SI

The Masters Par 3 Contest Is a Reminder of the Circle of Life

Wednesday's traditional Par 3 Contest brought its usual swirl of golfers, wives and children, but the mix of generations made Brian Giuffra also contemplate life's larger meaning.

Brian Giuffra

Jordan Spieth holds his daughter, Sophie, while being followed by his son, Sammy.
Jordan Spieth holds his daughter, Sophie, while being followed by his son, Sammy. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

AUGUSTA — Life advances perpetually, and in sports that is perhaps nowhere more palpable than the Masters Par 3 Contest.

Jordan Spieth and Max Homa’s toddlers run from the tee box to the green with the unbridled jaunt only youth provides, pursued closely by their loving parents, whose sole purpose is keeping their children from plunging into the nearby dark waters. 

Two holes behind, creaky elders and former victors Ian Woosnam and Larry Mize lean on golf clubs for support as their offspring’s offspring knock hockey-style putts into the hole, much to the delight of the adoring crowd. 

A drone buzzes overhead of it all, recording a broadcast feed as Justin Thomas does a live interview for ESPN through an airpod in his ear while he holds his newborn daughter, Molly Grace, in one hand and his wife’s hand in the other. 

In this place where time seems to stand still, where traditions matter and cell phones are obsolete, where a 19th-century white mansion looms over every step you take and an even older oak tree casts its enduring shadow, we are still reminded of the truth of life, that nothing is permanent and each moment is fleeting. 

justin thomas molly grace
Justin Thomas holds his daughter, Molly Grace, during the Par 3 Contest. / Katie Goodale-Imagn Images

Thomas tries to capture these moments on his phone, recording videos of Sammy Spieth teeing off and taking photos of his wife holding his daughter, who has a green bow wrapped around her forehead. How many times will Thomas view these photos? What meaning will they hold when Molly Grace reaches adulthood? Will Thomas still play in the Par 3 Contest, perhaps as a former Masters champion? 

Gary Player is still here, taking mighty lashes at the ball and walking with a pep foreign to most 89-year-olds. Who would have guessed when he won his third and final Masters in 1978, a drone would be buzzing around his head five decades later? 

We can’t see the future, but we are all searching for immortality, some tangible thing we can leave behind for subsequent generations to remember us by. These players, the young ones competing in the Masters, can achieve something close to that. A green jacket assures a place in Masters history, a place in golf lore, something that can never be taken away.  

But time is unyielding, as the wrinkled hands of Woosnam and Mize, and Player and Jack Nicklaus, can attest. They were once the young ones here. They were the up-and-coming kids like Viktor Hovland and Min Woo Lee and Tom Kim are today. But Masters champions are not immune to the truth of time. 

Children didn’t participate in the Par 3 Contest when Nicklaus and Player and Arnold Palmer starred here. It was more of a friendly competition. Each participant posted a legitimate score. 

Now it’s all about the kids and the families and the photos and the videos and capturing a time and place that few can access, and sharing it via airdrops. Years from now, perhaps they'll see the photos and smile while remembering how it felt to be there.

But really, the Masters Par 3 contest is the perfect illustration of the dichotomy of life. We are all simultaneously living and dying with every second that passes, and the truth is that nothing is guaranteed. Nothing lasts forever. 

One moment we’re little children running in the grass, chased by protective parents. Then next we're old men and women leaning on a stick for support. The best thing we can do in between is enjoy the ride, which you can't help but do every time the Masters returns.

More Masters Coverage on Sports Illustrated

Published
Brian Giuffra
BRIAN GIUFFRA

Brian Giuffra is the VP of Betting Content at Minute Media and has been with the company since 2016. He's a fan of the Knicks, Giants, wine and bourbon, usually consuming them in that order.

Home/Golf