5 Quick Informative Facts About the Masters Par-3 Contest

The famous Par-3 Contest is back! Being one of the major attractions of the Masters Tournament, fans are happy to see the 9-hole event back at the Augusta National. 

It is a family event for the golfers, as their wives, children, and grandchildren caddy for them. The contest is held a day before the actual Masters tournament begins, and is considered a stress reliever before the first major of the year. 

The Augusta National co-founder and Chairman, Clifford Roberts, is the mastermind behind this family event. The golf club even built a 9-hole par-3 course separately for the contest and hosted the contest first in 1960. Moreover, the event had to be canceled in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

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To commemorate the greatest tradition of the Masters Tournament, here are a few interesting and informative facts about the contest. 

The year 2000 witnessed the oldest-ever player at the Augusta National

The World Golf Hall of Famer Paul Runyan was 91-years-old when he played in the contest. The American professional golfer had won 29 PGA Tour titles throughout his career. 

Runyan passed two years after participating in the Par-3 event. 

100 holes-in-one

According to pga.com, the odds of an average golfer hitting a hole-in-one are 12,500 to 1. Yet, the Par-3 Contest had recorded a hundred holes-in-one as per the Masters Media Guide of 2022. 

The year 2016 saw the most number of aces as the golfer hit 9 in total. Furthermore, No. 9 is the hole with the most holes-in-one, with a total of 24. 

A course record at the Par-3 Contest

With his win at the contest in 2016, Jimmy Walker has set a course record of 8-under 19. The golfer had hit six birdies and an ace in the match to set such a low record. 

Furthermore, he won the event with a 3-shot lead against Keegan Bradley and Craig Stadler. 

Padraig Harrington bagged the most wins at the event.

The Irish golfer Padraig Harrington has won three times on the 9-hole course of the Augusta National. The three-time major winner had his first win in 2003 and successfully defended his title the next year. Later, he won the contest one more time in 2012, making him the golfer with the most win. 

Interestingly, the golfer has never won a Masters Tournament.

The Amateurs, too, had a shot at the Augusta National.

In the history of the 9-hole event at the Augusta, the amateurs have won three times. Dean Beman won the event in 1961, a year after its inception. Later, Labron Harris Jr. had won in 1964, and Jay Haas in 1976. 

The golf world loves watching the par-3 contest at the Augusta National. While it is a stress reliever for the golfers ahead of the Masters, it also creates some historical moments for the fans to witness and cherish.

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