The Masters is here and that means the Par 3 contest is live on Wednesday and it will be streaming online from ESPN and Augusta National starting up past 3 pm ET after beginning earlier in the afternoon and the tradition at the golf major will be without tiger Woods, while Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy will get the chance to participate ahead of the first big tournament of the year on the schedule for the PGA.
The Par 3 contest is always a nice break for the players and it kicks off the festivities as the Masters as families, kids and significant others can get in on the action, much like how Carolina Wozniacki served as McIlroy's caddy last year and now everyone is looking forward to the 2014 event. No golfer actually wants to win though, as no golfer has won the Masters and the par 3 in the same year and while there have been over 70 holes in one during the contest, most golfers are looking to just have fun on the course. Legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have played this and while Woods will be out this time, the excitement is still there for it.
Woods has had a very tough year and now he is out of the Masters after dealing with back surgery and this came after he had to pull out of a couple tournaments and he missed the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which he won last year. Woods won five times last year and three of those were ahead of the Masters and now he is off the schedule for the time being and this is the first time in two decades that Augusta will go on without Tiger.
That surely brings down some of the interest for people and now their attentions will go towards other players, including defending champ Adam Scott as well as McIlroy and Mickelson. Last year Woods was going along great at the Masters before his drop shot controversy and now he will miss the event this year and that means the Masters will not be where he breaks his major streak if it happens in 2014. Woods has not won a major in years and while Jack says he will get the record of 18, he has to start working on it soon or time may run out and his health may not hold up either.
Some of the tee times for the event on Thursday has the honorary group teeing off at just before 8 am, with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, while Scott will start his defense at 10:41 am ET and he will be with Jason Dufner. Some of the other groups include Bubba Watson, Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia in the afternoon, while McIlroy will be at 10:52 a.m. ET and Mickelson will tee off later in the afternoon/
Check here for the Par 3 contest live coverage from ESPN and the main Masters website.