The 2025 Masters won’t officially begin until Thursday’s Honorary Starters ceremony, and now we know when that will begin.
Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson will kick off this year’s 89th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club with the opening tee shots. The three legends at the Masters, with 11 green jackets between them, will officially begin the tournaments by hitting driver down the first hole.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7:25 a.m. on the No. 1 tee.
When did Honorary Starter ceremony begin?
Having someone hit the first shot at the Masters dates to 1941, when amateur Francis Ouimet played the first round before withdrawing. While the role of Honorary Starter wasn’t official quite yet, Ouimet’s appearance at the urging of Tournament co-founder Bobby Jones was enough to plant the seed of an idea that would eventually start the tradition, per the Masters website.
Who has been a Masters Honorary starter?
- Jock Hutchison: 1963 – 1973
- Fred McLeod: 1963 – 1976
- Byron Nelson: 1981 – 2001 (non-consecutive)
- Gene Sarazen: 1981 – 1999
- Ken Venturi: 1983
- Sam Snead: 1984 – 2002
- Arnold Palmer: 2007 – 2016
- Jack Nicklaus: 2010 – present
- Gary Player: 2012 – present
- Lee Elder: 2021
- Tom Watson: 2022 – present
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: What time is Honorary Starter ceremony at 2025 Masters?