I've never previously harbored any great emotion towards the Par 3 Contest at the Masters. As a viewer at home, it's the kind of event that doesn't get all that much TV coverage and my interaction with it often only came from the brief clips I'd see of holes in one or interesting moments with players and their families. However, after attending the Par 3 Contest for the first time in person this year, I think it should be heralded as the Masters' greatest in a long line of traditions.
Played for the first time in 1960, the Par 3 Contest is the informal curtain raiser for the tournament itself allowing current and past players - alongside their families - to play the stunning par 3 course at Augusta National. There have been some memorable moments of course - like Tony Finau's dislocated ankle after his hole in one in 2018 or Gary Nicklaus Jr.'s hole in one in the same year - but until I saw it and experienced it with my own eyes, it's a hard event to properly appreciate.
