Inside the Masters Par 3 Contest: The wholesome tradition players don’t want to win

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I opened a tiny Masters caddie bib as a gift: last name stitched in Augusta green, sized for a one-year-old. One year later, I squeezed my chubby toddler into it on Masters weekend. Because if there’s one thing you learn watching the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National, it’s this: There’s nothing cuter than a kid in a caddie bib.

Every year, players and past champions walk this low-stakes nine-hole exhibition with family members acting as caddies. Kids and grandkids, wives and girlfriends all dressed in those same oversized white bibs. PGA Tour pros chasing waddling toddlers, kids tending flagsticks, taking swings. It’s chaotic, it’s wholesome, and it’s somehow the most human Augusta ever feels.

You remember the moments: Jack Nicklaus’ grandson, Gary Nicklaus Jr., acing the final hole in 2018 (with Gary Player and Tom Watson cheering). Frankie Fleetwood “trying my hardest” to reach the green. Scottie Scheffler with his son, Bennett. Rory Mcilroy with his daughter, Poppy. Max Homa and his son, Cam. The Par 3 is one of Augusta’s most joyful traditions.

And yet, it’s also wrapped around one of golf’s strangest superstitions. No one has ever won both the Par 3 Contest and the Masters in the same year, which is why it’s the one thing players (probably) don’t want to win.

What is the Masters Par 3 Contest?

On the Wednesday before the Masters Tournament, players and past champions take on a nine-hole course that's officially known as the, you guessed it, Augusta National Par 3 Course. Wives, girlfriends, children and relatives serve as caddies in this laid back exhibition of sorts that was designed as a prelude to the tournament. It’s relaxed, the stakes are low, and the moments (and photographs) are cherished.

Why players don’t actually want to win the Par 3 Contest

Whether coincidence or superstition, one fact has held since 1960: No player has ever won both the Par 3 Contest and the Masters in the same year. Call it a curse or just a statistical oddity, but players are aware of it. That’s part of why it feels so loose. According to the Masters, many players won’t even post a score, opting instead for a leisurely walk or letting their kids or spouses take shots, tap in putts or try to find the green. So whether by design or by tradition, it’s the only place at Augusta that winning isn’t always the point. 

How players approach the Par 3 Contest strategically

For all the smiles and viral moments, Wednesday at Augusta is still part of a routine. The Par 3 Contest comes less than 24 hours before the Masters begins, and most players treat it accordingly.  Some who play aren’t really playing. They’re staying sharp with wedges and putters, soaking in the atmosphere and getting off the course without taking much out of the tank.

“I like the idea of going out there and trying to make six-footers or eight-footers where it sort of meant something, which I think helps get you better prepared for Thursday,” said former PGA Tour pro and golf analyst Andy North at a media call. “I thought it was a nice day to kind of put the final touches on your preparation for the week and hopefully got you in a good frame of mind going forward.”

Letting a kid swing or a spouse tap it in isn’t just part of the moment though, it can be the point. “It’s really good to get your mind off things and realize what’s important,” Jon Rahm told ESPN’s Marty Smith in 2022.

“You’ve really gotten a chance through television to see [the fun of the day],” said Scott Van Pelt a few years back. “It’s such a great snapshot of what the place feels like on Wednesday, and it’s so unusual that the day before one of the four most important rounds of the year that you just totally take your foot off the gas and smile and have a laugh.”

And still, every year, someone wins it anyway.

Every player to win the Par 3 Contest

For 65 years, the Par 3 Contest has crowned. Here’s a complete look at who has won the event.

When is the 2026 Masters Par 3 Contest?

• Wednesday, April 8
• Noon ET
• Augusta National Golf Club
• Coverage airs on ESPN from 2-4 p.m. ET, with streaming available on ESPN+, Masters.com and the Masters app