The Masters Par 3 Contest: Tiger Woods a No-Show, Oosthuizen the Latest to be Cursed

As they like to say, it’s “a tradition unlike any other”…

No, not Tiger Woods sending juicy text messages.

Yes, The Masters golf tournament – and yes, it’s also the Masters Par 3 contest – which also is a curse for the golfers setting foot on the legendary Augusta, Georgia golf course come Thursday.

In the half-century plus timeline of Masters Par 3 contests, no one has won both the contest and the tournament itself.

So chalk up this miniature 9-hole layout as a beast with teeth as sharp as the Madden cover, with as much bite as an SI preview cover.

The latest to fall under this curse is South African Louis Oosthuizen, who won the contest today after shooting a six-under par 21.

And what about Tiger Woods, you might ask?

As reported here via ABC News, Woods – who reportedly was set to attend and participate in the Par 3 contest – was in fact a no-show.

Seriously though, it comes as no surprise that Tiger chose to take a hall pass and avoid this contest.  Tiger knows that all eyes are on him.

That, plus this contest is a “nice to have”, but not a must win.  Tiger likely chose to avoid this dance so that he could focus more on the goals at hand.  The obvious goal being The Masters itself and a successful return to the game of golf.

Left to wallow in Woods’ absence was a large grouping of both crowd and media, which sets the tone for what could be the wildest Masters in history.

It’s apparent that there indeed is going to be a frenzy surrounding Tiger.  But the question remains for how long: two days or through the entire weekend?

That depends on Woods.

Personally, I expect to see him donning red come Sunday – and very much in the hunt.

We won’t know a thing until he sets foot on the first tee – alongside of playing partners K.J. Choi and Matt Kuchar.

So sit tight, let the azaleas bloom – and the circus begin.

Additional Tiger tidbits:

For the very much talked about new Tiger Woods Nike ad, see the TWHS featured video – via the right panel of any page (will be up until The Masters is over).

Also, VOTE below on how you think Tiger will perform in this year’s Masters tournament:

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