The Masters Par 3 Contest: All The Information You Need Including Time, Date and Previous Winners

The Masters Par 3 Contest
The Masters Par 3 Contest

Augusta National plays host to the annual Masters Par 3 Contest, which is often hailed as the unofficial start to the season’s first major. As this year’s competitors line-up against former green jacket holders on Wednesday, we are running you through all the key info on the long-standing tradition including players, tee-off times and previous winners.

What is The Masters Par 3 Contest?

The birth-child of former Augusta National chairman Clifford Roberts, the Par 3 contest first began all the way back in 1960. Designed by himself and prolific course designer George Cobb, the competition takes place in one round on a nine-hole, par-27 course.

It has long been one of the beloved traditions at Augusta, with families often invited to caddie for the competitors and even putt some of the simpler shots. Former Masters winners also line-up against the year’s field, which is a great tie-in to uphold the legacy of such a prestigious course.

The contest usually results to some truly gung-ho golf, with participants firing sweeping drives and attempting optimistic putts. Fingers crossed for a repeat of 2016’s edition, where fans were treated to nine holes-in-one in a single year.

When is it and What Time Does it Start?

2023’s Masters Par 3 Contest tees off around noon, ET on Wednesday 5th April.

ESPN will have coverage of the event from 3pm to 5pm ET, meaning you will be able to catch part of the action.


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Former Winners and Record Holders

Three-time green jacket recipient Sam Snead was the first ever Par 3 Contest winner back in 1960, and is one of 12 players to win both the pre-tournament tradition and the Masters itself.

Champions Par-3 wins Masters Titles
Sam Snead 1960, 1974 1949, 1952, 1954
Art Wall Jr. 1965 1959
Arnold Palmer 1967 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
Gay Brewer 1973 1967
Tom Watson 1982, 2018 1977, 1981
Tommy Aaron 1984 1973
Ben Crenshaw 1987 1984, 1995
Raymond Floyd 1990 1976
Vijay Singh 1994 2000
Sandy Lyle 1997, 1998 1988
Mark O’Meara 2007 1998
Mike Weir 2022 2003

 

However, it is interesting to note that no player has ever won the Par 3 Contest and the Masters in the same year, so we may yet see history made in 2023.

Elsewhere, Jimmy Walker holds the course record with 19 (-8 ) in 2016 which included a hole-in-one, while Padraig Harrington has tallied the most contest wins after claiming his third in 2012.

Full List of Previous Winners

1960 Sam Snead
1961 Deane Beman
1962 Bruce Crampton
1963 George Bayer
1964 Labron Harris Jr.
1965 Art Wall Jr.
1966 Terry Dill
1967 Arnold Palmer
1968 Bob Rosburg
1969 Bob Lunn
1970 Harold Henning
1971* Dave Stockton
1972 Steve Melnyk
1973 Gay Brewer
1974 Sam Snead (2)
1975 Isao Aoki
1976 Jay Haas
1977 Tom Weiskopf
1978 Lou Graham
1979 Joe Inman
1980 Johnny Miller
1981 Isao Aoki (2)
1982 Tom Watson
1983 Hale Irwin
1984 Tommy Aaron
1985 Hubert Green
1986 Gary Koch
1987 Ben Crenshaw
1988 Tsuneyuki Nakajima
1989 Bob Gilder
1990 Raymond Floyd
1991 Rocco Mediate
1992 Davis Love III
1993 Chip Beck
1994 Vijay Singh
1995 Hal Sutton
1996 Jay Haas (2)
1997 Sandy Lyle
1998 Sandy Lyle (2)
1999 Joe Durant
2000* Chris Perry
2001 David Toms
2002 Nick Price
2003 Pádraig Harrington

David Toms (2)

2004 Pádraig Harrington (2)
2005 Jerry Pate
2006 Ben Crane
2007 Mark O’Meara
2008 Rory Sabbatini
2009 Tim Clark
2010 Louis Oosthuizen
2011 Luke Donald
2012 Jonathan Byrd

Pádraig Harrington (3)

2013 Ted Potter Jr.
2014 Ryan Moore
2015 Kevin Streelman
2016 Jimmy Walker
2017 Contest cancelled due to rain
2018 Tom Watson (2)
2019 Matt Wallace
2020 Contest canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021
2022 Mackenzie Hughes

Mike Weir

 

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