AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Par 3 contest might as well be a cutest kid competition.
The annual event at the Masters delivered some of the most adorable moments of the week Wednesday.
Ryan Moore's 18-month-old son, Tucker, pounded a plastic driver into the ground as he ran across the practice green. Scott Stallings' 14-month-old son, Finn, putted balls with a small driver and was a star on several holes, stumbling around as he balanced the whole walking and swinging thing. Kevin Streelman carried his 4-month-old daughter, Sophia, to the first tee before handing her off.
All the kids were decked out in white coveralls, the traditional attire for caddies at Augusta National.
Jason Day's 21-month-old son, Dash, watched his father on the practice range. At the end of the session, Day wrapped the boy's hands around a cut-down driver and teed one up for him. He made solid contact every time, something only swing with one hand on the club. Day couldn't keep the balls on the tee fast enough.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
Before long, the boy took his father's hand and walked with him over to first hole.
The children were as much part of the Par 3 tournament as their dads, with the older ones carrying bags and even getting a chance to putt in front of hundreds of spectators.
"It's really for the people," said two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer.
Added 2008 Masters champ Trevor Immelman, who had his son and daughter in tow: "It's great. My little guy's been doing this since he was 1 or 2. They look forward to it all the time."
— Mark Long, https://twitter.com/APMarkLong
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Masters Watch follows golf's first major of the year and all the activities surrounding the big event in Augusta, Ga., as seen by journalists from The Associated Press. It will be updated throughout the day.
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