Padraig out to break jinx
EUROPEAN number one Padraig Harrington will tempt US Masters fate once again after capturing the par-three tournament with a playoff victory over Argentine Eduardo Romero on Wednesday.
Joint winner of the rain-shortened Masters warm-up last year, Harrington had the title all to himself this time round after draining a three-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole.
Unfortunately for the hardworking Irishman, lifting the par-three trophy has not traditionally signalled good things for the main event. In fact, winning the warm-up competition is viewed as a bad omen.
In the 45-year history of the par-three event, no golfer has ever won the warm-up and gone on to capture the Masters in the same week.
“I'm Irish, there can't be a jinx on me,” Harrington told reporters. “I have my own lucky leprechaun in my pocket.
“I'm Irish and have all the back up and hopefully the jinx will be broken this week.
“I would prefer to do this (giving a speech) on Sunday. However, if you don't win the par-three, you can't make two speeches this week.”
World number one Tiger Woods, who completed regulation play tied with Harrington and Romero at four-under, was in no mood to take chances.
Under increasing scrutiny over his form and without a major win in almost two years, the triple Masters champion left the Augusta National Golf Club before the playoff citing a prior commitment.
The par-three jinx is a superstition that has become part of Masters folklore.
“It's odd that somebody has not won it, won both,” said defending Masters champion Mike Weir of Canada.
“It's in the back of your mind...I think guys think about it. It's talked about a lot.”
The highlights of the afternoon were four hole-in-ones from Woods, Weir, American Jay Haas and Britain's Phillip Price.
Woods, playing alongside Arnold Palmer, 74, who will be making his 50th and final Masters appearance this week, claimed his ace at the ninth hole to trigger wild celebrations and a round of high fives and fist pumping.
Weir, partnering childhood hero and six-times Masters winner Jack Nicklaus, aced the second.
“Most of my career I never played (the par-three event), I just started playing five or six years ago,” said Nicklaus. “I just always felt like I had my own preparation for the golf tournament.
“I didn't want to be tired the next day so I tried to prepare myself to be ready for Thursday and not ready for a par-three tournament. When it was realistic that I wasn't going to win the golf tournament any more, I started playing the par-three.”
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