Best seat in the house
The tee on No. 1 - Thursday, 7:45 a.m.
Karen Woodbury's alarm went off at 3:50 a.m. Thursday.
The Alpharetta, Ga., resident and her husband were in their car by 4:30 and headed to Augusta.
Neither wanted to miss seeing Arnold Palmer's first turn as honorary starter at the Masters Tournament.
"It'll be a long day," said Woodbury, a golf fan making her first trip to the Masters.
The Woodburys weren't alone. Thousands of fans lined up before dawn on Washington Road to make sure they were in position to see Palmer hit the ceremonial tee shot.
Ray Beltz, of Huntersville, N.C., and William Sechrist of Mooresville, N.C., had it a bit easier.
They arrived Wednesday night and were in line at 6:40 a.m. to see Palmer.
It was the first trip to the Masters for both men.
"I'm just a big golf fan," Beltz said. "He's a legend. I probably won't be able to see him tee off (in person) again."
After a moment of silence for two-time Masters winner and former honorary starter Byron Nelson, who died last year, Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Chairman Billy Payne introduced Palmer.
The King, as he came to be known while charging to four victories at Augusta National, didn't disappoint.
"Sure is pretty, isn't it?" Palmer said before launching his tee shot down the left side and into the second cut.
It certainly was.
GET THE BEST SEAT
A good place to see today's action is on the hill just below the tee box of the sixth hole. From there, you can watch the play at the sixth green and the adjacent 16th hole.
