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February 22, 2026, Pacific Palisades, California, USA: TOMMY FLEETWOOD walks from the 14th green during the second round of the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country club in Pacific Palisades, California. Pacific Palisades USA – ZUMAt158 20260222_zsp_t158_021 Copyright: xBrentonxTsex
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February 22, 2026, Pacific Palisades, California, USA: TOMMY FLEETWOOD walks from the 14th green during the second round of the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country club in Pacific Palisades, California. Pacific Palisades USA – ZUMAt158 20260222_zsp_t158_021 Copyright: xBrentonxTsex
Every year, on the Wednesdays ahead of the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National hosts a fun and light-hearted Par 3 Contest on a separate set of nine holes. Many would even think of it as the perfect warm-up leading up to the Masters Tournament. But in reality, it’s an entirely different story. Not many would want to win the Wednesday tradition.
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The reason is simple. Ever since its induction in 1960, no golfer who won the Par 3 Contest has won the Masters Tournament, the same year. Sam Snead won the inaugural Par 3 Contest and then again in 1974. However, he couldn’t secure a win at the Masters Tournament after his third Augusta National win in 1954.
Arnold Palmer also had a similar story. He won the Par 3 Contest in 1967, but his last (and fourth) Masters win came in 1964. Lastly, Tom Watson, who won two Masters Tournaments in 1977 and 1981, failed to win the event after winning the Par 3 Contest in 1982. However, he did win his second Par 3 Contest in 2018.
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Moreover, only two golfers who won the Par 3 Contest have won a major championship later in their careers. Ben Crenshaw was already a Masters champion when he won the 1987 Par 3 Contest. But he did win his second Masters Tournament eight years later. Vijay Singh won Par 3 Contest in 1994 and the Masters in 2000.
Meanwhile, Raymond Floyd came pretty close to winning the Masters after securing the Par 3 Contest trophy in 1990. He was just four shots clear and about to become the oldest Masters champion at 47. With only six holes left, Nick Faldo swooped in with a late charge and ultimately defeated Floyd in a playoff.
The Par 3 Curse seemingly played a massive role in Faldo’s back-to-back win at Augusta National. On the other hand, only two players—Padraig Harrington (2012) and Luke Donald (2011)—won the Par 3 Contest and landed in the top 10 in the Masters that same respective year.
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The 1994 Masters Tournament The flag for The Masters during a 1995 practice round at Augusta National Golf Club would have been the traditional yellow Masters flag, featuring the iconic tournament logo an outline of the United States with a golf hole and flagstick marking Augustas location. This flag is a cherished symbol of the tournaments history and prestige. 6th April 1994 Copyright: xMarkxNewcombex
The same story has been going on for the last five years. In 2019, Matt Wallace won the Par 3 but missed the cut at the Masters. With a two-year gap because of COVID-19, Par 3 Contest returned in 2022. That year, Mackenzie Hughes and Mike Weir shared the win. But in the Masters, Weir missed the cut, and Hughes ended up at T50.
Later in 2023, Tom Hoge won the Par 3 and missed the cut. In 2024, Rickie Fowler finished T30 after winning the contest. And last year, Nico Echavarria won the Par 3 Contest and finished T30 later in the main event.
So, why do people still play at the Par 3 Contest?
Golfers’ tactics to avoid the Par 3 Contest Curse at Augusta National
Since nobody wants to win the Par 3 Contest, they need to find a way to get themselves disqualified. And that comes when players let their caddies or family members take a few shots. Tommy Fleetwood has been letting his son, Frankie, play the par-3 9th for the past couple of years. While young Frankie has repeatedly failed to put the ball in the hole, he stays determined to achieve his goal this year.
Even Rory McIlroy, the reigning champion, has let his daughter (then four years old), Poppy Kennedy, sink a hole and leave him surprised. And the list goes on and on. Since it’s a light-hearted contest, no strict actions are taken. And that makes this course more fun, despite the curse.
The Par-3 Contest is designed to remove pressure. But paradoxically, it has created its own kind of pressure. It’s fun, it’s emotional, and it delivers viral moments every year. Yet when it comes to the final putt, many players would rather miss than make history. At Augusta, winning on Wednesday could cost everything on Sunday.
