AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tom Watson did not suppose eight main championships, together with two inexperienced jackets, could be sufficient to hitch the corporate of Gary Participant and Jack Nicklaus on the primary tee at Augusta Nationwide.
Even at 72, greater than a half-century after he made his approach down Magnolia Lane for the primary time as an beginner, Watson stays considerably in awe of the legends he spent a long time chasing.
“I look at these old GOATs right here, I can’t carry their shoes,” Watson mentioned Thursday morning, shortly after becoming a member of Participant and Nicklaus as an honorary starter on the Masters for the primary time. “I don’t kind of belong in the same realm as these two players here.”
Membership chairman Fred Ridley disagreed. The invitation he prolonged to Watson to change into the eleventh honorary starter because the custom started in 1962 included the supply that the 72-year-old Watson might hit away so long as he appreciated.
“Wow,” Watson mentioned. “That meant a great deal to me.”
Even when it meant coming into one other section of his {golfing} life. It is a section Watson, who gained at Augusta in 1977 and once more in 1981 and practically pulled off a stunner within the 2009 British Open in Turnberry at age 58 earlier than finally shedding to Stewart Cink in a playoff, way back got here to phrases with.
“I guess it’s a culmination of kind of the process,” he mentioned. “I had a pretty good career. Not like [Player and Nicklaus], but I had a pretty good career. Just kind of the culmination of it.”
Watson took over the dignity for Lee Elder, the primary Black participant on the Masters, who died final fall. Watson, with 72 subsequent to his title on the standard-bearer on the first tee, took a second earlier than teeing off and regarded how issues have come full circle.
He’d made it a degree from the time he made his Masters debut as a 20-year-old beginner in 1970 to seek out his option to the primary tee field early Thursday morning via the years to catch the lads who helped outline the game. Freddy McLeod and Jock Hutchison. Sam Snead and Byron Nelson. Gene Sarazen and Arnold Palmer. Participant and Nicklaus. And now, Watson.
“I’m very humbled to be a part of it,” Watson mentioned.
Properly, up to a degree anyway. Watson could not assist however have a bit of enjoyable when he, Participant and Nicklaus have been requested who put collectively the longest drive.
“Oh, come on,” mentioned Watson, who’s significantly youthful than the 82-year-old Nicklaus and the 86-year-old Participant.
Whereas Nicklaus admitted he was the shortest, by his estimate “Gary and Tom were pretty close, probably.”
A guesstimate that did not sit effectively with Nicklaus’ rival-turned-friend.
“Oh, I got [Player] by 50 [yards]!” Watson mentioned with fun.
