Masters par 3: Potter Jnr prevails

Ted Potter Jnr won the Masters Par 3 Contest at Augusta National en debut ahead of the start of the tournament proper this afternoon

Par-3 Contest
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ted Potter Jnr won the Masters Par 3 contest at Augusta National en debut ahead of the start of the tournament proper this afternoon.

The left hander - who won his maiden PGA Tour event at the 2012 Greenbrier Classic - shot four-under-par over the nine-hole course.

Three-time Masters Champion Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney and Ernie Els also finished on the same score, but the Watney and Els opted out of the ensuing play-off.

No one has ever won the par 3 contest and gone on to win the Masters, and Bo Van Pelt was obviously wary of the curse.

He was four-under-par playing the last hole, but let his children have a putt each before holing out to finish one off the lead.

Both Kuchar and Potter Jnr made birdie on the first play-off hole, the 8th, but Mickleson could only muster a par.

On the following hole, Kuchar missed his birdie effort and Potter Jnr holed out to take the title.

Only time will tell if the curse continues, but it'd be considered one of the biggest surprises in Masters history if Potter Jnr prevailed on Sunday.

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x