Arnold Palmer (Stats | Bio) is not quite ready to assume the role of honorary starter at the Masters Tournament.

Palmer, who will make his 50th consecutive start at Augusta National Golf Club this week, is still focusing on playing the tournament itself.

"I'm sort of doing one thing at a time," Palmer said. "We'll see how all that transpires."

The Masters had an honorary starter every year from 1963 to 2002. But with the deaths of Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead, along with Byron Nelson (Stats | Bio) 's reluctance to participate, the tradition was put on hold last year.

Club officials said there are no plans for an honorary starter in the works at this time.

"They might not want to do the honorary starter," said Palmer, who is an Augusta National member.

Sarazen, Snead and Nelson served as starters together for more than 15 years, and the trio of legendary golfers was an annual highlight.

Snead, a three-time Masters winner, was the first tournament winner to receive the coveted green jacket. Nelson, who won the Masters twice, retired as an honorary starter after the 2001 tournament. Sarazen, the 1935 winner, participated in the ceremony from 1981 until his death after the 1999 tournament.

Honorary starters have been a part of the Masters tradition since 1963, when Jock Hutchinson and Fred McLeod were the first to start off golf's rite of spring.

Hutchinson and McLeod were significant because they won the first two PGA Senior Championships, which were held at Augusta National in 1937 and 1938. The tournament later moved to Florida.

The only other golfer to participate in the ceremony is Ken Venturi, who finished second twice in the Masters.

The former CBS golf analyst took part in 1983.

Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or jboyette@augustachronicle.com.