As tradition dictates, there is now very bad news to report about Canadian golfers Mike Weir and Mackenzie Hughes.
Neither will win the Masters.
That is, if you believe the superstition B次元官网网址� or at least, believe in the history. No player has won the Par 3 Contest and gone on to win the Masters in the same year, a trend that Weir and Hughes will both try to buck when this yearB次元官网网址檚 tournament starts Thursday in Augusta, Ga.
Weir and Hughes shared the Par 3 title on Wednesday, both finishing 4 under. Play started late because of the threat of weather and ended early when more inclement weather was approaching the area.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fun. This is a very special day for me,B次元官网网址� Hughes said. B次元官网网址淭his 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.B次元官网网址�
Depending on how you count, Hughes either had three caddies or zero caddies. He carried his own bag, while caddy No. 1 (his wife) kept watchful eyes on caddies No. 2 and No. 3 (their kids).
In a week that is all business, it's a day that is anything but.
B次元官网网址� The Masters (@TheMasters)
B次元官网网址淢y youngest, Cohen, heB次元官网网址檚 16 months on Monday, so he wanted to get after every ball on the green, heading towards lakes,B次元官网网址� Hughes said. B次元官网网址淪o, definitely priority No. 1 was to keep them on grass. Did that.B次元官网网址�
It was the first Par 3 event at the Masters B次元官网网址� the traditional, family friendly Wednesday afternoon prequel to the real thing B次元官网网址� since 2019. The 2020 and 2021 events didnB次元官网网址檛 happen because of the pandemic.
Some of the B次元官网网址減atronsB次元官网网址� on the short course, with holes ranging from 70 to about 140 yards in length, didnB次元官网网址檛 exactly behave. Sergio Garcia missed the green at No. 1, perhaps because a child loudly announced during GarciaB次元官网网址檚 swing that heB次元官网网址檇 be taking a turn next. Kids ran on the greens, others jumped up and down by the tee boxes.
Obviously, nobody minded.
B次元官网网址淪pecial family time,B次元官网网址� Justin Rose said.
Caddies hit balls into the water, wives took putts for their tour-player husbands B次元官网网址� Lacey Homa had a birdie for her husband Max B次元官网网址� and about 40 players were technically ineligible to win because someone else played their ball at some point during the contest.
Again, nobody minded that, either.
B次元官网网址淚 think as you get older you understand to appreciate even more,B次元官网网址� said 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize, who finished a shot back Wednesday. B次元官网网址淗aving the Par 3 back this year is a blast. It is so special. I canB次元官网网址檛 put into words how special it is.B次元官网网址�
There are 11 men who have won both the Masters and the Par-3 Contest B次元官网网址� Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, Vijay Singh, Mark OB次元官网网址橫eara, Tommy Aaron, Sandy Lyle, Gay Brewer and Art Wall Jr.
Just never in the same year.
Weir, however, said he didnB次元官网网址檛 believe in the Par 3 winning jinx.
B次元官网网址淵ou come out and you want to hit some good shots and get a good feel and leave a good taste in your mouth,B次元官网网址� Weir said.
NOTABLE OMISSION
SomethingB次元官网网址檚 missing from the Masters this year. And as it turns out, even Augusta National isnB次元官网网址檛 immune from an increasingly common issue these days.
The Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich B次元官网网址� possibly one of the finest $2 desserts in the free world B次元官网网址� hasnB次元官网网址檛 been available at Augusta National this week.
The official reason: Supply chain issues.
All the other traditional concession items are back at the Masters, with a couple of mild menu tweaks. Egg salad and pimento cheese sandwiches remain priced at $1.50. A couple of sandwich prices B次元官网网址� ham and cheese, and turkey and cheese B次元官网网址� were increased 50 cents to $3 apiece. And a new $3 egg, meat and cheese breakfast sandwich is on this yearB次元官网网址檚 menu as well.
The peach ice cream might be missing but there is a nod to GeorgiaB次元官网网址檚 other official snack, with Georgia pecan caramel popcorn at $1.50.
And the most expensive item on the menu isnB次元官网网址檛 expensive at all, compared to just about every other major sporting event in the world: A glass of chardonnay will set you back $6, which is $1 more than beer.
B次元官网网址淲e have had some modest price increases,B次元官网网址� Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said. B次元官网网址淚 think that most, if not everyone, would say there is great value in our concessions. So, we are very comfortable with that.B次元官网网址�
ONE MORE CLUB
Xander Schauffele went back to the par-3 16th hole during a practice round earlier this week, this time having grabbed a 7-iron.
Had he done that in the final round last year, the Masters might have gone differently.
He had made four consecutive birdies and was within striking distance of leader and eventual winner Hideki Matsuyama last year when he went to the 16th. The hole was playing at 184 yards for the final round. Schauffele chose an 8-iron.
The ball went in the water, he made triple-bogey and his chance at a green jacket was gone.
B次元官网网址淚 walked up and hit a 7-iron this year,B次元官网网址� Schauffele said. B次元官网网址淭he green was concrete. My ball landed right near the hole and skipped all the way to the back of the green. B次元官网网址� I waited a year to hit that shot again.B次元官网网址�
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WAITING ON 13
HereB次元官网网址檚 an oddity. The par-4 11th at Augusta National is now longer than the par-5 13th.
ThatB次元官网网址檒l probably change, but nobody seems to know when.
No. 11 has been stretched to 520 yards, 10 more than No. 13, a hole that the Masters has been on-record as wanting to change for at least six years now and counting. It has become too easy for their liking, with the majority of players able to reach the green in two shots.
The Masters is still weighing its options, while the sportB次元官网网址檚 governing bodies B次元官网网址� the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient B次元官网网址� continue studying potential changes or solutions to what has been called B次元官网网址渂omb and gouge,B次元官网网址� a style where distance is valued more than accuracy.
B次元官网网址淲e are going to go forward on our own timetable and make changes we think to,B次元官网网址� Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said. B次元官网网址淢ost of our tees are very lengthy and weB次元官网网址檒l have that optionality today and weB次元官网网址檒l continue to have that optionality going forward.B次元官网网址�
FEATURED GROUPS
The MastersB次元官网网址� digital platforms will stream 18-hole B次元官网网址渟potlight coverage of select groupingsB次元官网网址� during ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 opening round, two trios from the morning and two more in the afternoon.
It means those who want to see every shot Tiger Woods plays Thursday will be able to do so.
The 10:34 a.m. (Eastern time) grouping of Woods, Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann is the first featured trio on the schedule for Thursday, followed by the 10:56 a.m. group of Adam Scott, Scottie Scheffler and Tony Finau.
The afternoon groupings getting the same coverage: Dustin Johnson, Billy Horschel and Collin Morikawa teeing off at 1:30 p.m., and Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele who begin at 1:52 p.m.
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