When the best Masters shot was the only shot this am hit all week

March 31, 2022 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

- Masters screenshot

The Par 3 Contest is back after a 2-year break; in 2018 it produced a moment that Jack Nicklaus ranked as his No. 1 Masters memory

Six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus announced today that he is finished playing in the Masters Par 3 Contest, a sad day for golf fans. He will continue to participate in the first tee ceremony alongside Gary Player and Tom Watson, but his playing days at Augusta National are over.

Nicklaus' Masters playing career spanned 60 years, from 1959 when he competed as an amateur to 2019 when he last played in the Par 3 Contest. But his No. 1 Masters memory involved a shot he didn't even hit.

In 2018, Nicklaus, Player and Watson were on the 9th tee, and Nicklaus let his grandson Gary "G.T." Nicklaus, Jr. take a swing. Here's what happened:

"I was just trying to hit it on the green, just trying to hit a good shot," G.T. said in a TV interview behind the green. "This is probably my favorite week of the year. This is a special tournament. Golf is a sport that I love, and for that to happen is just unbelievable."

It was his first-ever hole in one.

The next video shows the replay, as well as G.T.'s amazing reaction (starting with a Tiger-like club twirl) as he watches the shot creep back toward the hole and eventually go in:

Listen in as @garyplayer narrates Gary Nicklaus Jr.'s hole-in-one on No. 9 of the Par 3 Contest. #themasters pic.twitter.com/9NTARoy3gE
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 4, 2018

It would be the only shot G.T. would hit all week, and it was probably the best moment of the 2018 Masters, though the champion Patrick Reed might beg to differ.

The elder Nicklaus definitely did not beg to differ:

Where, Tom Rinaldi, does this moment rank for me among @TheMasters memories? No. 1 ☝️ What does it mean? Everything. And certainly enough to make this old man cry. What a day! @espn pic.twitter.com/n7wgLOSLoZ
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) April 5, 2018

To cap off the day, Watson won the Par 3 Contest at 6 under par, while Nicklaus shot 4 under and Player 2 under.

About the The Masters

When the best Masters shot was the only shot this am hit all week

One of Golf's four professional majors traditionally invites amateurs who have reached the finals of the US Amateur, or won the British Amateur or the US Mid Amateur. Also included are the winners of the relatively new Asia Pacific Amateur and Latin ...

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