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Masters start won't be the same
Posted: Wednesday April 09, 2003 9:55 PM
Updated: Thursday April 10, 2003 2:29 AM
By David Westin
The Augusta Chronicle
There won't be any honorary starters today at the Masters Tournament, but the tradition will return. Just when, no one's sure.
In 2002, Sam Snead carried out the tradition of hitting the ceremonial first ball, which started in 1963.
The three-time Masters champion died in late May, and no one will take his place at the first tee today at the 67th Masters.
"Without the honorary starters, it's not the same," Augusta native Doug Hathaway said. "The tradition has died, at least for this year."
The first blow of the tournament will be struck at 8:10 a.m., when former champions Sandy Lyle, Charles Coody and Tommy Aaron tee off.
"The honorary starters have been very important to the tournament off and on," Augusta National Gofl Club and Masters Tournament Chairman Hootie Johnson said Wednesday.
After four-time champion Arnold Palmer announced his retirement from the Masters during the 2002 tournament, Johnson said he talked to Palmer about taking Snead's place.
Palmer declined, then later decided to un-retire from the Masters and is playing this week.
"He has said that he would be honored to be one at the appropriate time," Johnson said of Palmer. "He still feels that he's playing enough active golf, tournament golf, that he doesn't want to do that now. But I am hopeful that we will have him sometime in the future."
That might not be until the 2005 Masters. Palmer, 73, has said he wants to play in 50 Masters. This will be his 49th.
"We're going to wait on him," Johnson said.
Six players have been honorary starters: Jock Hutchison (1963-73), Fred McLeod (1963-76), Byron Nelson (1981-2001, nonconsecutive), Gene Sarazen (1981-99), Ken Venturi (1983) and Snead (1984-2002).
This isn't the first time there has been a break in the tradition. There weren't any from 1977 to 1980 either.
"We're in between eras," said Augusta native Perry Huffman, who watched honorary starters tee off, starting with Sarazen. "We're in between the Mickey Mantles and Hank Aarons."
Since 1984, the honorary starters have all been Masters champions.
"An honorary starter needs to be a Masters champion, and somebody who has accomplished a lot in golf, like Sarazen, Nelson and Snead did," Huffman said. "Hopefully, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will do it one day. That's what I'd like to see."
Augusta native Charles Howell, playing in his second Masters this week, was one of those spectators who would arrive at the course to see the honorary starters tee off.
"I wish it was still there," Howell said. "That was a cool thing to have. When I would come watch the tournament, even I would get up early to watch that. I think a lot of people did."
"Growing up here, being part of the Masters Tournament, that was the beginning of the tournament," Huffman said. "It was fun to get the tournament started."
In later years, Huffman worked the scoreboard on the fifth hole. At this time, Sarazen, Nelson and Snead would play nine holes.
"That would be the first group we saw, and we knew the tournament had started," Huffman said.
In later years, the honorary starters played two holes (Nos. 1 and 9), then just hit the opening tee shot, as Snead did in 2002.
Copyright 2003 The Augusta Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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