Masters Tournament Par 3 Contest: Who Stood Out During This Wednesday Staple At Augusta National?
The best Wednesday in all of sports delivered again. We all know the real pressure cooker at Augusta National doesn’t get fired up until Thursday morning, but before the green jackets are fitted and the legendary back-nine charges are made, we get the Par 3 Contest.
It is the one day a year where the most intense competitors on the planet finally exhale, let their toddlers drag their putters through the pristine Georgia grass, and remind us all why we love this game.
This year’s Par 3 Contest had it all: family moments that hit you right in the chest, gravity-defying shots, and a handful of aces that sent the patrons into an absolute frenzy. If you want a perfectly pure distillation of golf’s magic, look no further than what went down at Augusta on Wednesday.
JT Breaks the Drought On Hole Number Two
Let’s talk about Justin Thomas. At 70-1 odds to win the actual tournament, JT has been searching for a spark. Well, he might have just found a roaring bonfire. Stepping up to the second hole with his wife and family on the bag, Thomas delivered a dart. The ball took three crisp bounces and vanished right into the bottom of the cup.
The patrons lost their collective minds, and honestly, so did JT. It was his first ace at the Par 3 Contest since 2016. But the best part wasn’t the swing itself—it was the celebration. Watching his daughter run onto the green to commandeer his club was the kind of unscripted, pure joy you just don’t see anywhere else in professional sports. Does it mean he’s suddenly the favorite for the weekend? Maybe not. But for one afternoon, Thomas was king of the hill.
Keegan Bradley Makes History
We need to take a second to appreciate the absolute absurdity of what Keegan Bradley just pulled off. In the long, storied history of the Par 3 Contest, nobody had ever hit a hole-in-one in consecutive years. Until now.
Standing on the eighth tee, Bradley launched a 110-yard wedge into the brilliant blue sky. The ball landed past the pin, grabbed the turf, spun back, and dropped right into the jar. Boom. History. It was an instant replay of 2025, where he aced the sixth hole. Bradley doesn’t have the mustache he rocked last year, but the swing is clearly still bringing the magic.
He has been chasing his first green jacket for over a decade, but even if he doesn’t slip it on this Sunday, he’s permanently carved his name into Augusta lore.
Gary Player Remains Ageless
Speaking of Augusta lore, how about 90-year-old Gary Player? The “Black Knight” still has more swagger than guys a third of his age. The all-time leader in aces at this event didn’t drop one in from the tee this time, but he did bury a monster birdie putt that sent the crowd into hysterics. Afterward, he scooped up a young kid from the gallery and promised they’d play a round together when Player gets a little older. You simply cannot write this stuff.
Elsewhere on the course, we got a glimpse of Scottie Scheffler’s growing clan. His nearly two-year-old son, Bennett, teed it up with dad, while mom Meredith carried newborn Remy. It was a beautiful, chaotic, perfect reminder of life outside the ropes.
What To Expect This Week At Augusta National
Now, the fun is over. The dreaded Par 3 Contest curse, where the winner fails to win the actual Masters, still looms large over the leaderboard. The smiles and the caddie jumpers are being put away.
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