Celebrating the return of Masters Par-3 contest
AUGUSTA, GA – Since 1960, the par-3 contest has been part of pre-tournament traditions of the Masters Tournament, men's golf's first major of the year. This year, the Wednesday contest returns after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic, to entertain the spectators and players before the tournament started on Thursday.
For this year's edition, Canadian players Mackenzie Hughes and 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir are shared champions. In fact, Weir is one of the past or future Masters champions to win the contest either prior to or after winning the green jacket.
- Facts and figures
Weir is not the only one in doing so; other popular players were inaugural winner Sam Snead, the late great Arnold Palmer, the legendary Tom Watson, the flamboyants Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, and Mark O'Meara. Ray Floyd won the contest in 1990, but failed to win his 2nd green jacket four days later after losing to defending champion Sir Nick Faldo in sudden-death playoff.
Another shared champion of the Par-3 contest is three-time major champion and 2020 European Ryder Cup team captain Padraig Harrington, who shared with David Toms in 2003 and Jonathan Byrd in 2012.
The contest's scoring record is set at (-8) in 2016 by that year's PGA Championship champion Jimmy Walker. The 2016 contest also saw record nine hole-in-ones, which one of them shot by three-time Masters champion Gary Player.
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