2026 Masters Par 3 Contest Highlights: Winner, Aces, and Player Reactions

Aaron Rai closed the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National with a 6-under 21. A final-hole birdie on No. 9 secured sole possession of the lead.

Final score and decisive moments

Rai finished a stroke clear of the field. His birdie on the ninth hole proved decisive.

Jacob Bridgeman shared the lead late but could not match Rai on the closing hole.

Aces and closest shots

The afternoon produced four aces. Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood, Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley each made a hole-in-one.

Thomas aced No. 2, marking his second Par 3 Contest hole-in-one. His previous one came in 2016.

Notable ace details

• Tommy Fleetwood holed out on No. 4. He is the first English player with an ace here since Matt Wallace in 2019.
• Wyndham Clark’s ace came on No. 7. It was the first ace on that hole since Ben Crenshaw in 2013.
• Keegan Bradley sank an ace on No. 8. It is his second straight year recording a hole-in-one at this event.

Closest-to-pin leaders

• No. 1 — Mark O’Meara: 3 feet, 8 inches
• No. 2 — Justin Thomas: ace
• No. 3 — J.J. Spaun: 7 inches
• No. 4 — Tommy Fleetwood: ace
• No. 5 — Dustin Johnson: 2 feet, 2 inches
• No. 6 — Sam Burns: 2.8 inches
• No. 7 — Wyndham Clark: ace
• No. 8 — Keegan Bradley: ace
• No. 9 — Mark O’Meara: 1 foot, 7.5 inches

Groups, celebrities and course atmosphere

The Par 3 Course again mixed competition with family moments. Dozens of children wore custom caddie bibs.

Celebrities and former athletes shared the tees. Kevin Hart carried Bryson DeChambeau’s bag for part of the round.

Notable participants and interactions

• Justin Thomas teamed with Jordan Spieth and Max Homa when he made his ace on No. 2.
• Jason Kelce assisted Akshay Bhatia as a caddie while working as a roving reporter for ESPN.
• Andrew Novak walked the course with his five-month-old daughter.
• Aaron Rai’s partner, Gaurika Bishnoi, a Ladies European Tour member, produced the closest shot to the pin in his group.

Player reactions and atmosphere

Many players described the Par 3 as a rare relaxed afternoon before the Masters. They used the round to unwind with family.

Players praised the chance to laugh and enjoy the grounds without tournament pressure.

Highlights included the winner, aces, and player reactions that captured the lighter side of major week.

Field size, timing and broadcast

Eighty-five players competed in the Par 3 Contest. Nine former champions appeared.

Seventy-six of the 91 players in the Masters field took part on the Par 3 Course.

The event ran from roughly noon to 4 p.m. Coverage streamed on ESPN+, and aired on ESPN from 2 to 4 p.m. Early coverage appeared on ESPN Unlimited and Disney+. Fans could also stream on Masters.com and the Masters app.

Rules, tradition and brief history

Official scoring follows standard stroke play over nine holes. Players who let family members hit or putt are recorded as “NS.”

It is a longstanding superstition that Par 3 winners do not go on to win the Masters in the same week.

The Par 3 Contest began in 1960. The course measures 1,090 yards. There have been 115 holes-in-one in the event’s history. Jimmy Walker’s 8-under 19 remains the record score, set in 2016.