AUGUSTA, Ga. — Wednesday brought back a sight not seen by players or patrons at Augusta National in three years.
A shortened Par 3 Contest was sandwiched between two weather systems, but what onlookers did get to see brought back images of past Masters Tournaments. It was the first since 2019, back when normal meant normal for many.
The event was originally slated to begin at noon, but the course had to be evacuated at 11:22 a.m. due to poor weather conditions. The gates reopened at 12:45 p.m., and the first group of South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen began play just before 1.
Patrons began filing in shortly after and, by the third or fourth group, it was close to a packed house.
“I think if we wouldn’t have had that little delay and some people left, it was really kind of electric in here,” Weir said. “Still really fun. You can tell starting to build momentum and people are working their way back in. It’s always such a great tradition here to be playing this.”
Play was suspended again at 3:42 p.m. and that was it for the day. Mackenzie Hughes and 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir ended in a tie for the lead at 4-under par and were declared co-champs.
It was still enough time for one ace, though. That distinction went to Jason Kokrak with a hole-in-one on No. 4.
The first ace of the day belongs to Jason Kokrak. #themasters pic.twitter.com/OE0391L2oQ
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2022
While everyone wants a win in any event, the special thing about the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National is that it’s a chance for players to decompress before tournament play begins. It’s also a great way to make memories with their families.
“My youngest, Cohen, he’s 16 months on Monday, so he wanted to get after every ball on the green, heading towards lakes,” Hughes said. “So that was definitely priority No. 1 was to keep them on grass, and did that.”
The putting green adjacent to the first tee tends to become a staging area, not a place for practicing reads. Small children hit balls with shortened putters, took pictures with their fathers, and just had fun at Augusta National.
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Probably the most photogenic of the bunch were Corey and Malory Conners and their 5-month-old daughter, Reis, wearing a matching caddie jumpsuit.
A good number of the field had never experienced the Par 3 Contest before this year, so their first one being cut short wasn’t ideal. The memories made here will last forever, but the anticipation for 2023 is already there.
“Yeah, it’s fun. This is a very special day for me,” Hughes said. “This is my third Masters and my first Par 3 Contest. I was really excited to get out here and do this. Very lucky that the weather held off for us.”
It’s not just the younger crowd that loves it. Masters veterans like 1987 champion Larry Mize were thrilled to see the contest return this year, too.
“I think as you get older you understand to appreciate even more,” said the Augusta native, who finished at 3 under. “Having the Par 3 back this year is a blast. It is so special. I can’t put into words how special it is.”
