Tom Watson, one of the most celebrated golfers in American sporting history and the pride of Kansas City, joined his fellow legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as an honorary starter at the 90th Masters Tournament on Thursday morning. The 76-year-old eight-time major champion struck his ceremonial tee shot down the first fairway at Augusta National Golf Club, marking another chapter in one of golf’s great traditions — and one of the most enduring friendships in the sport’s history.
Watson Opens the 90th Masters at Augusta
The Honorary Starter ceremony at the Masters holds a unique place in the calendar of American sport. Before the competitive fields have struck a single ball, before the grandstands have filled and the scoreboards have been updated, three of golf’s immortals walk to the first tee to send the tournament on its way. For Watson, appearing for the fifth consecutive year in this role, it remains a moment of deep personal significance.
The Kansas City native, who won the Masters twice — in 1977 and 1981 — teed off last of the three starters, in keeping with tradition. He exchanged light banter with Nicklaus before settling over his ball and delivering a smooth swing that sent the ball down the first fairway. The patrons who line the tee each April for this ceremony are among the most devoted golf fans in the world, and their appreciation for these three men — who collectively won 26 major championships — is as genuine as any ovation in sport.
The Duel in the Sun: Watson and Nicklaus at Turnberry
For American golf fans of a certain generation, the names Watson and Nicklaus are inseparable, bound together by the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry — the so-called “Duel in the Sun.” In one of the greatest head-to-head confrontations golf has ever produced, Watson edged Nicklaus by a single stroke, both men finishing well clear of the rest of the field after 72 holes of extraordinary golf. It remains the benchmark against which all major championship duels are measured.
The relationship between the two men has evolved over the decades from fierce rivalry into a warm friendship, and their appearances together at Augusta each spring have been one of the most pleasurable footnotes to the Masters experience. Watson’s 76-year-old frame moves more carefully than it once did, but the swing still has its familiar tempo, and the smile on his face when he arrives at Augusta suggests that these moments mean everything to him.
Watson’s Masters Legacy
Tom Watson is one of only a handful of players to have won the Masters more than once, and his two victories at Augusta remain defining moments in his career. His 1977 triumph, part of the same year as the Duel in the Sun at Turnberry, demonstrated a player operating at the very peak of his powers. His 1981 victory confirmed his status as the dominant force in world golf during that era.
Beyond Augusta, Watson’s record speaks for itself. Eight major championships in total — two Masters, one US Open, and five Open Championships — place him among the very greatest players the game has produced. His relationship with links golf in particular made him a beloved figure among British fans, but it is in America that his legacy carries the deepest resonance.
Kansas City Honours a Hometown Hero
In Kansas City, Watson is not merely a golf legend — he is a civic institution. He has invested time and energy in the Kansas City community throughout his career and into his retirement, serving as an ambassador for the city and its sporting culture. The KCTV5 coverage of his appearance at the 2026 Masters Honorary Starter ceremony reflected the local pride that Kansas City takes in one of its most distinguished sons.
Watson’s journey from the fairways of Kansas City to the first tee at Augusta represents a quintessentially American sporting story — one built on dedication, skill, and the willingness to compete against the very best. That he can still deliver a smooth ceremonial tee shot at 76 is testament to a lifelong commitment to the game.
The Masters Tradition and What It Means
The Honorary Starter tradition began with Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and Byron Nelson in the early 1980s and has evolved over the decades to honour the sport’s greatest champions in a ceremony that is both simple and profoundly moving. For American golf fans, seeing Watson, Nicklaus, and Player at the first tee each April is a reminder of a golden age that produced some of the most compelling golf the sport has ever seen.
As the competitive field takes to the course for Round 1 of the 90th Masters, Watson will be watching from the patrons’ gallery, a champion among champions, as a new generation of golfers adds to Augusta’s extraordinary history.