2015 Masters Par 3 Contest: Time, TV schedule and coverage information

The Masters Tournament does not start until Thursday morning, but the season’s first major has always been more of a weeklong event. Unlike the other three majors, the pre-tournament days are loaded with different traditions that get much more demand, coverage and attention. And one of the biggest events is the annual Par-3 Contest.

ESPN has carried the Par-3 Contest since 2008, amping up the hype around this event. It’s always a fun way to throttle back a bit before the grind starts, with players’ kids, wives, girlfriends and other celebrities inside the ropes and caddying. It is also one of the rare times we get to see some of the older legends of the game play a (semi) competitive event in public view.

The traditional legends trio will be without Arnold Palmer this year. But stepping in to play with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will be Ben Crenshaw, the two-time Masters champ who is playing the main event for the final time this year. Palmer has been dealing with a shoulder injury for a few months now and just can’t swing a golf club like he’d want to for this contest. He will, of course, still make a cut at it on Thursday morning for the ceremonial opening tee shot but the par-3 is a no-go.

Crenshaw is a worthy fill-in for this year, and will probably keep coming back as one of the elder dignitaries in the spotlight on Wednesday afternoons at the Masters. He made an ace in the event just two years ago, and then did a little jig to celebrate.

In addition to the old-timers, another legend will make his first Par-3 appearance in 11 years. Tiger Woods made the announcement on Tuesday that he would play Wednesday afternoon for the first time since 2004, when he finished with an ace. It’s no secret that Tiger’s kids have taken a prominent role in his life and they’re more important than anything else. But he’s also kept them out of the public eye. This week, however, both Sam and Charlie have been in front of the camera on the Augusta range and they will caddie for him on Wednesday afternoon. That should be pretty cool to watch and Tiger’s approach is definitely a departure from past Masters prep routines.

While Tiger will have his kids on the bag, his Nike stablemate will have a celebrity pop star. One Direction’s Niall Horan will tote the luggage of world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, which will only add to the chaos over on Clifford Roberts’ par-3 course.

ESPN will go live at 3 p.m. ET. Tiger is set to tee off at 2:48 p.m. while Rory will be a few groups behind at 3:09 p.m. So both will have all their shots shown during the coverage window. The Nicklaus-Player-Crenshaw group falls in between at 3:02 p.m. Mike Tirico, Andy North, and Curtis Strange will host while Tom Rinaldi interviews players roaming the grounds. Here’s your TV schedule for Wednesday afternoon:

3 to 5 p.m. -- ESPN

5 p.m. -- SportsCenter at the Masters with continuing coverage/highlights