AUGUSTA, Ga. – Gary Player won his tournament early Thursday morning at Augusta National, as Jack Nicklaus likes to say.
Player clipped Nicklaus with the honorary first tee shot, sending his drive down the middle of the first fairway about 20 yards past the Golden Bear, who did catch the left edge of the fairway.
“I hit a pop-up,” Nicklaus said with a smile.
Nicklaus paused before hitting his tee shot in an emotional moment, whipping away tears as he glanced at Arnold Palmer, who announced last month that he would not be hitting the honorary first tee shot because of health concerns.