The traditional par-three contest for The Masters will be held at Augusta National on Wednesday, but two of the tournament’s top players have chosen not to participate in this pre-tournament event.
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods chose not to participate in the pre-Masters par-three contest at Augusta National, held a day before the start of Thursday’s opening round.
The par-three tournament has been a part of Augusta National’s tradition since its inception in 1960, with golf legend Sam Snead winning the first edition. This event has taken place annually ever since, providing players with a chance to play a leisurely nine holes before the main competition begins the following day.
This time, the pre-tournament event will proceed without two of the top players, McIlroy and Woods, who chose not to participate on Wednesday.
Woods’ absence will no doubt be down to his fitness concerns, with the American in a constant battle with a leg and ankle injury that has reduced his PGA Tour playing career to a part-time one in recent years. The five-time Masters champion was forced to withdraw from last year’s event ahead of the third round, but will no doubt be hoping he can last the week this time around.
Providing an update on his condition, he revealed on Tuesday: “The ankle doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s fused. It’s not going anywhere. So that’s fine. It’s other parts of my body that now have to take the brunt of it. Once he put the rods in there, it’s good to go. But, the back, the knee, other parts of the body have to take the load of it.
“Things just flare up. Some days I just feel really good, and other days, not so much.” McIlroy meanwhile will no doubt be concentrating on the task that hand later this week, as the Northern Irishman looks to win his first green jacket, and finally complete the career Grand Slam after a 10-year wait.
Pressure often mounts on McIlroy’s shoulders come Masters week amid his failure to get over the line at Augusta so far in his career. Woods however believes it is a matter of when not if the four-time major winner gets his hands on a green jacket. “No question, he’ll do it at some point,” Woods said.
“Rory’s too talented, too good. He’s going to be playing this event for a very long time. He’ll get it done. It’s just a matter of when. But, yes, I think that Rory will be a great Masters champion one day, and it could be this week. You never know. I just think that just, again, the talent that he has, the way he plays the game and the golf course fits his eye, it’s just a matter of time.”
In the par-three event on Wednesday, several LIV Golf stars are participating due to the absence of the PGA Tour’s top players.
Competitors include past winners such as Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, and Charl Schwartzel. The event will also feature Adrian Meronk, Tyrrell Hatton, and Bryson DeChambeau.
Participants in the competition on Wednesday will aim to break the longstanding curse that has cast a shadow over the par-three contest.
Throughout its 64-year history, no player has been able to win the par-three event on Wednesday and then go on to win the green jacket four days later.