Masters Par 3 Contest coverage: Leaderboard, highlights from Aaron Rai's win

It’s one of the traditions that make the Masters unlike any other major tournament on the golf calendar.

The annual Masters Par 3 contest teed off on Wednesday, April 8, at Augusta National Golf Club as part of the lead-up to the 2026 Masters, and the heartwarming scenes patrons and fans have come to expect from this wholesome pre-tournament event emerged once again.

The lighthearted competition before the world's best golfers battle for the coveted green jacket officially featured the wives, partners and children as caddies inside the ropes. There were also multiple holes-in-one. Aaron Rai was atop the leaderboard with only a few golfers left.

But no Masters Par 3 winner has ever gone on to win the Masters tournament in the same calendar year. Perhaps that will change with Rai in 2026.

USA TODAY Sports tracked all the action at Augusta National Golf Club during the 2026 Masters Par 3 Contest. Here are the best moments and highlights from Wednesday:

What time is the Masters Par 3 Contest?

The Masters Par 3 Contest from Augusta National will begin at noon ET with coverage live via streaming on Masters.com, the Masters app, and ESPN Unlimited and Fubo, which is offering a free trial. TV coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Where to watch Par 3 Contest at the Masters 

ESPN will broadcast the Masters Par 3 Contest on April 8. The first two hours of the competition will be streaming exclusive on ESPN's proprietary services and on the Masters app and Masters.com. Fans can also use cable alternative Fubo, which has a free trial, to stream ESPN's coverage of the Masters Par 3 Contest. — Jack McKessy

• TV channel: ESPN (2-4 p.m. ET)
• Live stream: Masters.com; Masters app; ESPN Unlimited & ESPN Select; Fubo (free trial)

Masters Par 3 Contest leaderboard

The Masters Par 3 Contest leaderboard can be a little leaner than a normal PGA Tour event because of the rules in play. While caddies and family members are permitted to take shots for golfers, doing so disqualifies the golfer from having his score counted.

Justin Thomas, for instance, is already out of the running to win this par 3 contest despite his hole-in-one on No. 2 because he did not finish No. 3.

Here's a look at the current leaderboard based on the golfers on course and eligible to have their score counted:

• 1. Aaron Rai: -6 (F)
• T2. Jacob Bridgeman: -5 (F)
• T2. John Keefer: -5 (F)
• T4. J.J. Spaun: -3 (F)
• T4. Mason Howell: -3 (F)
• T6. Harry Hall: -2 (F)
• T6. Sandy Lyle: -2 (F)

Check out the full Masters Par 3 Contest here.

Frankie Fleetwood gets second shot at Masters Par 3 Contest

Frankie Fleetwood pulled out a driver with a blue shaft and took the biggest rip he could.

"It had the distance," ESPN's Scott Van Pelt said as the ball landed in the water to the right of the green at No. 9, the final hole of the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday.

They gave him another chance, two years after he went viral for "trying my hardest" to reach the green in one shot at No. 9 on Augusta National Golf Club's par 3 course. Fleetwood's second attempt of the day was his closest yet, but splashed in the water nonetheless. Here's to another shot next year.

Watch Frankie Fleetwood's dad make an ace

Frankie Fleetwood's dream of hitting his tee shot onto the green and over the water on No. 9 at the Masters Par 3 Contest has been a focus of ESPN's Wednesday afternoon broadcast, but his father might have out-done him.

Tommy Fleetwood just registered the fourth hole-in-one of the round, acing the fourth hole and celebrating with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry in his group. Here's what it looked like:

Frankie Fleetwood returns to Masters Par 3 contest

Frankie Fleetwood is back at The Masters Par 3 Contest trying hard again.

The 8-year-old son of Tommy Fleetwood gave a famous interview in 2024 after attempting to reach the green on No. 9 during this event, saying, "I'm just trying my hardest" when his ball splashed in the water.

And this week, the golf world is watching to see whether he can reach.

"Not so confident, but honestly on the range this afternoon, I felt good," Frankie Fleetwood said before his father's first tee shot on Wednesday. "I feel like I have a chance, but I'm still trying."

Kevin Hart is Bryson DeChambeau's celebrity caddie

Kevin Hart showed up at the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, appearing before the first hole as Bryson DeChambeau's caddie during an ESPN interview. Prior to the start of the round, he was also seen getting something of a swing lesson from DeChambeau on the driving range.

Haotong Li, who is playing with DeChambeau in the par 3 event, seemed the most excited about the situation. Upon seeing Hart at the tee box, a hot mic caught Li proclaiming, "You're my favorite ... Let's (expletive) go." The two also posed for a picture. DeChambeau and Hart indicated during the interview that they've been working together in recent months because Hart recently picked up the game.

Jason Kelce, part of ESPN's coverage this week at Augusta National Golf Club, also served as a caddie for Akshay Bhatia during one hole. He told the golfer to give his putt "a little tush push."

Keegan Bradley makes history with another hole-in-one

Keegan Bradley authored the best moment of last year's Masters Par 3 Contest when he sank a hole-in-one, then tossed his sons in the air during a jubilant celebration that went viral. He recreated during the 2026 edition. Last year's hole-in-one came on No. 6 at Augusta National Golf Club's par 3 course.

This year's ace by the Ryder Cup captain happened on No. 8, one hole after Wyndham Clark got his own hole-in-one at No. 7 in the same group. That makes three holes-in-one over the first two hours of action at the Masters Par 3 Contest, but Bradley's ended up making history.

Tournament officials later announced Bradley is the first golfer to get a hole-in-one in back-to-back years at the Masters Par 3 contest.

Masters Par 3 Contest tee times, groups

Here's a look at the remaining tee times for the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday:

• 2:27 p.m. – Danny Willett, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson
• 2:34 p.m. – Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Robert MacIntyre, Sami Valimaki
• 2:41 p.m. – Jackson Herrington (a), Zach Johnson, Mateo Pulcini (a)
• 2:48 p.m. – Sepp Straka, Brian Harman, Harris English
• 2:55 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry
• 3:02 p.m. – Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Ryan Fox
• 3:16 p.m. – Tom McKibbin, Marco Penge, Kristoffer Reitan
• 3:23 p.m. – Brian Campbell, Jake Knapp, Max Greyserman
• 3:30 p.m. – Fred Couples, Brooks Koepka
• 3:37 p.m. – Michael Brennan, Cameron Young, Samuel Stevens
• 3:44 p.m. – Si Woo Kim, Michael Kim

Gary Woodland's emotional return to Masters Par 3 Contest

Gary Woodland has been one of the early highlights of the Masters Par 3 Contest thanks to his emotional return to Augusta National Golf Club this year for The Masters.

Woodland had surgery to remove a lesion from his brain in 2023 and still struggles with the after-effects from the procedure. But the 2019 U.S. Open champion nonetheless returned to the PGA Tour last year and won his first event since coming back at the Texas Children's Houston Open on March 30.

"This is what the fight's for. Today. Right now," Woodland told ESPN, fighting back tears as he began the Par 3 event with his wife and three children. "Yeah, the fight's hard and it's real every day ... but to share this moment with my kids, it's everything."

Justin Thomas hole-in-one starts Masters Par 3 Contest

Justin Thomas, Max Homa and Jordan Spieth hit the first official tee shots of the 2026 Masters Par 3 Contest and we've already got the first hole-in-one of the competition. Thomas struck his first shot on No. 2 right into the hole, as the ball bounced three times on the green then spun back into the cup.

Thomas then turned to his playing partners and immediately flashed what appeared to be money signs with his hands. He seemed to confirm that there was a wager involved when ESPN's Scott Van Pelt asked about his reaction moments after the ace.

"I probably enjoyed that shot a lot more than Jordan and Max did," Thomas said. "Maybe 1,000 times more than they did."

Masters weather forecast: Latest updates for Wednesday at Augusta

Wednesday, April 8: Partly cloudy with some moderate winds and gusts as high as 24 mph. High of 69℉ and a low of 49℉ at night. — Jack McKessy

Masters Par 3 past winners

Here is a list of recent winners:

• 2025: Nico Echavarria (5-under)
• 2024: Rickie Fowler (5-under)
• 2023: Tom Hoge (6-under)
• 2022: Mackenzie Hughes & Mike Weir (4-under)
• 2021: Canceled (COVID-19)
• 2020: Canceled (COVID-19)
• 2019: Matt Wallace (5-under)
• 2018: Tom Watson (6-under)

Masters odds and betting line

Masters odds as of 10:30 a.m. ET on April 7, courtesy of BetMGM.

Favorites

• 1. Scottie Scheffler (+550)
• 2. Jon Rahm (+1000)
• T3. Rory McIlroy (+1200)
• T3. Bryson DeChambeau (+1200)
• T5. Ludvig Åberg (+1400)
• T5. Xander Schauffele (+1400)

Masters predictions and picks

Nick Stavas, Golfweek: Robert MacIntyre to win

Stavas writes, "Augusta National famously sets up really well for lefties (see: Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson) and Robert MacIntyre's game is in excellent form entering the Masters, where he's made two cuts in three starts with a high finish of T-12. He seems primed for a major championship breakthrough and I think he'll join the legendary Sandy Lyle as the only Scottish players to slip on the Green Jacket."

Nick Stavas, Golfweek: Robert MacIntyre to win

Stavas writes, "Augusta National famously sets up really well for lefties (see: Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson) and Robert MacIntyre's game is in excellent form entering the Masters, where he's made two cuts in three starts with a high finish of T-12. He seems primed for a major championship breakthrough and I think he'll join the legendary Sandy Lyle as the only Scottish players to slip on the Green Jacket."

Jeff Goudy, Forbes: Justin Rose could surprise

Goudy writes, "[Rose's] history at Augusta is defined not just by consistency, but by near-misses at the very top. Rose is one of only nine players in Masters history to finish runner-up at least three times, a testament to both his excellence and how close he’s come to claiming the green jacket. At 45, he has shown flashes of both inconsistency and brilliance this season. While he’s missed three cuts, he also reminded everyone of his ceiling with a dominant seven-shot victory at Torrey Pines, along with a solid T-13 finish at The Players Championship."Jeff Goudy, Forbes: Justin Rose could surprise

Goudy writes, "[Rose's] history at Augusta is defined not just by consistency, but by near-misses at the very top. Rose is one of only nine players in Masters history to finish runner-up at least three times, a testament to both his excellence and how close he’s come to claiming the green jacket. At 45, he has shown flashes of both inconsistency and brilliance this season. While he’s missed three cuts, he also reminded everyone of his ceiling with a dominant seven-shot victory at Torrey Pines, along with a solid T-13 finish at The Players Championship."

Masters predictions: Sleeper picks at Augusta

USA TODAY Sports' Jon Hoefling offers up a trio of sleepers to consider this weekend.

Tommy Fleetwood (+2200)

Fleetwood is someone who often gets glossed over when discussing the best golfers in the world, but he's been consistently good at Augusta the last eight years, finishing in the top-25 in five of those tournaments, including a tie for third place in 2024. He tends to play up at Augusta and is fresh off winning the Tour Championship in 2025.

Patrick Reed (+3300)

Patrick Reed won the Masters back in 2018, so he knows what it takes to get the green jacket. Of course, his presence on the LIV Tour for the last few years certainly hasn't helped his chances. He might be a little too used to playing in three-day tournaments at this point. However, Reed is different.

In the seven Masters Tournaments since his victory, he's finished top-12 or better in five of them, and that includes a top-ten finish in three of his last five Masters appearances. A bet on Reed to finish in the top-20 could pay out massively.

Jordan Spieth (+3300)

It's been just over 10 years since Spieth won the green jacket at Augusta, and he's been inconsistent ever since. Five years ago, he tied for third. Four years ago, he missed the cut. Three years ago, he tied for fourth. Two years ago, he missed the cut. Last year, he tied for 14th.

Sure, the pattern would indicate that he's due for some regression in 2026, but streaks are meant to be broken and Spieth has played in this tournament enough to warrant some confidence that he can still do well. After all, he's finished top-25 in more than half of the events he's played this year.

Masters location: Where is Augusta National?

The 90th edition of the Masters Tournament will get underway this week, and for the 90th iteration in a row, it will take place at the same golf course in Georgia.

Augusta National Golf Club has hosted every Masters Tournament dating back to the first one in 1934. That makes Augusta National (and the Masters) unique among golf majors. No other major tournament – those being the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and British Open – has taken place exclusively at the same golf club. — Jack McKessy

What is the Par 3 Contest at the Masters?

The Par 3 Contest may be a competition, but it's a fun-filled and lighthearted affair. It unfolds on a nine-hole, par-27 course designed by George Cobb and Cliff Roberts, nestled around DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike's Pond. The event brings together tournament participants and past winners for a single round of play, all in the spirit of enjoyment. Participants often invite their families, who add to the festive atmosphere by donning Augusta National jumpsuits.

The event also has its own superstition: the winner of the Par 3 contest has never gone on to win the Masters in the same year. As a result, some participants choose not to risk this and allow their family members, who are serving as caddies, the opportunity to chip or putt on their behalf. — Elizabeth Flores

How many courses are at Augusta National?

Augusta National Golf Club has just two courses (or one-and-a-half, depending on how you look at it). The Masters will take place on the club's iconic 18 holes. Wednesday is a slight departure for the Par 3 competition, which will take place at the nine-hole Par 3 course.