AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) - Thursday marks one of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar, the opening round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
Continuing another Masters tradition that dates back to 1941, the 89th Masters Tournament began at 7:25 a.m. Eastern Thursday morning when Honorary Starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson strike ceremonial tee shots. The trio won 11 combined Green Jackets during their Masters careers. After the ceremony, Fred S. Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, declared the tournament officially underway.
"When I walk up, make sure I don't trip, said six-time Champion Nicklaus. "Second one is make sure I get the tee in the ground without falling over, and the third one is just don't kill anybody. Don't laugh too much about that; that's actually the thoughts that I have."
"I think the word that come that comes to my mind, I'm standing here for the 67th time, and I think the word is gratitude, just being here," said Player, a three-time Champion. "It's an honor to be at this -- as the Scottish people say, the holy ground."
Defending and two-time champion Scottie Scheffler began his defense at 10:15 a.m. Eastern in a grouping with two-time winner of the PGA Championship Justin Thomas and Spanish amateur Jose Luis Ballester, the winner of last year's U.S. Amateur championship who continues another longstanding Masters tradition of amateurs playing with a former Champion during the first two rounds.
"It's a unique place and especially being here as an amateur it probably feels more unique than many of the guys in the field," said Ballester, a senior at Arizona State University. "So try to soak it in all I can and I think with all these people, with all the following that I'm going to have, since I'm playing with Scottie and Thursday and Friday, if I'm able to not be too focused about what's going on outside and try to really embrace the moment I think that's when I can have my best game."
"When I step on the first tee on Thursday, I'm going to remind myself that I've done what I needed to do to play well, and it's all about going out and competing now," Scheffler said. "I really try not to look too much into the past. I try not to look too far into the future. I just like to stay in the present and just go one week at a time."
Another popular pick is Rory McIlroy, seeking to complete the career Grand Slam with a win at Augusta in his 17th Masters appearance. McIlory has recorded seven top-ten finishes in the tournament and has already won twice this season, including the prestigious Players Championship in March.
"I need to treat this tournament like all the other tournaments that I play throughout the year," McIlroy said. "Look, I understand the narrative and the noise, and there's a lot of anticipation and buildup coming into this tournament each and every year, but I just have to keep my head down and focus on my job."
Earlier Thursday morning, the White House released a statement from President Donald Trump regarding this year's tournament and also congratulating competitors in last week's Augusta National Women's Amateur.
"I extend my best wishes to the competitors, caddies, staff, volunteers, and patrons for a safe and fun Masters," President Trump said in the statement. "May the best golfer win, and may all have a memorable week filled with moments that will last a lifetime."
All-day coverage can be found at masters.com. ESPN will provide television coverage from 3 p.m. until 7:30 p.m Eastern.
For a full list of groupings and start times, click here. For live scoring, click here.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
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