Fowler shrugs off Par-3 jinx at Augusta, targets Green Jacket
Rickie Fowler shrugged off the spectre of the Masters Par-3 Contest jinx on Wednesday by winning the light-hearted nine-hole event at Augusta National Golf Club on the eve of the year's first major championship.
Fowler, with his wife Allison as his caddie and young daughter Maya in tow, won the event that has long been a highlight of Masters week with a five-under-par 22 on the 1,090-yard course played over Desoto Springs and Ike's Pond.
"The Par-3 contest is something special. You know, tradition of the Masters and being able to go out there, and now being able to spend it with my family," said Fowler. "Been around plenty of the little kids over the years but a little different when we have our own out there."
Austria's Sepp Straka, American J. T. Poston, and Mexico's Santiago de la Fuente finished two strokes back and in a three-way tie for second place.
First played in 1960 and won by Sam Snead, no Par-3 Contest winner has won the Masters the same year as his short-course victory, which has only further ingrained the idea of a supposed jinx put on the event's winners.
But Fowler, one of the more successful golfers yet to win a major and who regained his form last year, did not seem bothered by the idea as he now shifts his focus on upgrading the crystal trophy he won for a Green Jacket.
"Great way to start -- I guess not start of the week; been working at it the last few days," said Fowler.
Fowler triumphed in Detroit last July to collect his sixth career PGA Tour win and snap a four-year winless drought. He also finished in a share of fifth place at the 2023 U.S. Open, qualified for the Tour Championship for the first time since 2019 and represented the United States in his fifth Ryder Cup.
This week the 35-year-old Fowler is making his 11th Masters appearance and first since 2020. Fowler has top 12s in five of his past seven starts at Augusta National, including runner-up in 2018. "It's been kind of long time coming to get back to here. Special place. One of my favourites," said Fowler. "I'm looking forward to getting started on Thursday."
American Gary Woodland said Wednesday after the Par-3 Contest that Augusta National was in pristine, nearly perfect condition and he was hopeful rain wouldn't impact the course.
“The golf course is hard enough without the weather. It's as good as I've seen it, to be honest,” Woodland said. “The golf course is absolutely perfect, so hopefully some of the rain misses it. It's firm and fast now. Absolutely perfect.”
Spain's Sergio Garcia noted the course presents unique challenges when winds are up.
“There's no doubt with as high as these pine trees are, sometimes it becomes tricky to know exactly where the wind is,” Garcia said Wednesday after the par-3 contest.
Meanwhile, the weather-delayed start to the Masters began under cloudy skies with many of the top contenders, including reigning champion Jon Rahm and tournament favourite scotties cheffler, still hours from teeing off.
Storms in the area delayed one of the most anticipated days in golf by 2-1/2 hours but that hardly dampened the mood as patrons crowded the first tee to see greats Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson hit their ceremonial first tee shots.
The delay means the day's late starters, including five-times champion Tiger Woods, 2023 runner-up Brooks Koepka and former champion Dustin Johnson, will not be able to finish their first round.
Rahm, one of 13 LIV Golf players in the 89-player field this week, is scheduled to launch his title defence at 1:00 p.m. ET alongside 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick and Nick Dunlap, one of 20 Masters debutants in the field.
Rahm's threesome will be followed around the hilly and pristine course by a high-profile group consisting of world number one Scottie Scheffler, Grand Slam-seeking Rory Mcilroy and reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.