Key keywords: 2026 Masters Tournament, Honorary Starters ceremony, Augusta National Golf Club, Masters official start time, first tee opening ceremony, major professional golf championship, golf legendary players Augusta National Golf Club officials released a formal announcement on Wednesday confirming the exact start time for the 2026 Masters Honorary Starters ceremony, one of the most beloved pre-tournament traditions at the first major professional golf championship of the year. The ceremony is scheduled to kick off at 7:45 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 9, 2026, the opening day of the Masters Tournament’s four official competitive rounds, held at the iconic first tee of the Augusta, Georgia course. For decades, the Honorary Starters ceremony has kicked off the Masters by inviting golf’s most celebrated retired legends to hit the ceremonial first tee shots of the tournament, paying homage to the sport’s history and the tournament’s legacy of excellence. Past honorary starters include the "Big Three" of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player, as well as six-time major champion Tom Watson, who joined the lineup in recent years. Tournament officials noted that the 15-minute shift from the traditional 8:00 a.m. ET start time was made after two years of feedback from global broadcast partners and in-person attendees. The adjusted time allows for a larger buffer against potential spring weather delays, including the light morning fog that occasionally rolls through Augusta in early April, ensuring the ceremony does not cut into the scheduled tee times for competing professional players later in the morning. For global audiences, the new start time translates to 12:45 p.m. GMT for European viewers and 8:45 p.m. CST for East Asian audiences, reducing scheduling conflicts with other local sports programming and making the live broadcast more accessible to fans outside of North America. While the full list of 2026 honorary starters has not yet been disclosed, tournament representatives confirmed that they are in active discussions with multiple golf legends, including possible invitations to LPGA major champions to participate for the first time in the ceremony’s history, as part of Augusta National’s ongoing commitment to growing the sport for golfers of all genders and backgrounds. Ticketholders for the 2026 Masters opening round will be granted entry to the course starting at 6:30 a.m. ET on April 9, giving them time to access the first tee viewing areas, visit the tournament’s iconic concessions, and find their spots before the ceremony begins. Global broadcast partners including CBS, ESPN, and the Golf Channel will air the full ceremony live, with multi-language commentary options available for viewers in over 180 countries worldwide. Fans can sign up for real-time updates on the official Masters website and social media channels to receive notifications when the full honorary starters list is released, as well as additional details on viewing options and event programming.