Harrington and Byrd share Par-3 title, risk Masters curse

IRELAND’S Padraig Harrington and American Jonathan Byrd shared the title in Wednesday’s rainshortened Masters Par-3 Contest, both risking the tournament curse with the triumph.

No player has won the Par-3 Contest and captured the Masters in the same year since the shortcourse event began in 1960, so according to the jinx neither Harrington nor Byrd will not be donning a green jacket on Sunday.

Harrington and Byrd each fired a five-under 22 in the annual contest on the eve of the year’s first Major tournament, staged on a special nine-hole layout adjacent to the famed Masters course.

Australian Adam Scott was one stroke adrift with Masters debutante Webb Simpson on fourunder as well through eight holes and Jerry Pate, a past Par-3 champion, at four-under after five holes when play was halted.

Harrington became the first three-time Par-3 winner, although he shared the 2003 title with American David Toms in the only other rain-halted Par-3 event and won a playoff for the 2004 title.

“The scoring was on,” Harrington said. “Actually pretty average shots. I just played pretty nicely for nine holes.”

Harrington’s victory pushed him ahead of three other two-time Par3 winners – Sam Snead, Japan’s Isao Aoki and Scotsman Sandy Lyle.

Byrd birdied the last three holes to match Harrington just before the storm arrived to put himself on the jinxed list with the Irishman.

“I like making putts, whatever they are for,” Byrd said.

Rain struck to halt the easygoing competition on an Augusta National layout that was lashed by 1.4 inches (3.55 cm) of rain during an early morning storm.

In a relaxed atmosphere, current stars and elder legends laughed and joked with each other and spectators, some even having family members serve as caddies and take some shots for them.

The early end came with many players yet to finish, including the group of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. The legendary threesome will serve as honorary starters when the tournament begins.

World No. 1 Luke Donald of England, who won last year’s Par3 Contest, opted not to defend his crown after making an effort to break the Masters jinx last year and settling for a share of fourth in his bid for a first Major title.

“Last year I actually had a very focused goal of trying to win both of them, and it was something that I wanted to do, something that was different, to try and defy convention I suppose,” Donald said.

“And I almost did it. I had a good chance at winning both. But this year I’m just going to concentrate on the main one.”