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Big Three encore tops groupings
Posted: Tuesday April 03, 2001 11:55 PM
Updated: Wednesday March 27, 2002 10:29 AM
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Jack Nicklaus (right), Arnold Palmer and Gary Player will tee off at 12:35 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Masters. Chris Thelen/Augusta Chronicle |
By John Boyette
The Augusta Chronicle
Golf's Big Three will play together again at the Masters.
Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player - with a collective 13 green jackets to their credit - will be one of the main attractions when the 65th Masters Tournament gets under way Thursday.
The threesome is scheduled to tee off at 12:35 p.m. Thursday and again at 9:50 a.m. Friday.
Last year the trio played together for the first time at Augusta National, but only Nicklaus made the cut. Nicknamed the Big Three for their dominance of golf in the 1960s, they regularly play together in Senior PGA Tour events.
A total of 93 players are expected to start, necessitating the use of threesomes. One hundred and one players were invited, but seven past champions no longer compete in the tournament proper. Lee Westwood dropped out because his wife is expecting their first child this week.
Honorary starters Byron Nelson and Sam Snead are scheduled to get the tournament under way Thursday morning at 8 with their ceremonial tee shots on the first hole. Nelson has said this will be the last time he hits the shot at the Masters.
Tee times begin at 8:11 a.m. and continue every 11 minutes until 1:41 p.m.
Tiger Woods is scheduled to tee off at 12:57 p.m. He is grouped with Mike Weir and Finnish amateur Mikko Ilonen.
Defending champion Vijay Singh will go off at 12:13 p.m. with U.S. Amateur champ Jeff Quinney and Loren Roberts. Franklin Langham, who grew up in Thomson, will play with Ben Crenshaw and Nick Price in the 9:06 a.m. group.
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