Hello everybody ... I'll be bringing you Masters action as it unfolds, live and online, beginning today with the Par 3 Contest and through every shot of the Tournament. I'll be posting instant insight and analysis and hope you'll join me with your thoughts and comments. I look forward to your interaction this week at Masters.com.
(Follow Tom Spousta all week for real-time coverage of the Masters. Tom has written about golf for USA Today, the New York Times and other national publications.)
6:07 That's it for our first live blog from the Par 3 Contest. Appreciate your thoughts and comments. Look forward to hearing from you Thursday for the start of the 2009 Masters.
5:59 Well, the onus is on Tim Clark from South Africa to prove history wrong. Clark's 5-under 22 held up to win the Par 3 Contest. Amateur Jack Newman and Jose Maria Olazabal tied for second at 3 under. Can Clark become the first to win the Par 3 and Masters in the same week? He's played well here, finishing second in 2006 and tying for 13th in 2007. He did miss the cut last year (77-75).
4:52 Well, you can at least call it the Par of the Week thus far. Gary Player knocked his tee shot in the water at No. 9, grabbed another ball and knocked it in for a 3 ... he later said his 7-year-old Grandson was so impressed, he said, "You still got it Gramps."
4:42 Mark C, USA ... Some players receive honorary invitations (based on past accomplishments) to play the Par 3 Contest. That's why you see others in addition to past champions and those in this year's field.
4:23 Couples remains at 4 under with two holes to play, one stroke behind Clark. I'm wondering ... this being the 50th Par 3 Contest, and with no winner ever going on to capture the Masters title, is there some kind of superstition involved? It has to end some time, doesn't it?
4:16 John Merrick, a PGA Tour pro from Long Beach, Calif., made the Par 3 Contest's third hole-in-one, knocking in a shot at No. 2.
4:09 Palmer had a birdie putt exactly on Nicklaus' line at No. 7 and didn't exactly give him a good read. Looked like Arnie was giving Jack a bit of the needle about it. If Jack makes it, he goes to 4 under ... he missed, but still has a chance to catch Clark.
4:00...Fred Couples birdied three of the first four holes. Nicklaus also is at 3 under after a birdie at No. 6. Zach Johnson birdied the first two holes.
3:44 Martin S, Denmark ... No, the score would not count in the tournament. To Joe K, Canada ... No, the Par 3 Course layout is not posted. But we will look into doing that. Thanks.
3:38 Norman is at 3 under par with two holes to play. Still has a chance to catch Clark at 5 under. So how is Norman going to play this week? Think he'll make the cut? Maybe get his name on the first page of the leader board? It's too late, but if anybody was owed a Masters title, it's the Shark.
3:24 Trevor B. from Canada ... Yes, Mike Weir is playing in the Par 3. He's teeing off shortly with Fred Couples. Oh, and by the way, Norman's hole-in-one was the first on No. 6 in the history of the Par 3 Contest.
3:21 What a shot by the Shark! A hole-in-one at No. 6 (140 yards), followed by a huge roar and kiss and hug from his wife and caddie Christ Evert. Norman still has that sense for the dramatic ...
3:13 Here's the link for the Par 3 Contest leaderboard. Oh, and the Big Three are on the first green. Jack Nicklaus made birdie, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player made par. Click here for all scores: http://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/par3contest.html
3:03 K.A.S. from the USA ... NS stands for Not Scored, which can mean somebody else, like the player's child or caddie, finished that particular hole. In other words, the player did not complete a score on the hole.
2:55 ESPN picks up coverage of the Par 3 Contest beginning in about 5 minutes. But if you're not in front of a television (or even if you are) you can continue watching the live feed at masters.com.
2:49 Jeff P ... Good question. Tiger was asked at his Tuesday press conference if he would play in the Par 3 and bring daughter Sam, and he gave a quick, terse answer, No and No. Although he was smiling when he said it. I think he'll eventually do it, maybe when he's closer to 40 (he's 33 now). We'll see.
2:45 Joey S from the USA ... Your boy Steve Wilson is 1 under par through six holes.
2:38 Michael C from Scotland ... yes, just about anybody who has young kids brings them along for the Par 3 Contest. That's a big part of the tradition. The live feed on masters.com has been showing a lot of shots of players' kids. Phil Mickelson is just about to tee off, and his family is with him.
2:31 Greg Norman just teed off. I gotta believe the Shark is using the Par 3 for some short game practice. I think a lot of the players are doing the same because the cold and wind didn't make for good practice conditions Monday and Tuesday.
2:23 Newman dropped to 2 under par at No. 8. Made double bogey. He has one more hole to play. Needs a hole-in-one to finish within one stroke of Clark.
2:16 Everyone is invited to play. Some players put their names down in advance, others decide at the last minute. Very informal, casual ... Bubba Watson, Sandy Lyle, Ray Floyd, Paul Azinger, Nick Faldo, Luke Donald, K.J. Choi, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jose Maria Olazabal are a few others who are playing.
2:13 Tim Clark makes first hole-in-one with a 135-yard shot over Ike's Pond at No. 9. He takes the lead at 5 under. Leader in the clubhouse, same score Rory Sabbatini won with last year.
2:07 The adjusted seating looks great and appears to be well received. It really improves the sight lines for the majority of patrons.
1:59 Newman at 4 under through six! He's running away with it ... not really, Tim Clark is at 3 under through seven holes.
1:55 Immelman so far has closest to the pin honors at 3.8 inches with his shot at the second hole. I know these are pretty easy short irons for these guys, but it's still amazing how close they put it to the hole.
1:50 Jack Newman, the reigning U.S. Amateur Public Links champ, is making his debut here a memorable one so far. He's tied for the lead at 3 under through four holes with Pettersson. Newman went to Michigan State and is from Des Moinies, Iowa.
1:44 Azaleas look awesome this year. Augusta National's Par 3 Course has one of the most beautiful settings you'll ever see. The live video comes on Masters.com in 15 minutes at 2 pm, followed from 3-5 pm on ESPN.
1:36 Nobody is knocking down the flagsticks so far. Immelman stuck a shot 3 feet, 8 inches on the second hole. That's the closest anybody has come to a hole-in-one so far.
1:30 Pettersson just made birdiie at No. 4 to take the lead at 3 under. Amateur Jack Newman and Fuzzy Zoeller are at 2 under also. If Immelman wins this, he'd be the first Masters champion to do it since Mark O'Meara in 2007.
1:19 Par 3 Contest is underway. Gorgeous day, gusty breezes, a perfect opportunity to test those short iron shots. Trevor Immelman, Tim Clark and Carl Pettersson lead at 2 under par through the first three holes.
