Before the 2026 Masters gets underway, the players had a little fun with their families at the Masters Par 3 Contest.
There will be plenty of time for Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and the rest of the Masters field to tense up for the year’s first major tomorrow. For now, the best golfers in the world tried their hand at the nine-hole short course to see how many holes-in-one they can hit. Wives and fathers served as caddies and little kids ran around on the hallowed ground of Augusta National. Some took shots; a few even made them.
It’s the calm before the storm of competition around the corner. Rory McIlroy will aim to be the first repeat Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2002. Bryson DeChambeau will be among those seeking their first green jacket. But today was all about having fun, especially considering no Par 3 winner has finished that weekend as Masters champion since the contest began in 1960 (sorry, Aaron Rai). Keep scrolling for the highlights and recap from Augusta.
Watch Masters Par 3 Contest live on ESPN app
Masters Par 3 leaderboard
Scoring at the Par 3 Contest is a little different than it will be over the weekend at the Masters. The only scores that count toward winning the event are those done entirely by the golfer, and many of them let their kids take a swing or a putt. That eliminates players from the competition, and their scores are marked with “NS,” or “not scored,” on the leaderboard.
Here are the top scores for those eligible to win, according to the official Masters leaderboard.
Aaron Rai wins Masters Par 3 Contest
As the final groups wrap up on the Par 3 course, no one is going to catch Aaron Rai atop the leaderboard. The 31-year-old from England shot a 6-under 21, besting Jacob Bridgeman and Johnny Keefer by a stroke. Rai won the 2024 Wyndham Championship and tied for 27th in his first Masters appearance last year. Historically, his win in the Par 3 Contest is an ill omen for his odds at walking away with a green jacket; it’s never been done before.
What time is Par 3 Contest at Masters?
How to watch Masters Par 3 Contest
The Masters Par 3 Contest is scheduled to begin at noon, with coverage available on the ESPN app, Masters.com and the Masters app. ESPN will pick up TV coverage from 2-4 p.m. with streaming options including Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
How many holes-in-one at the Masters Par 3 Contest?
Coming into this year’s tournament, there were 115 holes-in-one. The record for aces at one Par 3 Contest is nine, set in 2016. Gary Player drilled one of those, and he holds the individual record with four dating back to 1983. Here’s the running tally for the 2026 event:
Poppy McIlroy, Frankie Fleetwood grouped together at Par 3 Contest
The son of Tommy Fleetwood has been been a big star heading into the Par 3 Contest for his intense preparation to clear the water on the ninth hole. Frankie told ESPN’s Marty Smyth before his dad teed off that he’s not as confident today but that he’ll try. His two attempts on the ninth came up short, but his form was better than some adults.
He’s going toe-to-toe with the daughter of Rory McIlroy, who drained an incredible putt at last year’s event. That worked out well for her dad, who went on to win his first Masters.
Tiger Woods subpoenaed over DUI arrest, reports say
Away from Augusta, state attorneys in Martin County, Florida reportedly announced their intent to file a subpoena for Tiger Woods’ prescription medication records. Woods pleaded not guilty to DUI charges after being arrested March 27 following a car crash near his home in Jupiter Island.
Tommy Fleetwood hole-in-one at Masters Par 3
The fourth hole saw the fourth ace of the Par 3 Contest when Tommy Fleetwood spun his ball a good 20 feet back for a hole-in-one. It was the 19th ace at the 90-yard No. 4 and the second straight year that someone has holed out there (Tom Hoge did it in 2025). His son Frankie has a lot to live up to when they reach the ninth.
Cooper and Walter Harman both sink putts
Cooper, the daughter of Brian Harman, jumped for joy and into her dad’s arms after nailing a long putt off the flag, skipping toward the cup to retrieve her ball. She told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge that she’s a dancer and it was “really amazing” to drain that putt.
Not to be outdone, her brother Walter notched his own putt — with an iron, no less — a few holes later from a similar distance.
Kevin Hart caddy for Bryson DeChambeau at Par 3 Contest
Most players at the Masters Par 3 Contest have their wives, girlfriends, kids or other family relations walking the course with them at Augusta National. But in the lead-up to the start of its TV coverage, ESPN showed comedian Kevin Hart in a full Masters grounds crew jumpsuit taking some swing on the practice range alongside Bryson DeChambeau. The two-time U.S. Open champ said to ESPN’s Marty Smyth that Hart had started playing golf about 7 months ago, and Hart said he aims to be “the best caddie that has ever caddied.”
He’s not the only celebrity caddie on the course; Jason Kelce took the bag for Akshay Bhatia in addition to his reporting duties for ESPN.
Wyndham Clark, Keegan Bradley go back-to-back with aces
On the seventh, Wyndham Clark saw his shot on the 109-yard seventh hole take a long stroll on the green to provide the second ace of the contest and the 22nd that No. 7 has issued. He got high-fives from Gary Woodland, Keegan Bradley and the rest of the crew in his group.
Then on the 120-yard No. 8, Bradley stuck his tee shot right next to the pin, and ball rolled right in for the third hole-in-one on the day, the eighth all-time on that hole. It’s Bradley’s second straight year with an ace in the Par 3 Contest, holing out on No. 6 in 2025. Justin Thomas has today’s other ace on No. 2.
Scottie Scheffler’s wife walking Par 3 Contest with baby Remy
Players’ wives and children suiting up and walking with the pros is a favorite tradition of the Masters Par 3 Contest. Scottie Scheffler’s wife, Meredith, is among the moms doing so while also carrying a newborn. Their second son, Remy, was born March 27. Also walking with the Schefflers is their nearly 2-year-old son Bennett, who got to tee off with his blue plastic club.
Gary Woodland enters 2026 Masters as sentimental favorite
Coming in two weeks removed from winning the Houston Open and about 2½ years removed from brain surgery to remove a tumor, Gary Woodland said events like the Par 3 Contest were “what the fight is for” to ESPN’s Marty Smyth. Woodland has been public about his battles with PTSD after his surgery and will have extra security around him at Augusta after a fan got too close to the ropes in Houston, triggering his hypervigilance.
Justin Thomas lands first ace at Masters Par 3 Contest
Five minutes into the Par 3 Contest, we have our first hole-in-one! Justin Thomas spun his shot back into the cup on the 100-yard second hole, the 19th to be recorded on that hole. He celebrated with a “show me the money” gesture toward playing partners Jordan Spieth and Max Homa, explaining to Scott Van Pelt that he might have won $1,000 for his ace.
Masters Par 3 Contest tee times
It can take a while to post tee times for an event as loose and easy-going as the Par 3 Contest. Here’s a look at the start times the rest of the way, courtesy USA TODAY. All times Eastern.
What is the Masters Par 3 Contest?
The Par 3 Contest is a light-hearted start to the Masters in which golfers play a special nine-hole course laid out around DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike’s Pond in the northeast section of the grounds at Augusta National. Players frequently let their family members caddie for them during the contest, bringing their parents, wives, girlfriends and children onto the course with them. They even get their own official white jumpsuits. Because no Par 3 Contest winner has ever won the Masters, some players even let their family hit some shots for them.
Masters Par 3 Contest winners
No Par 3 Contest winner has ever won that year’s Masters Tournament. Here are the past 10 Par 3 winners along with their score. The Par 3 Contest was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID pandemic, and weather canceled the event in 2017.
Masters weather forecast
AccuWeather predicts a high of 68 degrees with sunny skies in the forecast today in Augusta, Georgia. Winds are expected to blow out of the east-northeast at 15 mph. There is a 1% chance of rain.
Masters odds
Latest odds according to BetMGM:
Masters predictions and picks
Masters schedule: When does the Masters start?
Round 1 of the 2026 Masters begins at 7:40 a.m. ET Thursday, April 9. Play will continue through the final round Sunday, April 12. The first two rounds will broadcast nationally on Amazon Prime starting at 1 p.m. before moving to ESPN at 3 p.m. April 9-10. Rounds 3 and 4 will start on Paramount+, CBS’ subscription streaming service, at noon before switching to CBS at 2 p.m. The main broadcasts can be streamed via Fubo, which includes a free trial for new subscribers, and the tournament can also be streamed for free at Masters.com and on the Masters app.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Masters Par 3 Contest leaderboard. Who won, highlights, scores
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
