'Always an adventure': Golfers' families take to the course at Masters Tournament

Golfers competing at the Masters Tournament once again participated in the Par 3 contest, an annual tradition that welcomes the competitors' children and families.

Key Takeaways:

• The Masters Tournament, held in Augusta, Georgia, is the first of four major men's golf tournaments.

• Each year, the Masters opens with the Par 3 contest, a family-friendly nine-hole event in which family members, including children, caddie for the professional golfers, and wear the traditional all-white uniforms.

• The children also often take shots on the golfers' behalf, making it a beloved, low-pressure event to open the tournament.

The Details:

The annual Par 3 contest was held Wednesday before the official tournament began, a tradition dating back to 1960. Though it has been taking place for decades, it was largely a behind-the-scenes event until it was televised for the first time in 2008, and quickly became a fan-favorite event. The Masters website describes the event this way:

Of all the traditions at the Masters, none is more endearing than the annual Par 3 Contest. This beloved event, held on Wednesday of Tournament week and now televised around the world, is above all a family affair. Wives and girlfriends, children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews-all happily serve as caddies.

The sight of toddlers, outfitted in miniature Augusta National jumpsuits, toting a light bag or tending a flagstick more than twice their height brings smiles to onlookers near and far.

“[My favorite thing is] just the collection of all the kids in our group. Saving them from running in the water, picking up clubs and ice creams while trying to hit a golf shot in between all of that," Kevin Kisner said in the 2025 Golfweek Masters survey, while Jason Day added, "It’s usually just crying kids. Always an adventure trying to hold the baby between shots.”

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Bennett Scheffler tees it up with his dad, Scottie Scheffler. #themasters

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4:45 PM · Apr 8, 2026

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The Masters Par 3 contest gives fans the ability to see their favorite elite golfers as more than just incredible players: as sons, husbands, fathers, and grandfathers.

“It's full circle, right?” Jordan Spieth told Golfweek in 2025. “I used to play it with myself, Justin [Thomas] and Rickie [Fowler], and we were just doing hole-in-one bets. Now, I've just got to make sure that [my son] Sammy doesn't hit somebody. It's very, very different. Very full circle. I used to see the kids out there [and think] ‘Man, that seems too far away.’ Now I have two walking around with a third on the way. . . It's a special day. This place is unlike any other. We don't do this anywhere else.”

Golfer Scottie Scheffler posted numerous adorable pictures of his family, which includes nine-day-old Remy. His wife, Meredith, participated in the tradition, wearing Remy in a white baby carrier to match her white caddie's uniform.

"This is what it’s all about!" Scheffler wrote. "Remy made his big debut and we are officially a family of four."

The Bottom Line:

Sports and career are, of course, important, and achieving a goal like winning the Masters is laudable. But the Par 3 contest reminds fans and golfers alike what is truly most important: family.