Images: Masters begins at beautiful Augusta with golf's greatests
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Three of the golf's greatest players delivered ceremonial tee shots to open the Masters on Thursday.
Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer thrilled the patrons who crowded around the first tee shortly after sunrise. They even drew some of the players who'll compete for real, including defending champion Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley.
“Don't fan it,” Palmer jokingly told himself before hitting his shot.
“I don't think he's kidding,” Nicklaus added. “He said exactly the same thing to me.”
Player said he appreciated the players who came out to watch him hit.
“It shows they have respect for the game,” he said.
Not long after the Big Three left the tee, the tournament began for real. Charley Hoffman and Brian Harman were the first group to hit the course.
From left, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Billy Payne, Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club and Gary Player pose together after the honorary tee shots before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Tiger Woods, left, and Ben Crenshaw embrace on the 18th green as they finish a practice round for the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton) MARIETTA DAILY OUT, GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT) LOCAL STATIONS OUT (WXIA, WGCL, FOX 5)
Tiger Woods, right, walks across the Ben Hogan Bridge with Jordan Spieth during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, talks with Tiger Woods on the practice green before the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Lindsey Vonn sits with Tiger Woods with his children Sam and Charlie during the Par 3 contest at the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods' children Sam and Charlie watch Tiger during the Par 3 contest at the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Mike Weir, of Canada, walk with his caddie down the first fairway during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, walks along the sixth fairway during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his shot out of the rough off the seventh hole during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Rory McIlroy, right, of Northern Ireland, watches with Niall Horan from the band One Direction during the Par 3 contest at the Masters golf tournament Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Rickie Fowler stands with his friend Alexis Randock before the honorary first tee during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Spectators walk past the leader board before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tom Watson walks down the first fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Amateur Byron Meth hits on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Danny Willett, of England, hits on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Tom Watson hits on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Rickie Fowler stands next to his friend Alexis Randock during the honorary tee off the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Tom Watson reacts to his shot on the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Camilo Villegas, of Colombia, hits out of a bunker on the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Ben Crane hits on the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Amateur Corey Conners, of Canada, hits on the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Mike Weir, of Canada, hits on the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Arnold Palmer hits on the first tee for the honorary tee off before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brant Sanderlin) MARIETTA DAILY OUT, GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT) LOCAL STATIONS OUT (WXIA, WGCL, FOX 5)
Arnold Palmer puts his ball on a tee before teeing off for the honorary tee off before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Jack Nicklaus hits on the first tee for the honorary tee off before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Jack Nicklaus hits on the first tee for the honorary tee off before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brant Sanderlin) MARIETTA DAILY OUT, GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT) LOCAL STATIONS OUT (WXIA, WGCL, FOX 5)
Kevin Na putts on the first green during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Amateur Corey Conners, of Canada, hits on the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Amateur Byron Meth hits out the rough on first hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Kevin Na leaps to see his ball after hitting on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Vijay Singh, of Fiji, leaps to see the green from the first fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
From left, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player pose together after the honorary tee shots before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Arnold Palmer watches his tee shot for the honorary tee off before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Scorekeeper Richard Muns sits under a leaderboard before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Arnold Palmer hits on the first tee for the honorary tee off before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Arnold Palmer, right, talks to Arnold Palmer after hitting on the first tee for the honorary tee off before the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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