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The curse and the charm of The Masters Par-3 competition

By Kyle Walton

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: Larry Mize of the United States plays a shot during the Par 3 Contest prior to the start of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2016 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: Larry Mize of the United States plays a shot during the Par 3 Contest prior to the start of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2016 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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The tradition within the tradition unlike any other is a perfect balance of charming get-together and cursed contention less than 24 hours before the official start of The Masters.

One of the favorite Masters traditions to partake in for competitors is Wednesday’s pre-tournament Par-3 Contest. While many in The Masters field enjoy this breath of fresh air before four days of grueling competition, few actually strive to win the nine hole event.

Neighboring the iconic Masters course at Augusta National is the 1,060-yard nine hole Par-3 course. The competition began in 1960 as a unique way for Masters participants to unwind before the rigors of the weekend took over. Typically competitors employ celebrity or family caddies for the event’s laid back atmosphere.

Often times these special guest caddies end up being a part of the action instead of just handing out clubs. Many times a golfer will call in their guest caddie or a family member watching to take the final putt for their competitor. This guest shot results in an automatic disqualification which most competitors are completely okay with, even if they were leading the event.

While the event itself isn’t overly cutthroat and competitive, there is famed curse attached to winning the Par-3 contest. Over the past 57 years, 58 competitors have won the Par-3 contest. Dual winners were crowned twice in the event’s history where inclement weather forced an early ending to culminate in a tie.

The unfortunate news for those 58 winners, none have gone on to win The Masters the year they won the Par-3 contest. Two golfers have come close, each finishing second. Chip Beck (1993) was runner-up to Bernhard Langer by four strokes while Nick Floyd (1990) went all the way to a two-hole playoff before being defeated by Nick Faldo’s historic comeback.

Even looking beyond winning a staggering 31 percent — nearly a third — of Par-3 winners haven’t even made the weekend’s cut. Legends of the sport including Tiger Woods and even the iconic six-time Masters Champion Jack Nicklaus himself didn’t participate in the Par-3 competition during their most competitive days. In a 2008 ESPN article Nicklaus stated part of his reluctance to play the Par-3 course was due to superstition:

"I never played it in the years that I had a chance to win. Two reasons. I suppose one, I’m a little superstitious like everybody else. The reason that I didn’t play a lot was that I think you play a practice round on Wednesday preparing yourself for a golf tournament. Is it too much to ask the players to play? No, it’s not too much. But in the days when I was competitive and felt like I had a chance, I had so much energy focused on wanting to win that golf tournament that it was a distraction for me and nothing I wanted to do.”"

Despite the curse of the competition, there is still plenty of excitement and highlights to be had. Over the course of the Par-3 Contest, there have been over 80 holes-in-one made. Rain washed out 2017’s competition but with decent weather, there’s always a chance for a few more highlights to be had in 2018.

Next: Top 10 shots in The Masters history

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