It’s Wednesday of Masters week, which means it’s time for the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Course. The traditional Wednesday event is a relaxing time for current and past Masters competitors as they tee-off at Augusta’s superb Par 3 course. In what’s become a made-for-TV event, families gather at the course, with children typically playing the role of caddy for those involved.
Here’s the information for Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest.
Time: Participants are already on the course at Augusta. The first scheduled tee time was around 9:30 a.m., though coverage won’t begin until later.
TV coverage: The Par 3 contest coverage begins at noon on ESPN and in 3D on ESPN3D. You can also find coverage online at the ESPN website.
Participants: There’s no formal participant list, so we’re left to our best guess. Tiger Woods almost never participates, instead choosing to continue practicing ahead of Thursday’s first round of The Masters. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were grouped together last year in one of the more entertaining trios. Many of the younger competitors, and Augusta newbies, also take part.
The curse: We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the curse of the Par 3 Contest. No Par 3 winner has ever won The Masters in the same week since the Wednesday event began. Whether it’s a curse or plain bad luck, players know full well what the statistic is.
For more on the week’s events at Augusta, check out our Masters StoryStream or visit SB Nation’s 2011 Masters Tournament StoryStream. For a local look at the event, head over to SB Nation Atlanta.