Finally, fans can see all the fun
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Barefooted kids frolicked on pristine greens. Caddies stepped up to take putts for the real golfers.
Could this be staid ol' Augusta National?
The home of the Masters let down its guard Wednesday and finally allowed the rest of the country to get a glimpse of the rollicking good time known as the Par 3 Contest.
Jack, Arnie and Gary teamed up to provide a glorious threesome for those lucky enough to see it -- and thousands of golf fans were, crammed into every nook and cranny of the picturesque nine-hole course.
Televised live for the first time, the just-for-fun tournament before the real thing provided another side to a place known for its stoic traditions and zealous resistance to change. There's plenty of fudging on the rulebook, which is why it was OK to let your kid or caddie -- sometimes, they were one in the same -- take a putt or two or three.
Ian Poulter's 3-year-old son, Luke, isn't as tall as the clubs his dad uses, but that didn't stop him from lining up a birdie putt on No. 9.
Decked out in downsized white coveralls, just like the ones worn by the regular caddies, he broke out the mini-putter he lugged around the course just for this moment. The first attempt went rocketing past the cup. Luke scurried after it and took another whack. Strike two. Finally, with some help from his father, he tapped in for a 3-putt bogey.
But who's counting?
"He was awesome," the proud papa said after scooping his boy off the short grass.
Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who no longer play the Masters, still tee it up for the Par 3 Contest, going wedge to wedge on the marvelous little 1,060-yard layout.
Gary Player joined the dynamic duo, making it a threesome with 13 green jackets among them. They posed together on the first tee, arm in arm, a photo op for the ages.
"The most important thing is we've remained great friends," said the 72-year-old Player, who'll play in his record 51st Masters this year. "To have great friends in your life is something you can count on one hand, and these two men both go on my one hand."
Not that anyone was paying too much attention to the scoreboard, but Rory Sabbatini shot a 5-under 22 to claim the crystal trophy that goes to the Par 3 winner. He rolled in a 30-foot downhill putt at the final hole for the birdie, thrusting his fist in the air to show how much he cared.