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Par-3 contest helps usher in the 2025 Masters tournament
Masters 25
Canadian Corey Conners walks down the first fairway at the par-3 tournament with his wife Mallory and his four-year-old daughter Reis who skips happily between them. - photo by JOSH AUBREY/staff

It’s the calm before the storm. A tradition unlike any other within the tradition at The Masters. The annual par-3 tournament was started in 1960 and takes place on the Wednesday before the opening round at Augusta National. It gives the players who are participating an opportunity to bring their families out to the course to join them for the annual event.

 

The field is not limited to those in the field as Gary Player at 89 years of age is still participating along with past champions like Nick Faldo, Larry Mize and Ben Crenshaw.

 

No one who has won the par-3 tournament has gone on to win The Masters, so good news and bad for Masters rookie Nico Echavarria who won in a playoff against J.J. Spaun.

 

Masters 25
Tony Finau totes daughter Sienna-Vee, one of his six children to the first tee while Rafael Campos carries his four-month-old daughter Paola Isabel who was born just days before Campos's first PGA Tour victory at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship which got him into the 2025 Masters. - photo by JOSH AUBREY/staff

There were several memorable moments, including holes-in-one from Keegan Bradley and Brooks Koepka on the sixth hole, while Tom Hoge aced the fourth hole.

 

Among the players with the biggest entourage Tony Finau brought his six children while Aussie Jason Day had his five. Some of the top players on the PGA Tour have young ones that joined them with their mothers. Jordan Speith brought his son Sammy and daughter Sophie along with his wife Annie who is pregnant with their third child due in July.

 

Rory McIlroy is looking to complete the Grand Slam with a victory this year at Augusta National. His wife Erica was joined by their four-year-old daughter Poppy who received an ovation normally reserved for her daddy.  McIlroy hit his tee shot to about 25 feet away and handed his putter to Poppy to give it a try.  With one hand she tapped the ball downhill and it slowly worked it’s way into the hole and was quickly embraced by McIlroy and playing partner Shane Lowry as well as Lowry’s daughter Iris who made an impressive putt herself a little earlier.

 

"We're waiting nine months from the last major so to end your preparations with such a fun afternoon is great," McIlroy told reporters.

"If you're not ready by now, you don't have a chance. Let's have fun, go home, have dinner and rest and relax for Thursday."

 

 

McIlroy tees off Thursday at 1:12 p.m. Thursday alongside Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia.