The Masters - Par 3 Contest
- Apr 4, 2017
- 2 min read
On Wednesday of Masters Week every year, the Par 3 contest at Augusta National takes place to start the memorable tournament and tradition. The field usually consist of the tournament's participants, honorary invites, and non-participating past champions. Although it is a smaller tournament in itself compared to the big tournament starting Thursday, it is largely seen as a time to enjoy company in the likes of kids and family. Many times players don’t actually present a score, as they will allow their caddie or family members to participate in a chip or a putt from time to time. Kids become caddies as well and assist in tending flags and carrying bags, much smaller than the normal players bag of course. In the bigger picture, the tradition is seen as a time to cherish some special moments with family and close friends, while also competing in a lighter sense among fellow golfers.
The course is a 9 hole course set up at Augusta, with each hole ranging anywhere from 70-140 yards. Over the years, there have been 80 hole in ones recorded at the event, and the current record for most hole in ones in a year was 2016, with nine. The bigger story that comes in to play if a player finds himself in contention at the traditional par 3 contest, is that no player has ever gone on to win the Masters tournament after becoming the winner of the Par 3 contest. With that being said, with majority of the strong tournament field looking to participate on Thursday afternoon, will they fall back and have a little fun to avoid the curse that lingers for the winner? The following top players, as well as legends, look to tee it up tomorrow with short irons, all while having a chance at winning the Masters in 2017:
Notable Groups (odds to win masters)
Jason Day (+1550)
Bubba Watson (+3500)
Patrick Reed (+6000)
Phil Mickelson (+1700)
Davis Love III
Jim Herman
Rickie Fowler (+1800)
Justin Thomas (+3500)
Jordan Spieth (+650)
Dustin Johnson (+500)
Brooks Koepka (+6500)
Rich Beem
Jack Nicklaus
Gary Player
Tom Watson
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