Happy children as fun-competition gets Masters underway

By Peter Auf der Heyde Apr 7, 2011, 0:29 GMT

Augusta, Georgia - With millions of dollars at stake, it is hardly surprising that the Masters golf tournament is a serious affair.

Actually, it is very serious - quite unlike the Par 3 competition that is traditionally played on the day before the first round at the Masters.

Since first being held in 1960, the nine-hole competition has become a family affair, with the players bringing their families on the course and most using them to caddy for them.

South African two-time major winner Retief Goosen, whose eight- year-old son Leo did the honours for him, said his son could hardly sleep the night before as he was so excited.

'He was like, 'Dad, what if they ask me for my autograph? How should I sign it?'

'It's really become a tradition on its own. All the players talk about it now. It's one of the most exciting things that happen this week, along with Sunday,' Goosen said.

But it was not only the kids who contributed to the carnival atmosphere as the players allowed their children/caddies to hole their putts, with Fuzzy Zoeller's son Miles arguably holing the best putt of the afternoon when his 30-foot putt went into the hole.

Star tennis player Andy Roddick was allowed to tee-off on the ninth for Zach Johnson, having caddied for the Masters champion throughout the nine holes.

The competition for closest-to-the-hole went to Craig Stadler, who scored a hole-in-one on the 130-yard first hole, to score the 73rd ace since the start of the competition.

The Masters Chairman Billy Payne said he believed the players really enjoyed playing in the Par 3 competition. 'I think it is great entertainment before the seriousness of the following four days.'

England's Luke Donald, who is considered one of the favourites for the first major of the year, got his Masters campaign off to a winning start as he took victory with a five-under par 22.

Donald won by one shot from former Masters champions Raymond Floyd and Angel Cabrera, who were hoping to become the 12th Masters champions to win the Par 3 competition, but it was not to be as they could not better Donald's score.

The world number four now has to hope that his win was not a kiss of death, as no player who has won the Par 3 competition has ever gone on to win the tournament itself in the same year.

'It's always fun to play,' he said. 'The vibes are great; people love to see you hit good shots. It's good preparation for your putting and short irons, too,' said Donald, who is widely considered to be the world's best short game player in the world.

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