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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