2017 was the first year Arnold Palmer was not part of the honorary starters at the Masters. And the golf world truly missed him at the Augusta National. The 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth, too, missed the presence of the legendary golfer and gave a small tribute to him during the event.

The former world no. 1 remembered Palmer as he was hitting a recovery shot from a miniature forest.

“What would Arnie do, Mike?” The 2015 Masters champion asked his caddie. Although it was nothing, Spieth thinking of Arnie while hitting a shot at the Augusta National was a sight to watch. After getting his caddie’s suggestion, Spieth successfully hit it to the green, closer to the hole, and received tremendous applause from the audience.

Arnold Palmer is considered one of the maestros at the Masters with his four victories. The legendary golfer began playing at the Augusta National in 1955 until 2004; 2004 was his 50th appearance as a player.

Furthermore, Palmer began to serve as the honorary starter at the Augusta National in 2007. Although he was the first to become the honorary starter, the other two of ‘The Big Three,’ Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, also joined him later.

Read more: 5 Quick Informative Facts About the Masters Par-3 Contest

Nicknamed The King, Palmer made his last appearance at the 2016 Masters. Even though he couldn’t hit the tee shot then, the golfer interacted with the audience by waving to them.

Although it was nothing, the fact that a young golfer like Spieth remembered Palmer had impressed the golf fans.

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Fans’ reaction to Spieth mentioning Arnold Palmer at the 2017 Masters

The golf world showered positive comments for Spieth for his small but thoughtful gesture. 

The golf fans wanted Spieth to win at the Augusta in 2017 after watching him give a tribute to Arnie. Although he couldn’t win it, the young golfer had an impressive top 15 finish after the final round.

Jordan Spieth history with the Masters

In his 8 appearances at the Masters, Spieth has made the cuts in all of them. The golfer got his first opportunity to play at the Augusta National in 2014 and finished at an impressive T2 position. 

Spieth won the tournament in 2015 and has been included in the top 10 in four of his 8 starts. The last time he had played in a Masters was in 2021, when he had finished with a tie at the third position. 

With his experience at the Masters, do you think Spieth can win the championship this year? Let us know what you think!

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