Par 3: four holes‑in‑one
The Masters’ Par 3 contest turned into a highlight reel — there were four holes‑in‑one, making the usual lighthearted precursor unusually lively. The Masters’ official highlights package captured all four aces during the Par 3 Contest the day before the tournament’s first round. It’s the sort of feel‑good moment that broadens the event’s appeal beyond scoreboards and feeds social buzz heading into the main tournament. (youtube.com)
The quietest afternoon of Masters week suddenly turned into the loudest one when four tee shots went straight in on the Par 3 course at Augusta National on Wednesday, April 8. Justin Thomas, Wyndham Clark, Keegan Bradley, and Tommy Fleetwood all made holes-in-one before the tournament even started. (youtube.com) The Masters Par 3 Contest is a nine-hole exhibition played the day before the first round, and it has been part of Masters week since 1960. It uses a separate short course at Augusta National, with holes built for wedge shots and crowd reactions instead of full tournament pressure. (pgatour.com) Those holes are tiny by professional golf standards, ranging from about 90 to 155 yards, which is why aces happen here more often than on the main course. Players also bring wives, children, and grandchildren as caddies, so the whole thing feels closer to a family picnic than a major championship warmup. (sports.yahoo.com) This year’s first ace came from Justin Thomas, and Golf Digest reported he had a side bet worth $1,000 riding on making one before Max Homa and Jordan Spieth. In a practice event built on bragging rights, that turned one swing into a payday. (golfdigest.com) Keegan Bradley’s shot carried a little history with it because he also made an ace in the 2025 Par 3 Contest. Golf Channel and Yahoo both noted that made Bradley the first player in contest history to record holes-in-one in back-to-back years. (golfchannel.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Tommy Fleetwood’s ace landed differently because his son Frankie was on the bag, which turned a precision golf shot into a family snapshot. That is the part of the Par 3 Contest television loves: elite players still hit world-class shots, but they do it with kids sprinting across the green. (golfchannel.com) The winner was Aaron Rai of England at 6-under-par 21, one shot ahead of Jacob Bridgeman and Johnny Keefer. Rai got the crystal vase, but the four aces were the clips that traveled fastest. (youtube.com) (sportskeeda.com) There is also an old Masters superstition attached to this event: no player has ever won the Par 3 Contest and then won the Masters in the same week. Golfweek noted that 15 golfers have won both events in their careers, just never in the same year. (golfweek.usatoday.com) So the Masters opened with the least serious competition on the property producing the week’s first unforgettable shots. Before a single tournament round was played on Thursday, Augusta already had four balls in the cup from the tee and one more reason people keep watching Wednesday. (cbssports.com)
