THERE are few traditions as loved in golf as the annual Masters Par 3 contest.
It can be used for the competitors to get their eye in ahead of the main tournament, or simply as a stress-relief before four days of pressure.
What is the Masters Par 3 contest?
HELD every year before the main Masters tournament, the Par 3 contest is a chance for some light-hearted competition before things get serious.
A family-affair, with children of the players allowed to caddie, the contest had its inaugural year in 1960 and was won by Sam Snead.
It's played on a short, nine-hole layout in the northeast corner of Augusta National, ranging from 70 to 140 yards.
With the calibre of players on show high and the distances short, holes-in-one are hardly a rarity - there were NINE back in 2016.
Famously, no winner of the Par 3 contest has ever gone on to win the Masters that same year.
Who is allowed to play?
THE field is made up of competitors from this years Masters along with some well-known past champions.
Not every participant will record a score, with some preferring to enjoy the course itself and make it a leisurely stroll with their families.
The 2019 Masters Par 3 Contest will be held on Wednesday, April 10 and begins at 7pm UK time.