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The ‘King’ holds court

• The Masters’ honorary starter Arnold Palmer shows he has not lost his touch at Augusta National.

Scott Chancey

AUGUSTA — Four-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer’s celebration of the 50^th anniversary of his initial win at Augusta National Golf Club started in Wednesday’s par-3 tournament.

He was part of the event’s most legendary threesome, walking the nine holes with six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus and three-time winner Gary Player. On the very first hole, Palmer – who also is the tournament’s honorary starter this morning – hit nearest to the first hole (22.5 inches) and finished it with a two-foot birdie, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Palmer will do the same today with his ceremonial shot before Ben Curtis and Shaun Micheel officially begin the Masters at 8 a.m.

“It’s a privilege,” said Palmer, who also won the Masters in 1960, ’62 and ’64. “It’s something that’s very nice. I think it’s something that Jack and Gary should be doing in the next few years.”

As far as the actual par-3 competition went, Rori Sabbatini  — who tied for second with Tiger Woods and Rory Sabbatini in last year’s Masters – won it. It remains to be seen whether he should have celebrated after going 5-under par. The par-3 winner has never won the Masters that same year. Woody Austin, who finished tied for second with Miguel Ángel Jiménez at 4 under, missed a putt on the final hole and some wondered whether he missed it on purpose.

“I don’t believe in that,” Austin said of the supposed jinx. “Every streak loses, every streak gains, every jinx – everything is broken. So that jinx will be broken eventually, so why worry about it?”

REMEMBERING LAST YEAR

Because of windy and dry conditions, the Augusta National course played more like one would at the U.S. Open, with Zach Johnson winning with a 1-over-par 289.

Recent changes to the course has Augusta National chairman Billy Payne hopeful that future Masters feature stirring rallies along the back nine instead providing advantages to the front-runners.

“We are watching every shot and graphing every shot, every day, and of course, we are diligent in that process,” Payne said. “As I said last year, we had the perfect storm last year of weather and very difficult conditions making the course play extremely hard.

“I think the course is just about where we want it,” he added, “and I am very, very much pleased with it, and I think you’ll see at least for the next couple of days it dry up a little bit and the soft fairways will become a little bit harder again, and it will be a tough, competitive test with a premium on accuracy and putting, which is what it’s always been intended to be.”

ROSE BLOOMING?

Justin Rose contended for both the 2004 and 2007 Masters, only to fall short each time. He achieved, however, his best finish at Augusta last year when he tied for fifth.

Rose said he has learned from his past Masters experiences and is as confident as ever.

“I think the experiences I’ve had here at Augusta have been powerful experiences,” Rose said. “I’ve had good experiences and bad experiences, and you learn from both, and that’s the key. … Certainly, I think the biggest thing about winning a major is believing you can, and last year was key for me in terms of making that step up, really.”

NO LOVE THIS TIME

St. Simons Island resident Davis Love III’s streak of 70 majors appearances in a row ended when he failed to qualify for this year’s Masters.. It was the longest streak like that on the PGA Tour. Love, however, had surgery on his ankle in October and resumed playing in February. Two-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson now holds the record with 56 consecutive majors appearances.

Love designed Valdosta’s Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, which is hosting a Nationwide Tour event May 1-4.

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