Elder helps open Masters with a wave and a smile

The 2021 Masters got underway today after the 2020 tournament had been pushed back to November amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee Elder — the first Black man to play in the tournament — was part of the opening ceremony.

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April 8, 2021 - 9:42 AM

Tiger Woods presents Dustin Johnson with his green jacket after he won the 2020 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club Nov. 15 in Augusta, Georgia. Photo by Curtis Compton / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / TNS

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The applause started when Lee Elder’s golf cart began moving toward the first tee. It only got louder when he arrived and slowly made his way to his seat.

And moments later, Masters Chairman Fred Ridley said words 46 years in the making.

“Lee, it is my privilege to say, you have the honors,” Ridley said.

That prompted the first roar of the 2021 Masters Tournament.

Elder — the first Black man to play the Masters — rose from his chair, hoisted his driver skyward for a moment, then nodded, smiled and waved in appreciation of the hundreds of people who crowded around the first tee to see history happen. He joined Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus as an honorary starter for the Masters this morning, the first time he had been part of the ceremony.

“For me and my family, I think it was one of the most emotional experiences that I have ever witnessed or been involved in,” Elder said.

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