If there’s such a thing as a golf tournament nobody wants to win, it’s The Masters Par 3 Tournament. The history is clear: The Par 3 Tournament winner has never won The Masters in the same year. Whether it’s a curse or bad luck, such a feat has never been accomplished in the history of the tournament, a bad sign for 2011 Par 3 Contest winner Luke Donald. With a score of 5-under on the nine hole course, Donald took home the Par 3 title by a stroke.
It was a day filled with fun and memories at Augusta National as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player teed-off in a legendary grouping. Just like last year, the three hooked up for a friendly competition in the Par 3 Tournament, much to the delight of the fans in attendance and those watching at home. The three didn’t play all that well — Player turned in a 2-over 31, the best round of the group — but it didn’t matter. Just watching them interact and tee it up like old times was enough.
Ryan Moore turned in a solid round, firing a 3-under 26, good for a share of fourth place. Raymond Floyd, all of 68 years young, shot 4-under to share second place with Angel Cabrera. Peter Uilhein, winner of the U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay in 2010, had a round to be proud of, shooting 3-under in the Par 3 Contest. Uilhein, as the top amateur at The Masters, will join Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds due to a Masters tradition that pairs the previous year’s champion with the amateur champion.
Craig Sadler started his day on the right foot with the shot of the day, burying his tee shot on the first hole for an ace. Stewart Cink narrowly missed an ace on the finishing hole after spinning his ball back off the ridge on the ninth, only to see it catch the edge of the cup and lip out.
Full results of the Par 3 Contest can be found at the Masters website. 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.