It's the family friendly portion of the Masters tournament where players, both young and old, gather together to play the famous nine-hole Par 3 course at Augusta National.

The endearing mini-competition is one of the many quirky traditions linked with the year's first major.

Here's everything you need to know about it.

When is the Par 3 Contest at the Masters?

The Par 3 Contest is traditionally held on the Wednesday before the Masters kicks off, this year it will be on Wednesday 5 April, starting at midday.

How can I watch the Par 3 Contest at the Masters?

You'll be able to catch live video coverage on Masters.com at 2:00 p.m local time.

Who is playing the Par 3 Contest?

Attendance is not compulsory for the pros entered into the 2023 Masters, but many will choose to tee it up at the Par 3 Contest. Past champions are also invited to play.

Is it a serious competition?

Whilst it is a competition with a leaderboard, the event is mainly played in a fun and uncompetitive spirit with many players choosing to have family members, including young children, as caddies. A caddie can even hit a shot for a player. If they do, the player's score is no longer counted and entered into the final leaderboard.

The contest provides the players with an opportunity to blow-off steam before the real competition begins the following day.

What's the history of the Par 3 Contest?

The Masters Par 3 Contest dates back over half a century with the inaugural event taking place in 1960. That year it was won by legendary golfer and three-times Masters champion Sam Snead.

What is the Masters Par 3 course?

The short 1,060-yard nine-hole course is a par-27 with holes ranging in distance from 70 to 140 yards and includes water features such as ponds.

Several renovations and improvements have been carried out to the Par 3 course this year. You can read more about those at Masters.com.

What are some Par 3 Contest records?

Famously, no one who has ever won the Par 3 Contest has gone on to win the Masters tournament that same year. Curse or plain coincidence?

In total, there have been 94 holes-in-one made over the years, a record nine of which came in 2016.

Irish golfer Padraig Harrington is the only player to have won the contest three times, whilst American Jimmy Walker holds the course record of 19 (-8), which he set in 2016.

Who are past winners of the Par 3 Contest?

Some of the greatest golfers to have played the game have won the Masters Par 3 Contest, including Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Sandy Lyle, Vijay Singh and Nick Price. The winners from the past ten years are as follows:

2022 - Mackenzie Hughes / Mike Weir

2021 & 2020 - Cancelled due to COVID-19

2019 - Matt Wallace

2018 - Tom Watson

2017 - Cancelled due to rain

2016 - Jimmy Walker

2015 - Kevin Streelman

2014 - Ryan Moore

2013 - Ted Potter Jr.