Masters Par 3 Contest 2016: Tee times, pairings for Wednesday’s event
Legends, cute kids and more will tee it up in the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday.
Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
There will be no Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy at the Masters Par-3 Contest with both opting out for very different reasons. There will, however, be an entertaining field led by the fan-favorite legend pairing of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson.
No one very much cares or remembers who wins the Par-3 Contest, it’s just a lighthearted Wednesday tradition and spectacle. It’s a great opportunity for players to connect and share moments with their families. It’s also a chance for fans to watch some of the all-time legends tee it up again at Augusta. For many years, the featured pairing of the Par-3 Contest was Nicklaus, Player and Arnold Palmer.
Palmer has since stopped participating and Ben Crenshaw took his place last year. Tom Watson, playing in his final Masters, will join Jack and Player this year in the short-game contest on Wednesday. The three greats will be the focus again no matter how they play, but Nicklaus proved last year they haven’t run out of Augusta magic. He stole the show a year ago when he made an ace on No. 4.
Watch @jacknicklaus makes a hole-in-one on No. 4 during the #par3contest #themastershttps://t.co/R6eX1kwQo1
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2015
McIlroy has been one of the biggest draws of the event, often being joined by another celebrity. Last year his caddie was Niall Horan of One Direction. But this year, McIlory has changed his focus. While the Par-3 Contest is meant to be a fun event, it still does require a time commitment. McIlroy indicated he would rather spend his time preparing and resting for the start of the real tournament on Thursday.
“I’m not going to play the Par-3 Contest this year as it’s just too much hassle and it’s a bit of a distraction,” McIlroy said.
The field at the Par-3 Contest is a unique blend. Most are past champions or current competitors, but there are always a few special invites, as well. And of course, plenty of kids and “caddies” will get a few hacks in, too.
This is an extremely informal event and the tee times are quite flexible. Here’s your tentative schedule for Wednesday afternoon. ESPN will cover it live, starting at 3 p.m.
| Tee Time | Players | ||
| 11:53 a.m. | Raymond Floyd | J.B. Holmes | |
| 12 p.m. | Bubba Watson | Patrick Reed | Webb Simpson |
| 12:07 p.m. | Jason Day | Cameron Smith | Kiradech Aphibarnrat |
| 12:14 p.m. | Ernie Els | Bryson DeChambeau | Trevor Immelman |
| 12:21 p.m. | Jerry Pate | Fred Ridley | Vinny Giles |
| 12:28 p.m. | Phil Mickelson | Davis Love | Jim Herman |
| 12:35 p.m. | Charles Coody | Hubert Green | Fuzzy Zoeller |
| 12:49 p.m. | Billy Horschel | Buddy Alexander | Fabian Gomez |
| 12:56 p.m. | Hunter Mahan | Kevin Kisner | Bill Haas |
| 1:03 p.m. | Charles Schwartzel | Louis Oosthuizen | Branden Grace |
| 1:10 p.m. | Larry Mize | Bernhard Langer | Martin Kaymer |
| 1:17 p.m. | Cheng Jin | Brandt Snedeker | Charley Hoffman |
| 1:24 p.m. | Kevin Streelman | Graeme McDowell | Ian Poulter |
| 1:38 p.m. | Nick Faldo | Anirban Lahiri | Angel Cabrera |
| 1:45 p.m. | Ian Woosnam | Sandy Lyle | Mark O'Meara |
| 1:52 p.m. | Paul Chaplet | Troy Merritt | Justin Rose |
| 1:59 p.m. | David Lingmerth | Robert Streb | Russell Knox |
| 2:06 p.m. | Emiliano Grillo | Andy Sullivan | Bernd Wiesberger |
| 2:13 p.m. | Danny Lee | Kevin Na | Scott Piercy |
| 2:27 p.m. | Marc Leishman | Steven Bowditch | Adam Scott |
| 2:34 p.m. | Rickie Fowler | Justin Thomas | Jordan Spieth |
| 2:41 p.m. | Romain Langasque | Victor Dubuisson | Sammy Schmitz |
| 2:48 p.m. | Shane Lowry | Chris Wood | Jamie Donaldson |
| 2:55 p.m. | Matt Fitzpatrick | Vaughn Taylor | Steve Melnyk |
| 3:02 p.m. | Jack Nicklaus | Gary Player | Tom Watson |
| 3:09 p.m. | Zach Johnson | Smylie Kaufman | Derek Bard |
| 3:23 p.m. | Matt Kuchar | Jason Dufner | Keegan Bradley |
| 3:30 p.m. | Craig Stadler | Dave Stockton | Al Geiberger |
| 3:37 p.m. | Ben Crenshaw | Mike Weir | Daniel Berger |
| 3:44 p.m. | Lee Westwood | Darren Clarke | Danny Willett |
| 3:51 p.m. | Dustin Johnson | Brooks Koepka | Rich Beem |
| 3:58 p.m. | Rafael Cabrera-Bello | Soren Kjeldsen | Michael Campbell |
| 4:05 p.m. | Jimmy Walker | Chris Kirk | Harris English |
| 4:12 p.m. | Ryan Moore | ||
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