2015 Masters Par 3 Contest: Complete coverage from Wednesday at Augusta National

Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus walked on to a golf course at Augusta Wednesday, and, guess what, they stole the show.

Nicklaus did so by making the first ace of his career at the hallowed home of the Masters, while the increasingly fan-friendly Woods let his “two littles” hog some of the limelight that traditionally follows their famous dad around.

It’s not unusual to see starstruck fans at the Masters. Augusta National is chock full of golf legends with many patrons getting the first chance to see their favorite players up close. That was definitely the case on Wednesday during the Par-3 Contest, but it wasn’t a player that had some of the crowd buzzing. Niall Horan of One Direction was taking in the event as the caddie for No. 1 player in the world Rory McIlroy and more than a few patrons were very excited to see him.

That included one woman who was insistent on getting multiple pictures with Horan as he walked by the tee box. He obliged and snapped a few pictures before heading back to help McIlroy pick out his next club.

Ethan Couch had one wish when he woke up from brain surgery: “I want to go to the Masters.” Now that dream has been realized with the help of Kevin Streelman.

Streelman contacted the Make-A-Wish foundation to find out if any children wanted to attend the Masters. When he heard about Ethan, he picked him to caddie for him at the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday. Speaking to ESPN, the golfer’s motivation to make dream come true stemmed from the struggles of his daughter Sophia, whose birth had complications.

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.

Rory McIlroy will have Niall Horan, fellow Northern Irishman and member of the group One Direction, as his caddie for the Par-3 Contest at the Masters on Wednesday:

The world’s No. 1 golfer is certainly a big star in the sports world, but he might be less popular than Horan, who is part of one of the world’s biggest boy bands.

The metamorphosis of Tiger Woods from guarded recluse to comfortable, easygoing jammer may be complete when Tiger Woods plays the annual Masters Par-3 contest with his two children on Wednesday at Augusta. Tiger’s kids also made an appearance on the range Tuesday afternoon.

This rather surprising news came from Woods’ old friend and 2015 Masters practice partner, Mark O’Meara. Woods then confirmed it during his 1 p.m. press conference.