Sabbatini confronts Par 3 curse, but Woods sits it out

South African Rory Sabbatini will become the latest player to challenge the U.S. Masters Par-Three curse after winning the fun-filled tune-up event on Wednesday.

Since it was first held in 1960 no winner has gone on to clinch the Masters the same year but Sabbatini remained confident about his chances after finishing as joint runner-up at Augusta 12 months ago.

"I wanted to win," the cocky South African told reporters. "You can't break the curse unless you've won the par-three to begin with."

Sabbatini posted a five-under-par score of 22, with Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and American Woody Austin finishing one shot behind.

There were four aces on Wednesday. Paul Azinger aced the second hole from 70 yards, former Masters champion Charles Coody sank his tee shot on the third from 90 yards, Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters winner holed out at the 115-yard seventh and Wayne Grady aced the 135-yard, par-three ninth. The four holes-in-one were just shy of the all-time mark of five set in 2002.

Honorary Masters starter and four time champion Arnold Palmer, 78 years old, won one of the "nearest the pin" prizes after a shot to within two feet of the opening flag.

Laughs were the order of the day on a sun-kissed afternoon as golfers let off steam before the intense pressure awaiting them on Thursday when the first round of the tournament proper begins.

The Par-Three competition has not been a serious affair for years with players more interested in entertaining the huge galleries by skipping shots across the ponds than winning and having to deal with the jinx.

Tiger Woods was among the players who did not take part in the optional event.

"It's changed over the years," he said. "It used to be, I thought, a lot of fun, but now it is a little bit distracting to be ready for the tournament."

Masters Chairman Billy Payne was philosophical about Woods' absence. "I think all golfers choose to prepare differently for the Masters Tournament. We are delighted that the overwhelming majority are playing," he said. "And I will tell you that I have instructed them to save for the future those little caddie uniforms in Sam's (Woods' daughter) size."

Phil Mickelson, whose small son Evan was on the bag this year, had a different take. "It's a great way to relieve some of the stress or pressure you feel heading into a major," said the two-time Masters champion. "Guys really have fun on the nine holes, and someone like myself who has little children who caddie ... sharing that time together is some of the greatest time we have had together in this game."

Open Champion Padraig Harrington, twice a winner of the par-three contest, said the competition has its daunting moments. "People don't realize, you stand on that first tee, it's a 100-yard shot and you can't tell where the wind is coming from," he said.

"First shot of the day, your bearings are off, and the crowd is six or eight or 10 feet from the hole and you're thinking don't hit it in the crowd.

"It's one of the most nerve-wracking shots of the week."

April 9, 2008