Masters latest: Par 3 Contest, adorable kids, holes-in-one

• The Masters celebrated a fun-filled day on Wednesday, just before things got serious for the players. Three players hit holes-in-one during the exhibition round.
• The betting favorites for the event are defending champion Scottie Scheffler, followed by Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.
• The first major of the golf season gets underway Thursday at 7:30 a.m. EST.

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The Masters is unique for many reasons. No other golf tournament is so intense down the stretch during the final round on Sunday, yet so loose, carefree, and fun the day before the competition starts.

The Par 3 Contest is all about having fun

The Masters Par 3 Contest took center stage Wednesday, April 9, as the pros played a short course adjacent to Augusta National. The players’ kids and wives also took part in the day’s festivities, as nearly all donned caddie jumpsuits.

Meanwhile, there’s always a hole-in-one, or two, or three. This year, Keegan Bradley, Tom Hoge and Brooks Koepka got to jump around on the tee box and celebrate. Bradley and his kids celebrated his hole-in-one on the 6th hole, and the U.S. Ryder Cup captain gave credit to his now-famous mustache.

“I shaved it off and played two weeks, and I did not play well at all, so I had to bring it back,” Bradley said. “I know if I play well with it, win with it, it’s going to have to stay. So you know it’s a dangerous, dangerous thing that I’m messing with.”

When things get serious, who’s the odds on favorite?

On Thursday, April 10, however, things turn serious, and last year’s runner-up, Ludvig Aberg, feels like he’s ready for the challenge. He’s a dark horse to win, playing in just his second Masters.

“I do feel comfortable –– I feel like the experiences that I’ve had in the last 12 months have helped me to get to this point in my career,” Aberg said. “Augusta is still a really hard place to go and play at, but I like it. It demands a lot of creativity. It demands a lot of shot shaping and, you know, the greens are obviously the way they are.”

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the 25-year-old from Sweden is fifth on the list of betting favorites, behind some heavy company, including defending champ Scottie Scheffler, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, the 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm, and two-time major champ Collin Morikawa.

Why is Bernhard Langer being honored?

On the other end of the experience spectrum, two-time Masters winner Bernhard Langer will be in one of the first groups out Thursday, April 10. He will tee it up for the 41st and final time as a competitor.

At 67 years old, Langer, who hails from Germany, held back tears talking about his experiences at Augusta over the years and why he’s calling it quits.

“It’s going to be bittersweet,” Langer said. “The course is just getting too long, and I’m getting shorter and shorter, and I’m hitting hybrids where the other kids hit nine irons and eight irons.”

The first round of the Masters gets underway at 7:30 a.m. EST, and the conditions are forecast to be near perfect for the year’s first major.