A Masters with Kansas City flavor: Tom Watson stars, Harry Higgs plays first round

Each year, Thursday at the Masters is one of the most memorable days in sports.

Per tradition, the greatest players in golf took center stage for this year’s edition of the honorary-starter ceremony before the competition got underway: Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Kansas City’s own Tom Watson hit ceremonial tee shots.

Each honorary starter was introduced to a roar from the gallery and then politely hit off the tee.

Player went first, teeing off at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time in a ritual Watson watched many times in person over his 42 consecutive starts at Augusta National.

Nicklaus hit next to more applause and cheers from the several thousand in attendance.

And then came Watson, who, clearly touched by the moment, went a bit off-script.

After being introduced by Chairman of Augusta Fred Ridley, Watson spoke up:

“Can I say something?” he asked the chairman, nearby patrons and his two playing partners.

“I would like to say how honored I am to be here with Gary and with Jack. I’ve watched this ceremony in the past many times with Arnie and Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson. And to be a part of this thing, I am truly humbled.”

Watson wore that humility for all to see, smiling from ear to ear as Nicklaus and Player hit the opening shots. After Watson’s, the three shared a group hug.

“I was overjoyed and actually humbled,” Watson said, “because the way I look at these old goats right here, I can’t carry their shoes. I don’t kind of belong in the same realm as these two players here.”

Watson felt the same way about Arnold Palmer, who passed in September 2016, five months after appearing for his last Masters. Watson vividly remembers Palmer sitting down and watching Nicklaus and Player hit their shots — Palmer refrained that final year because he was having trouble with his balance.

At Thursday’s ceremony, Watson shared his recollection of that scene and expressed appreciation for the patrons present for this year’s ceremony. He knows that attending a Masters is no easy ticket.

“When people think about sports and the Masters,” he said with a trademark smile, “damn, is it tough to get a ticket here.”.

And those in the gallery must have felt lucky to be watching this new Big Three of Nicklaus, Player and, now, Tom Watson.

“It’s just part of the heritage of the tournament that I personally very much like,” Watson said, “and to be a part of it, I’m very humbled.”

To keep the Kansas City narrative going on Thursday, Blue Valley North High School product Harry Higgs, 30, was the early leader at 2-under through the front nine.

Higgs, who is playing in a Masters for the first time, finished his Thursday round with a 1-under 71. Not too shabby — that left him tied with Tiger Woods, who also opened with a Thursday 71.

“I feel like it went by pretty quick,” Higgs said of Round 1. “I did a good job of just trying to hit the shot that was in front of me. When you do a good job on that, it usually goes by pretty quickly.

“I felt like I was ready for it. I was hitting the golf ball where it was supposed to go. There’s no secret out here: There’s one place to hit it, and one place to miss it.”

Higgs seems to understand the places he needs to be on this very precise course, with its severely sloping greens. At end of his round, he wasn’t too hard on himself.

“I won’t be the picky professional golfer,” he said, “and whine and moan about a few I should have made as, ‘Well, it got difficult as I had six, seven holes with a lot of wind.’”

Higgs continues his maiden voyage through the Masters on Friday, when he is scheduled to tee off Round 2 in the later part of the morning.

This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 2:51 PM.