in a PGA TOUR event. -- Mike McAllister
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SPECIAL START TO WATSON'S WEEK (3:10 p.m.): The week started on a high note when Tom Watson's son proposed to his girlfriend while caddying for his father during a practice round at Augusta National.
"Everyone was in on the scam, including Chairman (Billy) Payne," Watson said with a grin.
Watson had everyone thinking about a storybook ending on Thursday, too, when he shot a bogey-free 67 that earned him a share of the clubhouse lead. Michael was caddying again and this time, he provided the spark for his dad.
"That was a big treat for me to have him out there," Watson said. "I wanted to show him that I could still play Augusta. He said, Dad, you can still do this.
"Over the past several years I've had some issues with my ability to play this golf course. It's a tough golf course for me. I hit longer clubs into the greens. Today it was favorable. The winds were favorable for me."
Watson's round of five birdies, including three on the last four holes, had everyong thinking about his performance at Turnberry last year. Watson, then 59 and trying to win his sixth Open Championship, lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink.
Can he stay in contention for four rounds this week as he did in Scotland last year?
"I don't know," Watson said. "Ask me after Sunday's round." -- Helen Ross
TIGER UPDATE (2:48 p.m.): Tiger Woods is three holes into his round -- and playing in wind that's blowing in the 20-30 mph range -- and so far it's been a solid start for the world's top-ranked player.
Since sliding a birdie putt just below the hole on No. 1, Woods has since added his first birdie of the day on the par-4 third to get to 1 under. -- Brian Wacker
MAJOR LEADERBOARD (2:34 p.m.): The year's first major is certainly looking like one with the names currently atop the leaderboard.
As mentioned, Tom Watson continues to turn back time. He is in with a 5-under 67, though is far from alone with Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Y.E. Yang just one shot back. Two shots back are David Toms and Ernie Els.
For those of you keeping score at home, that's eight major championships chasing Watson, who also has eight, with Westwood the lone player without one on his resume. -- Brian Wacker
WATSON ... WOW!!! (2:10 p.m.): The biggest story of Thursday's first round was expected to be Tiger Woods' return, and it still may be. But right now, the day belongs to 60-year-old Tom Watson, who continues to defy all conventional thinking by posting a bogey-free 5-under 67 to take the clubhouse lead.
Watson, the oldest player in the field, shot 33 on the back nine with birdies in two of his last four holes. It's the first time he's broken 70 at Augusta National since shooting a third-round 69 in 1997.
In his last appearance at a major, Watson nearly pulled off the improbable feat, losing in a playoff to Stewart Cink in last year's British Open at Turnberry. But that was a course that Watson said suits his game. He didn't expect to be as competitive this week, citing Augusta National's length as too long for him.
But now he's in great position not only to make the cut but make some noise on the weekend. Watson made his first 21 cuts at the Masters from 1975 to 1995 but has missed 12 of his last 14 cuts at Augusta National dating back to his first missed cut here in 1996. Watson last made the cut at the Masters in 2002 when he finished T40. -- Mike McAllister
If Watson wins Sunday, he would easily become the oldest major champion in history (see chart below).
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TIGER'S ON THE COURSE (1:47 p.m.): Tiger Woods is officially back on the PGA TOUR, having just struck his opening tee shot in Thursday's first round. The tee shot was long and split the fairway -- pretty much what you expect from the game's No. 1 player and his flair for the dramatic.
The crowds were enormous, which is also what you'd expect, and very courteous, certainly what you expect from the patrons at Augusta National.
Check PGATOUR.COM later today for a full story on the sights and sounds of Woods' first hole. -- Mike McAllister
QUICK QUOTE FROM TOMS (1:38 p.m.): "It was just a good, solid day where I managed my game well," David Toms said after his 3-under 69. "I wasn't too aggressive."
WINDS PICKING UP (1:33 p.m.): How tough are the playing conditions at Augusta National right now? Well, Brian Gay got to 2 under early, but finished with a 2-over 74.
Gay, playing in his first Masters, said the wind started really picking up on the back nine, especially on the par-3 16th hole where the combination of high winds and a bad club selection led to a double bogey.
Still, Gay was happy to have an early tee time with more weather forecasted to roll in later this afternoon. -- Brian Wacker
TOMS POSTS RARE SCORE (1:21 p.m.): Despite a bogey on the last hole, David Toms managed to break 70 on Thursday, posting a 3-under 69 to take the clubhouse lead.
How rare is that feat for Toms?
Consider this: Toms entered this week having played 36 career rounds at Augusta National ... and only one time has he broken 70. That came in his very first appearance at the Masters, in 1998 when he posted a 64 -- with a back-nine 29 that tied a Masters record -- to finish tied for sixth.
Since then, he has played 32 rounds of 70 or higher, and obviously never had broken 70 in the first round until Thursday. In his last appearance here, in 2008, Toms carded a final-round 80, his highest score at Augusta National.
Perhaps just as amazing though, Tom has still managed to make a little noise on occasion. In his 11 previous starts here, Toms finished tied for eighth in 2003 and ninth in 2007, along with that first top-10 finish in '98.
With that 3-under 69 today, he's now in great shape to make his presence felt the rest of the week. -- Mike McAllister
FINISHING EARLY IS A GOOD THING (1 p.m.): That closing bogey notwithstanding, Jerry Kelly may turn out to be one of the lucky ones.
He played in the second group of the day and finished with a 72 as the wind was kicking up in advance of the impending storm.
"It hasn't changed that much yet because it's still pretty humid," Kelly said. "The sun isn't out so it hasn't really firmed up and really sped up quite yet. I don't know what it's going to do this afternoon. The wind is definitely swirling. It's gusting but Very manageable."
Kelly said the tournament committee set Augusta National up to score during Thursday's first round -- "No question about it," he said.
"I think they were very kind today thinking there were going to be some heavy winds and some tough conditions coming in," Kelly said. "So I think that's as easy as you've going to see Augusta -- which is not easy."
When a reporter suggested the scores weren't that low if the course set-up was so user-friendly, Kelly had to explain a few things.
"You've got to understand what easy is," Kelly said. "We're at Augusta, sunshine. There's nothing easy about an easy set-up. I said it's as easy as we're going to see it. I said it's still not easy.
"So be smart when you print that and understand. There's nothing easy about Augusta but they set it up nicely." -- Helen Ross
ONE HOUR TO GO FOR TIGER (12:42 p.m.): One hour from now, Tiger Woods will tee off for the first time on TOUR since his incident five months ago. No doubt lots of emotions will be felt on the first tee -- not only by Tiger but by everybody else in attendance when he strikes his first shot.
But with Woods back in his comfort zone, back on the golf course, at least one of his competitors thinks Tiger will be stronger than ever.
"It's actually scary to think if he gets his mind a little bit freer and uncluttered that (he) could be better," said good buddy Steve Stricker. "I mean, the guy is so talented and so mentally strong, that if he can maybe get rid of all the outside factors that he actually could perform at a higher level.
"That's what's going to be interesting to watch, as a fan and as a player, just to see how he plays from here on out."
Woods will tee off at 1:42 p.m. with playing partners Matt Kuchar and K.J. Choi. -- Mike McAllister
LOGJAM AT THE TOP (12:26 p.m.): It will change, but there are currently seven players tied for the lead at 2 under. The two most surprising names? Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer.
Others in that group, though, include defending champion Angel Cabrera and Anthony Kim.
If Kim were to go on to win here -- remember, he shot a second-round 65 last year and went on to tie for 20th -- it wouldn't quite be Ben Hogan returning from a near fatal car accident, or Tiger Woods winning a U.S. Open on one leg, but it would be a pretty good story.
Kim, as mentioned earlier, is playing with a complete tear of the ligament in his left thumb. He initially injured the thumb about 18 months ago, but it's gotten progressively worse. He would also be the first player to win the week before the Masters and then go on to win the Green Jacket since Phil Mickelson in 2006. -- Brian Wacker
MICKELSON ON THE MOVE (12:09 p.m.): Phil Mickelson, a two-time Masters winner, has just one top-10 this year, is 1 under through his first six holes Thursday. More importantly, though, Mickelson has hit four of his six greens in regulation so far, and has taken just eight putts. He's still struggling with the driver, though, with just one fairway hit out of four. -- Brian Wacker
WEATHER UPDATE (11:42 a.m.): What started out as a sunny and spectacular day at Augusta National has turned gray and windy. The wind has picked up to 15-20 mph and the clouds have rolled in. According to the forecast, thunderstorms aren't expected in the area until 4 p.m., but at this rate they may come faster than that. -- Brian Wacker
TIGER'S TV AD (11:33 a.m.): Tiger Woods won't tee off until 1:42 p.m. ET, but his latest Nike ad and first since his Nov. 27 car accident, hit television airwaves Wednesday night. In the ad, which is black & white, Woods is silent and solemn, while a recording of of his late father, Earl, is heard.
"Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive to promote discussion," Earl Woods says. "I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything." (Click here to see the ad.) -- Brian Wacker
FIRST-ROUND LEADERS (11:21 a.m.): England's Justin Rose is not part of the field this week at Augusta National, which means someone else will have to lead after the completion of today's first round.
In three of the past six years, Rose has either held the lead outright or been the co-leader after the first round. Unfortunately, he's failed to carry that momentum through the rest of the week, although he did tie for fifth in 2007. his best finish in five career Masters starts.
So does it pay to be the first-round leader if you're aspirations are to win the tournament? Recent history says not. When Trevor Immelman went on to victory after tying for the first-round lead in 2008, it was the first time in 25 years that a first-round leader/co-leader had gone on to win. In all, it's happened just 15 times in the first 73 years of the Masters.
It's likely that most players will take the approach that Padraig Harrington will this week.
"The ideal week is you just coast along on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and come to the back nine on Sunday afternoon, you are fresh and strong and ready to go because that's where the tournament gets going," the Irishman said. -- Mike McAllister
Here's a look at how the first-round leaders at Augusta National have fared in the last 10 years:
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And here are the Masters winners who either led or tied for the lead after the first round:
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FEATURED GROUP UPDATE (11:08 a.m.): Ernie Els comes into this year's Masters playing the best he has in recent years. Els, of course, won in Miami and Orlando, has two other top-10s and currently sits atop the FedExCup standings.
Thursday, he got off to another good start, playing his first four holes in 1 under. Els has never won a Green Jacket, but he's certainly come close with five straight top-six finishes from 2000-2005, including a pair of runner-ups during that time.
Els' playing partners Thursday -- Anthony Kim and Ryo Ishikawa -- were a little shakier. Kim, coming off a win in Houston and playing with a completely torn ligament in his left thumb that will require surgery after this week, is even par. Ishikawa, on the other hand, started birdie-birdie, before making back-to-back bogeys. -- Brian Wacker
CHANGE AT THE TOP (11 a.m.): So much for that lead for Bernhard Langer. The German just bogeyed the 10th hole, dropping him to 2 under. The new leader, for the moment? Steve Marino.
Marino has yet to win on the PGA TOUR or contend in a major, but, as noted in our Sleeper Picks, he has played well well this year with a fourth at Pebble Beach and top-15s the last two weeks. -- Brian Wacker
AT THE TURN (10:50 a.m.): Bernhard Langer just made the turn in 3-under 33 after missing just two greens in regulation and only one fairway en route to a three-birdie, no-bogey start.
That's a very good beginning for the 52-year-old Langer, whose best-ever opening round at Augusta National was a 68 in 1993.
The lowest front nine here ever? A 30, shot by four players (see chart below). -- Brian Wacker
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EAGLE FOR MARINO (10:40 a.m.): The first eagle of the day came from Steve Marino, who got one on the par-5 second hole. That got him to 2 under and a birdie on the par-3 sixth moved him to 3 under and into a tie for the early lead. So far, Marino has missed just one green in regulation and taken only eight putts through six holes. -- Brian Wacker
LEADERBOARD UPDATE (10:31 a.m.): We're nearly 3 hours into the opening round, and Bernhard Langer's name is atop the leaderboard. Langer birdied the opening hole, then added two more birdies on Nos. 5 and 7.
Langer, the 2009 Champions Tour Player of the Year, hasn't made the cut here since 2005, when he tied for 20th, but he has a stellar record in the event with eight top-10s, including wins in 1985 and 1993. -- Brian Wacker
OGILVY OFF TO SLOW START (10:15 a.m.): Geoff Ogilvy, who has never finished in the top 10 in the Masters, got off to a shaky start Thursday morning with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5 to drop to 2 over through his first five holes.
The lack of success for Ogilvy, who is coming into this week off a missed cut in Houston, is a little surprising, given the course sets up similarly to Royal Melbourne and other courses he grew up playing in Australia.
"The greens, it's quite similar approach to short game," Ogilvy said earlier in the week. "Same type of shots, not just 60 degrees out of long rough. There's actually chipping involved and imagination around the greens, which we don't have that regularly anymore on TOUR, but I did this sort of stuff growing up."
As for assessing his season coming into the Masters, Ogilvy said the win at the season-opening SBS Championship was great. But he also said the birth of he and his wife's third child in mid-February threw him out of balance, at least in terms of scheduling and his golf. -- Brian Wacker
EARLY ACTION (9:58 a.m.): What year is this, 1981? That's the last time Tom Watson won the Masters. Here he is Thursday morning, though, sitting at 2 under, along with Bernhard Langer, who last won here in 1993, tied for the very-early lead in the opening round.
Langer and Watson each birdied the par-4 first hole while Watson added another birdie on the par-4 third and Langer added one on the par-4 fifth. They are currently tied with Brian Gay, who birdied Nos. 2, 3 and 7 (he bogeyed No. 6) and who was 9 years old the last time Watson won here. -- Brian Wacker
MORE ARNIE AND JACK ... AND PLAYER (9:47 a.m.): Honorary starters Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer will join with Gary Player this summer to make a rare competitive appearance together in support of the Mountain Mission School when they compete in The Big Three for the Mountain Mission Kids tournament on June 8, 2010 at The Olde Farm in Bristol, Virginia.
This tournament aims to be the biggest charitable golf tournament associated with the PGA TOUR with a goal of generating more than $12 million for the benefit of the Mountain Mission School, a live-in facility that had cared for more than 20,000 children, with more than 95 percent enrolling in college in recent years.
The Big Three, whose series of televised matches was seen by millions in the 1960s, last played together in competition at the 2000 Masters. The Big Three for the Mountain Mission Kids tournament is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. PGA TOUR Entertainment is producing a one-hour special on the event, the participants and the Mountain Mission School, which will be broadcast this summer on CBS. -- Mark Stevens
JACK AND ARNIE, TOGETHER AGAIN (9:45 a.m.): As mentioned, Thursday's proceedings began with annual honorary starter duties performed by Arnold Palmer, who was joined this year by Jack Nicklaus for the first time.
"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."
Classic Nicklaus.
"Between practice rounds and everything, we've probably played 300, 400 times together, I suppose," Nicklaus continued. "We played at least a year together."
What did Palmer think of sharing the tee box with Nicklaus one more time?
"Great," Palmer said. "What can you say? No one has played Augusta and done any better than he has."
Click here to read more on Thursday's ceremonial tee shots. -- Brian Wacker
ROUND 1 UNDER WAY (9:30 a.m.): The first round of the year's first major got under way under sunny skies Thursday morning with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer doing their duties as honorary starters. For Nicklaus, it's his first time in the ceremonious role -- one which he's been more willing to take on now that he's five years removed from his last competitive round.
How sunny -- and dry -- it will stay is another matter. By 4 p.m., thunderstorms are expected to move into the area and they are expected to continue throughout the evening. That could impact the Tiger Woods-K.J. Choi-Matt Kuchar group, which should be at or near the turn when the bad weather arrives. -- Brian Wacker
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