As per tradition, golfers descended on the Masters Par 3 course on Wednesday on the eve of the tournament but Jordan Spieth was ineligible to win after breaking a rule Jordan Spieth was among several golfers unable to win the Masters Par 3 contest on Wednesday after letting a family member take a shot.

The event takes place every year on the eve of the tournament with golfers descending on the smaller course with their loved ones. Spieth and Rickie Fowler were grouped and let their children run riot, with the former letting his son, Sammy, take a tee shot.

As a result, Spieth’s card was no longer valid. Par 3 tournament rules stipulate family members and friends are more than welcome to take a shot but the golfer’s scorecard cannot be submitted. Tournament favourite Scottie Scheffleralso ruled himself out of the running after letting his sister Sara take a putt.

Grayson Murray was another on Wednesday who was happy to forgo the tournament and took shots in turns with his fiancee, Christiana. Bubba Watson let his daughter drain a 10-foot putt on one hole and a 30-foot monster on another and was also happy not to win the contest.

It’s commonplace for many of the golfers to let their ‘caddies’ for the day contribute and feel involved before the real work begins on Thursday. But even if they don’t, a fair few golfers still avoid handing in their cards.

The Par 3 Contest curse is quite well known within Augusta – and players take it very seriously. Gary Woodland, the 2019 US Open Champion, is playing in his eighth Par 3 contest. In his previous seven competitions, he has never handed in a card. This is because the winner of the Par 3 Contest has never once gone on to win the Masters. This is a possible explanation for why so many are relaxed about the competition and not too fussed about winning it.