Golfing icon, Jack Nicklaus has been performing his role as one of the honorary starters at The Masters since 2010, but never before has the 18-time Major winner rocked up on the first tee with a golf bag quite like he did in 2024.
Pictured alongside wife, Barbara, eight-time Major winner, Tom Watson, and nine-time Major champion, Gary Player - along with their respective caddies and tour bags - Nicklaus could be seen wielding a unique kind of pencil bag as he prepared to officially begin the 2024 Masters.
It appeared to show a variety of different flags stitched together - including a Masters pin, an Oakmont Country Club logo (1962 US Open), and a St Andrews Open Championship version (1978) - but what linked them was not immediately clear.
That was until the owner of FlagBag Golf Company shared an awesome story via social media on the business' "big weekend" at Augusta that cleared the situation up.
They said: "Last summer a guy named "Stevie Nicklaus" (with a Florida area code) reached out to us with a voicemail and wanted to have a FlagBag made for his grandpa. We thought... 'Could it be?'
"Stevie said that his "Peepaw" Jack is the hardest person in the world to shop for - because he has everything possible golf related. Yes, THE Jack Nicklaus.
"Stevie surreptitiously asked his grandpa which of his "Major" wins were his most memorable, and we then created a FlagBag with those specific pin flags. We couldn't have possibly dreamt of a cooler FlagBag to build.
"Stevie gave the FlagBag to Jack for his 84th birthday in January, and Jack said, "it's one of the best presents I have ever received!" In a total class move, Jack sent a handwritten letter to us expressing his excitement for Stevie's gift and the work that went into it.
"Jack's unexpected decision to use his FlagBag at Augusta was the biggest compliment we've ever received, and this 2024 Masters Thursday will be a day we will NEVER forget. Thanks, Jack. Thanks, Barbara. Thank you, Stevie, for making this all become a reality!"
The story behind our big weekend in Augusta.Last summer a guy named "Stevie Nicklaus" (with a Florida area code) reached out to us with a voicemail and wanted to have a FlagBag made for his grandpa.We thought... "Could it be?"(a thread) pic.twitter.com/CcrfAgf7A3April 16, 2024
The 'Flag Bag' held at least one Callaway iron and a TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver - the club Nicklaus used to successfully stripe his tee shot down the left centre of the first fairway. After hitting, he said: "I did it!" to which the onlooking patrons all laughed. He had earlier warned to "watch out to the left and right!"
As Tom Watson put his tee in the ground moments later, the five-time Open champion said: “Just one thing. Jack, you’ve never hit a hook off this tee in your life.” In response, Nicklaus laughed and said: “That was a neck pull.”
Following Watson's go, all three honorary starters retired to watch the event unfold in peace as Scottie Scheffler began his journey towards a second Green Jacket.
