In what year was the par 3 tournament at The Masters first held?

More about the par 3 tournament at The Masters

• The Par 3 Contest is typically held on the Wednesday before The Masters officially begins, which is known as the Masters Wednesday.
• At the time of writing, the record for the competition is 8 under through 9 holes, set by Jimmy Walker in 2016.
• Also, a commonly known piece of trivia, the player that has won the par 3 competition in any given year has never gone on to win the Masters in that same year.
• Jack Nicklaus has never won the par 3 competition.
• It is well accepted as a family and friends affair with caddies and others playing shots ‘for’ the competitor during the round.

The par-27 1,060 yards course was designed by George Cobb and club founder Clifford Roberts. 

The player with the most wins in the Masters Par-3 Contest is Pádraig Harrington, who has won the event three times, in 2003, 2004, and 2019. Other notable multiple winners include Sam Snead, who won twice (1960, 1974), and Sandy Lyle (1997, 1998) among others. Despite the charm of the contest, no player has ever won both the Par-3 Contest and the Masters in the same year

Other Notable Winners include Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and Rickie Fowler.