Clear skies and cool conditions greeted the early starters on Thursday, legendary trio Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player with the customary honour in front of a large crowd gathered around the first hole as the sun rose.
The 85-year-old Nicklaus was joined by his wife, Barbara, known widely as the "First Lady of Golf".
She was dressed in the traditional white caddy bib of the Masters, and toted along her husband's small bag with its single club — the driver he used to hit his opening tee shot.
Player kicked his leg after his tee shot down the middle.
Nicklaus joked about the challenge in bending over to put his tee in the ground.
Watson outdrove them both with a swing that has held up over time.
"I feel it gets a little more narrow every year," said 89-year-old Player of perhaps the widest fairway on the course.
Arnold Palmer served as a starter from 2007 until his death in 2016.
Nicklaus had joined him in 2010, and Player two years later.
Watson made it a group of three again three years ago - a trio with a combined 35 major championships to their names.
First group Riley Davis and Kizzire Patton then got the tournament underway shortly afterwards.
Former British Open champion Cameron Smith will be the first of five Australians to tee off on Thursday, while recent Houston Open winner Min Woo Lee is in one of two Masters featured groups later in the morning.
Scottie Scheffler is looking to become the fourth player to retain a Masters title and first since Tiger Woods in 2001-02 while world No.2 Rory McIlroy needs a green jacket to complete a career grand slam that's beckoned since 2014.
World No.3 Xander Schauffele, seeking a third win in four majors following triumphs at last year's PGA Championship and British Open, will play with 2013 champion Adam Scott and Viktor Hovland in an afternoon group.
The only men's major championship played each year on the same course, has a different look and feel this year after the loss of many huge pine trees in last September's Hurricane Helene.
AUSTRALIAN MASTERS GROUPINGS
* 8.52am (10.52pm, Thursday AEST) - Cameron Smith, JT Poston, Aaron Rai
* 9.47am - (11.47pm, Thursday) Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee
* 9.58am (11.58pm, Thursday) - Phil Mickelsen, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley
* 10.48am (12.48am, Friday) - Cameron Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
* 1.01pm (3.01am, Friday) - Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland.
With AP
16°C