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Twice Masters champion Watson, buoyed by a
one-hop ace at the fourth hole, finished at five-under-par 22 on
the short, nine-hole layout that is the site of one of the most
beloved traditions at Augusta National.
The 44-year-old Watson will make his first Masters start since
he joined LIV Golf last July when he and 17 others from the
Saudi-backed circuit tee off in Thursday's opening round of the
year's first major.
"Keep hitting the ball well," Watson said on Wednesday after the
Par-3 Contest when asked about his aspirations for the rest of
the week, which has plenty of rain in the forecast.
"I was hitting the short irons well on the Par-3 here. Been
hitting it good all week. With the weather coming in, nobody
knows what's going to happen."
Perhaps Watson can take comfort in falling short of the Par-3
title given that winning the fun-filled event, where players can
use friends and family as caddies, has proven to be a bad luck
omen for the main Masters tournament.
Since its inception in 1960, no Par-3 Contest winner has won the
Masters the same year.
Ireland's Seamus Power finished the Par-3 Contest in style as he
hit back-to-back aces on the final two holes of the short
course. There were five holes-in-one on Wednesday, bringing the
all-time total to 106.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue, editing by Ed Osmond)
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