Shane Lowry: Masters Par 3 is a bit of craic – before the real work starts

The Par 3 tournament today that precedes tee off tomorrow is a chance to have a bit of craic before the real business begins. The first year I played in it, my dad caddied for me. Then the second year I played, my wife Wendy caddied for me and then the third year, it actually got called off. A friend was supposed to be caddying for me but couldn’t make it.

It’s very relaxed. The players run around with their families. Our daughter is two-years-old now and she’s going to be running around, so I’m looking forward to that!

Would I take winning the Par 3 right now if it was offered to me?

The way I’ve planned it is that if I birdie the first three or four holes, then I’m all out to win it, but if I don’t, it doesn’t really matter and I’ll just enjoy it.

Before, I even let my dad hit a ball for me. When you let someone hit a shot for you, well, that’s it finished, so you can’t win it. That’s what people normally do.

*THAT* HOLE-IN-ONE

So, about that hole-in-one at the Masters in 2016. I was playing and actually got off to a great start that week. I was four under and I was one off the leader for the first round. I was flying and then had a bad couple of days.

I was out early on Sunday morning, with Patrick Reed. My mum and dad were with me that year and everyone – there was eight of us in the house – is out watching. My mum said after the 15th hole, “Oh, I’ll just go inside now.”

So my mum walked in after 15 holes. The Masters is probably one of the few tournaments that would have full grandstands, full seats, from first thing in the morning. Just because we were out early the crowds are still huge and when I made that hole-in-one it was pretty cool, but my mum had walked into the clubhouse!

She heard the roar. She was like, “What’s going on?”

Then she saw it on TV. But it was funny – there hadn’t been a hole in one on that hole for four years.

Later, I was standing on the 18th fairway when I heard a roar. I said to myself, “That’s a hole in one on 16.” Louis Oosthuizen and Davis Love had both shot aces as well.  There hadn’t been a hole-in-one at the 16th in four years and then there were three in the space of two hours. It was mad!