The Par-3 Contest returns to the schedule for the first time since 2019 as the build-up to The Masters continues. This year, the nine-hole contest takes place over 1,040 yards in the northeast corner of Augusta National. As ever, past Masters winners and players competing in at this year’s tournament will compete.
The lighthearted, family friendly competition has long been a traditional warm-up event to The Masters. Its inaugural year was 1960, and, since then, there have only been three years where it’s not been in the schedule – 2017 due to rain, and 2020 and 2021, due to Covid.
There have been some legendary winners of the Par-3 Contest over the years. American Sam Snead was the first to win the competition, and that began a trend that has seen his compatriots largely dominate the contest ever since. Notable exceptions include Fijian Vijay Singh, who won in 1994, Scot Sandy Lyle, who claimed back-to-back victories in 1997 and 1998, and Irishman Padraig Harrington, who has won it three times, in 2003, 2004 and 2012. Even then, he shared the win with Americans David Toms in 2003 and Jonathan Byrd in 2012.
In 2019, Matt Wallace became the second English champion, after Luke Donald’s win in 2011. Americans who followed Snead (who also won in 1974) as winners include Arnold Palmer in 1967, Tom Watson in 1982 and 2018 and Ryan Moore in 2014. Jimmy Walker holds the record for the lowest score with an eight-under par 19 in 2016. That also included a hole-in-one in a record haul of eight that year.
One notable absentee from the list of winners is perhaps Jack Nicklaus. The six-time winner of the Green Jacket was a regular competitor until 2019. However, he has now decided that, at the age of 82, the time is right for him to retire.
You can see a full list of the winners below.
Swipe to scroll horizontally| Year | Player | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Sam Snead | USA |
| 1961 | Deane Beman | USA |
| 1962 | Bruce Crampton | Australia |
| 1963 | George Bayer | USA |
| 1964 | Labron Harris, Jr. | USA |
| 1965 | Art Wall, Jr. | USA |
| 1966 | Terry Dill | USA |
| 1967 | Arnold Palmer | USA |
| 1968 | Bob Rosburg | USA |
| 1969 | Bob Lunn | USA |
| 1970 | Harold Henning | South Africa |
| 1971 | Dave Stockton | USA |
| 1972 | Steve Melnyk | USA |
| 1973 | Gay Brewer | USA |
| 1974 | Sam Snead | USA |
| 1975 | Isao Aoki | Japan |
| 1976 | Jay Haas | USA |
| 1977 | Tom Weiskopf | USA |
| 1978 | Lou Graham | USA |
| 1979 | Joe Inman, Jr. | USA |
| 1980 | Johnny Miller | USA |
| 1981 | Isao Aoki | Japan |
| 1982 | Tom Watson | USA |
| 1983 | Hale Irwin | USA |
| 1984 | Tommy Aaron | USA |
| 1985 | Hubert Green | USA |
| 1986 | Gary Koch | USA |
| 1987 | Ben Crenshaw | USA |
| 1989 | Tsuneyuki Nakajima | USA |
| 1990 | Bob Gilder | USA |
| 1991 | Rocco Mediate | USA |
| 1992 | Davis Love III | USA |
| 1993 | Chip Beck | USA |
| 1994 | Vijay Singh | Fiji |
| 1995 | Hal Sutton | USA |
| 1996 | Jay Haas | USA |
| 1997 | Sandy Lyle | Scotland |
| 1998 | Sandy Lyle | Scotland |
| 1999 | Joe Durant | USA |
| 2000 | Chris Perry | USA |
| 2001 | David Toms | USA |
| 2002 | Nick Price | Zimbabwe |
| 2003 | Padraig Harrington, David Toms | Ireland, USA |
| 2004 | Padraig Harrington | Ireland |
| 2005 | Jerry Pate | USA |
| 2006 | Ben Crane | USA |
| 2007 | Mark O'Meara | USA |
| 2008 | Rory Sabbatini | South Africa |
| 2009 | Tim Clark | South Africa |
| 2010 | Louis Oosthuizen | South Africa |
| 2011 | Luke Donald | England |
| 2012 | Padraig Harrington, Jonathan Byrd | Ireland, USA |
| 2013 | Ted Potter, Jr. | USA |
| 2014 | Ryan Moore | USA |
| 2015 | Kevin Streelman | USA |
| 2016 | Jimmy Walker | USA |
| 2017 | Cancelled | Rain |
| 2018 | Tom Watson | USA |
| 2019 | Matt Wallace | England |
| 2020 | Cancelled | Covid |
| 2021 | Cancelled | Covid |
