'Masters Jinx'... "What Could There Be?"

Winner of Par 3 Contest 'No Success in Main Tournament'
Performance Declines After Wearing the 'Green Jacket'

‘Jinx’. It is a psychological phenomenon where one first has a foreboding feeling. Golf is a mental sport. There are countless types of jinxes. The ‘Masters’, the prestigious tournament held over four days starting on the 6th (local time) at Augusta National Golf Club (par 72, 7,545 yards) in Augusta, Georgia, USA, also has its own jinxes. It is the ‘Masters curse’ that players need to be mindful of to achieve better results.

Mackenzie Hughes is playing with his son in last year's Masters event, the Par 3 Contest. Hughes scored 4 under par to share the victory with Mike Weir.

A representative example is the ‘Par 3 Contest’. The winner of this event never wears the ‘Green Jacket’. The Par 3 Contest began in 1960. It is a traditional event held on nine par-3 holes near Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, one day before the main tournament begins. Players bring their wives, girlfriends, and children as caddies and enjoy the festive atmosphere to the fullest. Another fun aspect of the Par 3 Contest is the ‘substitute chance’. A companion acting as a caddie can take shots or putts on behalf of the player. Awards are given based on performance.

However, no one wants to win. A severe jinx holds them back. The best finish by a Par 3 Contest winner so far has been runner-up by Raymond Floyd in 1990 and Chip Beck in 1993 (both from the USA). Even players who showed precise shots in the Par 3 Contest performed poorly in the main tournament. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) did not participate in the Par 3 Contest at all in 2016. This was because winning the Masters would achieve the ‘Career Grand Slam’, conquering all four different major championships.

Winning the Masters also brings worries. Most players fall into a slump after winning. Trevor Immelman (South Africa) has not won any additional trophies since his victory in 2008. Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) took a full five years to secure his ‘second win’ at the 2016 Valspar Championship after winning the Masters in 2011. ?ngel Cabrera (Argentina) in 2009 and Sergio Garc?a (Spain) in 2017 also suffered mental struggles after their Masters victories.

However, the atmosphere has changed recently. Last year’s winner, Scottie Scheffler (USA), dominated the Masters and even rose to the ‘Number 1’ spot. Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed, who moved to LIV Golf, and the ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (all from the USA) have also maintained consistent form.

There was also a jinx that ‘Australian players cannot win’. ‘The Great White Shark’ Greg Norman (Australia) participated for 22 consecutive years from 1981 to 2002 but never reached the top, finishing runner-up three times in 1986, 1987, and 1996. In 1996, he notably self-destructed with a 6-over-par final round after leading by six strokes, adding to the heartbreak. Jim Ferrier (1950), Bruce Crampton (1980), Jack Newton (1986), and Jason Day (2011) also finished as runners-up. The ‘Australian player no-win jinx’ disappeared when Adam Scott won in 2013.