Apr 9, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Honorary starter Jack Nicklaus tees off on the first hole during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — The 90th edition of the Masters Tournament officially began with the honorary starting threesome of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson at 7:25 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Shortly after sunrise at Augusta National Golf Club, the trio of golfing legends emerged from the iconic clubhouse to a resounding applause from the patrons gathered on a chilly Augusta morning.
With a youthful exuberance that greatly belies his 90 years of age, Player took the first swing of the tournament and piped his drive.
“Getting to the first tee with the enthusiasm of all the people, which is an essential ingredient in life, I think — enthusiasm — the love they give you out there is quite remarkable.”
Player was followed by Nicklaus, 86, who had his son Jack Nicklaus Jr. working as his caddie. The six-time Masters champion astutely warned the gallery before hooking his shot over the crowd.
“I don’t know what was running through my head other than not to hurt anyone,” Nicklaus quipped afterward, adding that he had carpel tunnel surgery earlier this year and was primarily focused on holding onto the club. “That was my issue today. I’m fortunate that I got it over somebody’s head.”
Watson, 76, followed with a well-struck drive and the tournament was officially on.
The trio has won a combined 11 Masters and made 140 collective appearances at the tournament, including 37 honorary starter ceremonies. Nicklaus was asked whether he intends to continue with being part of the tradition in future years.
“As long as I can still hit the golf ball,” he said. “I played once this year, I played in February. I played once last year. I don’t really play golf anymore.
“But it’s such a nice ceremony, and it’s a real honor to be invited. I hope to be able to do it as long as I can not kill anybody.”
Player said the walk from the clubhouse to the first tee each year evokes a flood of memories and gratitude.
“Funny enough how your mind goes back very quickly, and I thought of President Eisenhower, who I admired so much, who was a member of this club which started it off — how much I love coming back here every year of my life, an integral part of my life, and such a fantastic tournament,” he said.
“I think the word, as you get older, is gratitude. Just to be able to be on that first tee is an honor.”
Player is making his 68th visit to the Masters this week, a tournament he once called the fourth most important major on the golf calendar. That view has evolved steadily with the growth and evolution of the only major to be contested at the same venue every year.
“They’ve evolved faster than any other tournament. It’s one of the greatest events in the world,” he said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places historically, and there’s nothing but admiration for what they’ve done.
“Every year you come here, you’re absolutely in awe. Buildings that would take years to build, they do in nine months. It’s quite remarkable. It’s now inundated with history, and it will go even from more strength to strength in the future.”
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
Apr 9, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Honorary starter Jack Nicklaus tees off on the first hole during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — The 90th edition of the Masters Tournament officially began with the honorary starting threesome of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson at 7:25 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Shortly after sunrise at Augusta National Golf Club, the trio of golfing legends emerged from the iconic clubhouse to a resounding applause from the patrons gathered on a chilly Augusta morning.
With a youthful exuberance that greatly belies his 90 years of age, Player took the first swing of the tournament and piped his drive.
“Getting to the first tee with the enthusiasm of all the people, which is an essential ingredient in life, I think — enthusiasm — the love they give you out there is quite remarkable.”
Player was followed by Nicklaus, 86, who had his son Jack Nicklaus Jr. working as his caddie. The six-time Masters champion astutely warned the gallery before hooking his shot over the crowd.
“I don’t know what was running through my head other than not to hurt anyone,” Nicklaus quipped afterward, adding that he had carpel tunnel surgery earlier this year and was primarily focused on holding onto the club. “That was my issue today. I’m fortunate that I got it over somebody’s head.”
Watson, 76, followed with a well-struck drive and the tournament was officially on.
The trio has won a combined 11 Masters and made 140 collective appearances at the tournament, including 37 honorary starter ceremonies. Nicklaus was asked whether he intends to continue with being part of the tradition in future years.
“As long as I can still hit the golf ball,” he said. “I played once this year, I played in February. I played once last year. I don’t really play golf anymore.
“But it’s such a nice ceremony, and it’s a real honor to be invited. I hope to be able to do it as long as I can not kill anybody.”
Player said the walk from the clubhouse to the first tee each year evokes a flood of memories and gratitude.
“Funny enough how your mind goes back very quickly, and I thought of President Eisenhower, who I admired so much, who was a member of this club which started it off — how much I love coming back here every year of my life, an integral part of my life, and such a fantastic tournament,” he said.
“I think the word, as you get older, is gratitude. Just to be able to be on that first tee is an honor.”
Player is making his 68th visit to the Masters this week, a tournament he once called the fourth most important major on the golf calendar. That view has evolved steadily with the growth and evolution of the only major to be contested at the same venue every year.
“They’ve evolved faster than any other tournament. It’s one of the greatest events in the world,” he said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places historically, and there’s nothing but admiration for what they’ve done.
“Every year you come here, you’re absolutely in awe. Buildings that would take years to build, they do in nine months. It’s quite remarkable. It’s now inundated with history, and it will go even from more strength to strength in the future.”
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
![Monte Carlo Masters 2026: Fonseca eases into quarterfinals, to meet Zverev Nineteen-year-old Joao Fonseca reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time when he strode to a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo on Thursday.The Brazilian’s last-eight opponent will be world No. 3 Alexander Zverev who dispatched Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5.Fonseca, who is making his first appearance in Monte Carlo, produced some superb tennis to see off an opponent who had thrashed Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.The teenager is the youngest man to reach this stage in Monte Carlo since Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet in 2005 and is the first Brazilian to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal since Thomaz Bellucci in Madrid in 2011. He is the second man born in 2006 to reach the quarterfinals at a 1000-level event, after Spaniard Martin Landaluce, who reached the last eight in Miami in March.“It is super special. I was looking for this result for a long time,” Fonseca said on court.“Of course I want more. I am very confident and focused. I was very happy with the way I fought today. From the beginning, putting a lot of pressure. Playing huge return games and very good serve games. I was putting a lot of pressure and that helps you stay more calm during the match.”The world number 40, who is up five places in the live rankings, took just 73 minutes in the Monaco sun to book his place in the last eight, stamping his ticket with a winning smash on his first match point.After despatching Bergs, Zverev praised Fonseca. Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
“I think clay is his best surface,” Zverev said of the Brazilian. “I am excited to play him for the first time. He is a young upcoming talent and I think we will play each other a lot more in the next couple of years.”Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.Bergs found his serve in the second set but Zverev managed to break at 3-3.The German lost his rhythm when he was serving for the match at 5-4. Bergs swinging freely broke to love after committing four unforced errors.Zverev responded immediately by breaking back. He closed out the match in his next service game with an ace on his second match point to win in 1 hour 51 minutes.“[It was] a better match from my side,” Zverev said when asked how it compared to his opening-round win on Wednesday in Monte-Carlo, where he rallied from 2-5 in the deciding set to defeat Cristian Garin.“It was still not perfect. Still far from the level I played in the US, but this is my first clay tournament… I am happy with the level today. We move forward.”The No. 3 player in the ATP rankings Zverev is chasing his eighth Masters 1000 crown and will now meet Fonseca for the first time. Last month, Fonseca faced Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the first time in Miami and Indian Wells pushing both in narrow defeats.Published on Apr 09, 2026 #Monte #Carlo #Masters #Fonseca #eases #quarterfinals #meet #Zverev](https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/k9jlc0/article70843023.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/2026-04-09T110924Z_976434848_UP1EM490UZLKO_RTRMADP_3_TENNIS-MONTECARLO.JPG "Monte Carlo Masters 2026: Fonseca eases into quarterfinals, to meet Zverev Nineteen-year-old Joao Fonseca reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time when he strode to a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo on Thursday.The Brazilian’s last-eight opponent will be world No. 3 Alexander Zverev who dispatched Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5.Fonseca, who is making his first appearance in Monte Carlo, produced some superb tennis to see off an opponent who had thrashed Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.The teenager is the youngest man to reach this stage in Monte Carlo since Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet in 2005 and is the first Brazilian to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal since Thomaz Bellucci in Madrid in 2011. He is the second man born in 2006 to reach the quarterfinals at a 1000-level event, after Spaniard Martin Landaluce, who reached the last eight in Miami in March.“It is super special. I was looking for this result for a long time,” Fonseca said on court.“Of course I want more. I am very confident and focused. I was very happy with the way I fought today. From the beginning, putting a lot of pressure. Playing huge return games and very good serve games. I was putting a lot of pressure and that helps you stay more calm during the match.”The world number 40, who is up five places in the live rankings, took just 73 minutes in the Monaco sun to book his place in the last eight, stamping his ticket with a winning smash on his first match point.After despatching Bergs, Zverev praised Fonseca. Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
“I think clay is his best surface,” Zverev said of the Brazilian. “I am excited to play him for the first time. He is a young upcoming talent and I think we will play each other a lot more in the next couple of years.”Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.Bergs found his serve in the second set but Zverev managed to break at 3-3.The German lost his rhythm when he was serving for the match at 5-4. Bergs swinging freely broke to love after committing four unforced errors.Zverev responded immediately by breaking back. He closed out the match in his next service game with an ace on his second match point to win in 1 hour 51 minutes.“[It was] a better match from my side,” Zverev said when asked how it compared to his opening-round win on Wednesday in Monte-Carlo, where he rallied from 2-5 in the deciding set to defeat Cristian Garin.“It was still not perfect. Still far from the level I played in the US, but this is my first clay tournament… I am happy with the level today. We move forward.”The No. 3 player in the ATP rankings Zverev is chasing his eighth Masters 1000 crown and will now meet Fonseca for the first time. Last month, Fonseca faced Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the first time in Miami and Indian Wells pushing both in narrow defeats.Published on Apr 09, 2026 #Monte #Carlo #Masters #Fonseca #eases #quarterfinals #meet #Zverev")
![Monte Carlo Masters 2026: Fonseca eases into quarterfinals, to meet Zverev Nineteen-year-old Joao Fonseca reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time when he strode to a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo on Thursday.The Brazilian’s last-eight opponent will be world No. 3 Alexander Zverev who dispatched Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5.Fonseca, who is making his first appearance in Monte Carlo, produced some superb tennis to see off an opponent who had thrashed Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.The teenager is the youngest man to reach this stage in Monte Carlo since Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet in 2005 and is the first Brazilian to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal since Thomaz Bellucci in Madrid in 2011. He is the second man born in 2006 to reach the quarterfinals at a 1000-level event, after Spaniard Martin Landaluce, who reached the last eight in Miami in March.“It is super special. I was looking for this result for a long time,” Fonseca said on court.“Of course I want more. I am very confident and focused. I was very happy with the way I fought today. From the beginning, putting a lot of pressure. Playing huge return games and very good serve games. I was putting a lot of pressure and that helps you stay more calm during the match.”The world number 40, who is up five places in the live rankings, took just 73 minutes in the Monaco sun to book his place in the last eight, stamping his ticket with a winning smash on his first match point.After despatching Bergs, Zverev praised Fonseca. Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
“I think clay is his best surface,” Zverev said of the Brazilian. “I am excited to play him for the first time. He is a young upcoming talent and I think we will play each other a lot more in the next couple of years.”Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.Bergs found his serve in the second set but Zverev managed to break at 3-3.The German lost his rhythm when he was serving for the match at 5-4. Bergs swinging freely broke to love after committing four unforced errors.Zverev responded immediately by breaking back. He closed out the match in his next service game with an ace on his second match point to win in 1 hour 51 minutes.“[It was] a better match from my side,” Zverev said when asked how it compared to his opening-round win on Wednesday in Monte-Carlo, where he rallied from 2-5 in the deciding set to defeat Cristian Garin.“It was still not perfect. Still far from the level I played in the US, but this is my first clay tournament… I am happy with the level today. We move forward.”The No. 3 player in the ATP rankings Zverev is chasing his eighth Masters 1000 crown and will now meet Fonseca for the first time. Last month, Fonseca faced Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the first time in Miami and Indian Wells pushing both in narrow defeats.Published on Apr 09, 2026 #Monte #Carlo #Masters #Fonseca #eases #quarterfinals #meet #Zverev](https://i2.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/k9jlc0/article70843023.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/2026-04-09T110924Z_976434848_UP1EM490UZLKO_RTRMADP_3_TENNIS-MONTECARLO.JPG?ssl=1 "Monte Carlo Masters 2026: Fonseca eases into quarterfinals, to meet Zverev Nineteen-year-old Joao Fonseca reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time when he strode to a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo on Thursday.The Brazilian’s last-eight opponent will be world No. 3 Alexander Zverev who dispatched Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5.Fonseca, who is making his first appearance in Monte Carlo, produced some superb tennis to see off an opponent who had thrashed Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.The teenager is the youngest man to reach this stage in Monte Carlo since Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet in 2005 and is the first Brazilian to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal since Thomaz Bellucci in Madrid in 2011. He is the second man born in 2006 to reach the quarterfinals at a 1000-level event, after Spaniard Martin Landaluce, who reached the last eight in Miami in March.“It is super special. I was looking for this result for a long time,” Fonseca said on court.“Of course I want more. I am very confident and focused. I was very happy with the way I fought today. From the beginning, putting a lot of pressure. Playing huge return games and very good serve games. I was putting a lot of pressure and that helps you stay more calm during the match.”The world number 40, who is up five places in the live rankings, took just 73 minutes in the Monaco sun to book his place in the last eight, stamping his ticket with a winning smash on his first match point.After despatching Bergs, Zverev praised Fonseca. Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
“I think clay is his best surface,” Zverev said of the Brazilian. “I am excited to play him for the first time. He is a young upcoming talent and I think we will play each other a lot more in the next couple of years.”Zverev, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, ruled the opening set against Bergs as the Belgian struggled on his own service, holding only once.Bergs found his serve in the second set but Zverev managed to break at 3-3.The German lost his rhythm when he was serving for the match at 5-4. Bergs swinging freely broke to love after committing four unforced errors.Zverev responded immediately by breaking back. He closed out the match in his next service game with an ace on his second match point to win in 1 hour 51 minutes.“[It was] a better match from my side,” Zverev said when asked how it compared to his opening-round win on Wednesday in Monte-Carlo, where he rallied from 2-5 in the deciding set to defeat Cristian Garin.“It was still not perfect. Still far from the level I played in the US, but this is my first clay tournament… I am happy with the level today. We move forward.”The No. 3 player in the ATP rankings Zverev is chasing his eighth Masters 1000 crown and will now meet Fonseca for the first time. Last month, Fonseca faced Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the first time in Miami and Indian Wells pushing both in narrow defeats.Published on Apr 09, 2026 #Monte #Carlo #Masters #Fonseca #eases #quarterfinals #meet #Zverev")
