AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson continued the Masters tradition that began in 1960 as “honorary starters” early Thursday morning, all hitting tee shots off the first hole to begin the tournament. Afterward, the three took some verbal jabs at LIV Golf.

Once the battle lines were drawn, Nicklaus was steadfast in his commitment to the PGA Tour. He said in 2022 he was offered $100 million by LIV's organizers to basically work in the CEO role Greg Norman occupied at the time. Nicklaus went a step further in 2023 at the Memorial Tournament, which he hosts every year.

After his annual ceremonial opening tee shot on Thursday morning, golf legend Jack Nicklaus met with media members and ended up taking a savage shot at LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson. When asked about how impressive it was that Mickelson, age 54, was still competing at this level despite his age, Nicklaus seemed unimpressed.