Augusta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) – Kevin Streelman won the Masters Par 3
Contest in a playoff on Wednesday at Augusta National after Camilo Villegas
hit his tee shot into the water on the third extra hole.
Streelman and Villegas ended the contest at 5-under 22, then parred the eighth
and birdied the ninth. After Streelman found the green with his tee shot on
No. 8, Villegas’s tee shot flew the green and bounced into a pond. He conceded
the title to Streelman.
After missing the cut in his first two Masters appearances, Streelman tied for
42nd last year. He will try to become the first person to win the Par 3
Contest and Masters in the same year.
Streelman did not make one of the five holes-in-one on Wednesday.
Jack Nicklaus had one, his first ever in the contest. Nicklaus, 75, is the
oldest player in event history to card a hole-in-one.
Villegas had a pair of them, while Trevor Immelman and amateur Matias
Dominguez also had aces.
There have now been 85 holes-in-one at the yearly event.
Last year’s winner Ryan Moore shared third place at 4-under 23 with Ben Martin
and Cameron Tringale.
Three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo tied for sixth place at minus-3
alongside Bill Haas, Russell Henley, Brendon Todd, Joost Luiten and amateur
Cory Conners.
Since no Par 3 champion has ever won the Masters in the same year, many
players, including Tiger Woods, had their caddie, child or other family member
hit putts or chips for them. Those players officially posted no score. Just 32
of the 103 players posted scores.
The field included tournament participants, non-competing past champions and
honorary invitees.
After Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player hit their ceremonial opening tee
shots, the Masters will officially get underway at 7:45 a.m. (et) Thursday
when Charley Hoffman and Brian Harman tee off.
Defending champion Bubba Watson will play with 2013 U.S. Open winner Justin
Rose and 2014 U.S. Amateur champion Gunn Yang at 9:24 a.m. Thursday.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will go for his third straight major championship
victory. If he is successful, McIlroy will complete the career grand slam.
