FOOT LOOSE
Finau injures ankle celebrating hole-in-one during Par-3 Contest
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The annual Masters Par-3 Contest produced cheers, tears, an unlikely winner and a bizarre mishap on Wednesday at Augusta National.
In a light and fun moment that turned scary, Tony Finau turned his left ankle while celebrating a hole-in-one on the seventh hole. His tee shot landed on the right edge of the green and rolled about 45 feet left before hitting the flag stick and dropping into the cup. When he saw his shot disappear into the hole, Finau ran toward the green with his arms in the air.
Then he turned around and started rrun-un- ning backward. That’s when he caught his left foot in the turf and fell awkwardly. When he got up, it looked like he snapped his ankle back in place.
Fi nau, 28, stood up and walked gingerly toward his wife and children, while waving to the crowd as if to say he was OK. With a slight limp, he continued to play and finished the final two holes. Finau, 28, was scheduled to compete in his first Masters. There was no word on how bad his injury is. Augusta National is a tough walk with numerous hills and uneven lies. It’s not the place to try and compete on a bad ankle.
In the Par-3 Contest, playing alongside legends Jack Nicklaus and 82-year-old GaGary Player, Tom WaWatson, at age 68, wowon at 6-under par to overtake Sam Snead (at 61) as the oldest player to win it.
Watson, who stopped playing the Masters tournament in 2016, became only the second player to win the Par-3 and not play in the tournament, joining Jerry Pate in 2005.
Watson’s win, though, wasn’t even the highlight of the festivities. That came from Nicklaus’ 15-year-old grandson Gary Nicklaus Jr., nicknamed “G.T.,’’ who aced the ninth hole and brought his 78-year-old grandfather to tears. His grandson was caddying for him.
Nicklaus called it the “No. 1’’ moment in his golf career that included winning 18 majors.
“What I did compared to that doesn’t matter,’’ Nicklaus said through tears. “I can’t talk right now. We talked three days ago and I asked [G.T.], ‘ Do you want to hit a ball on No. 9?’ I said, ‘You’re going to make a hole-in-one. That was his first hole-in-one. Pretty special, wasn’t it? Wow. What a day. It’s one I’ll never forget.’’
As for Watson, who needed just eight putts on the nine holes, he joked, “That was the Watson of old.’’
“I was aware [of the leaderboard] after I birdied the first four holes,’’ Watson said. “I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to win?’ I won it along time ago, and of course I didn’t go on to win the tournament that year.’’
No player has ever won the Par-3 and gone on to win a green jacket.
“Seeing Tom at 68 putting the way he did was just a joy, and Jack at 78 shooting 4-under par, it was a day I’ll never forget,’’ Player said.