AUGUSTA, Ga. — As custom dictates, there may be now very unhealthy information to report about Canadian golfers Mike Weir and Mackenzie Hughes. Neither will win the Masters.
That’s, should you consider the superstition — or a minimum of, consider within the historic correlation. No participant has gained the Par 3 Contest and gone on to win the Masters in the identical yr, a pattern that Weir and Hughes will each attempt to buck when this yr’s match begins Thursday.
Weir and Hughes shared the Par 3 title Wednesday, each ending 4 below. Play began late due to the specter of unhealthy climate and ended early when extra inclement climate was approaching the world.
“It’s fun. This is a very special day for me,” Hughes mentioned. “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.”
Relying on the way you depend, Hughes had both three caddies or zero caddies. He carried his personal bag whereas caddy No. 1 (his spouse) saved watchful eyes on caddies No. 2 and No. 3 (their children).
“My youngest, Cohen, he’s 16 months on Monday, so he wanted to get after every ball on the green, heading towards lakes,” Hughes mentioned. “So, definitely priority No. 1 was to keep them on grass. Did that.”
It was the primary Par 3 occasion on the Masters — the standard, family-friendly Wednesday afternoon prequel to the actual factor — since 2019. The 2020 and 2021 occasions did not occur due to the pandemic.
A few of the “patrons” on the quick course, with holes starting from 70 to about 140 yards in size, did not precisely behave. Sergio Garcia missed the inexperienced at No. 1, maybe as a result of a baby loudly introduced throughout Garcia’s swing that he’d be taking a flip subsequent. Some children ran on the greens; others jumped up and down by the tee packing containers.
Clearly, no person minded.
“Special family time,” Justin Rose mentioned.
Caddies hit balls into the water, wives took putts for his or her tour-player husbands — Lacey Homa had a birdie for husband Max — and about 40 gamers had been technically ineligible to win as a result of another person performed their ball sooner or later throughout the contest.
Once more, no person minded that, both.
“I think as you get older you understand to appreciate even more,” mentioned 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize, who completed a shot again Wednesday. “Having the Par 3 back this year is a blast. It is so special. I can’t put into words how special it is.”
There are 11 males who’ve gained each the Masters and the Par-3 Contest — Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, Vijay Singh, Mark O’Meara, Tommy Aaron, Sandy Lyle, Gay Brewer and Artwork Wall Jr.
Simply by no means in the identical yr.
Weir, nevertheless, mentioned he did not consider within the Par 3 jinx.
“You come out and you want to hit some good shots and get a good feel and leave a good taste in your mouth,” Weir mentioned.
