Masters Countdown: The par-3 tournament

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Padraig Harrington raised his arms overhead in triumph as his most notable impact at Augusta National was noted over a microphone to a room of note-taking scribes.

The affable Irishman has won the largely overlooked Masters par-3 tournament twice in his career and was openly courting a career triple crown Wednesday when the longtime tournament is broadcast for the first time, on ESPN.

The cozy little short course tucked into a corner of the ANGC property has mostly been a secret to the rest of the world -- like most elements of the club itself -- but its coming-out party should be worthy of watching for more than the obvious reasons.

See, Augusta National has several venerated traditions, but the par-3 tournament has them on multiple levels. In fact, for players, the process or participating is perhaps more important than winning, because since it was initiated in 1960, no player who has won the mini-Masters has won on the big track five days later.

But Harrington, whose best finish at the mega-Masters is fifth, is putting a different spin on Wednesday's short-course proceedings.

"I'll be trying to win it again hoping that three times might be a charm," he said, laughing. "I believe that if you want to put some spin on it, superstitious wise, I believe if you win it three times, you're bound to win the actual event."

Like Harrington said a couple of years ago when he won the mini-Masters, he's taking any trophy they'll hand him at this place. A win is a win, even if the course is only 1,060 yards long.

When America tunes in, it will view the stoic tour professionals in an entirely different light. Many players use their children as caddies, and the golf bag is sometimes bigger than the kids themselves. It's often hard to tell whether the kids or their famous fathers are having more fun.

"It's a great way to relieve of some of the stress or pressure you feel heading into a major," Phil Mickelson said. "Guys really have fun on the nine holes and someone like myself who has little children who caddie, we as parents look back on those pictures and those memories and sharing that time together is some of the greatest time we have had together in the game.

"I think that's such a great element to this tournament, and I think that it helps guys get ready for their starting time on Thursday because it relaxes them a little bit, and the Par 3 course is so similar to the regulation course."

Likewise, Harrington insists that playing in the par-3 tournament is a nice tune-up for the nerves.

"The first thing people don't realize, you stand on that first tee, it's a 100-yard shot and you can't tell where the wind is coming from whether it's right-to-left, left-to-right or into you," he said. "So the first shot of the day, you're bearings are off and the crowd is six or eight or 10 feet from the hole and you're thinking, 'don't hit it in the crowd.' It's one of the most nerve wracking shots of the week."

Others don't share the same sense of value in spending a few hours decompressing, for lack of a better term. Jack Nicklaus stopped playing late in his career and Tiger Woods last played in 2004, when he aced his last hole. Once, Woods finished in a tie for the par-3 lead but had gone home by the time the playoff was held, conveniently dodging the potential curse.

"It's changed over the years," Woods said Tuesday. "Used to be, I thought was a lot of fun to play, but now it is a little bit distracting to get ready and be ready for the tournament."

Bless him and his ilk, but Harrington strongly dissents.

"To me, it helps me play in the actual tournament," Harrington said. "You know, there's no question that for nine holes, you have to get into your focus over each shot and gives you a little bit of practice on your wedge play and the pace of the greens and holing out your four footers.

"It's always important to be as match ready as you can be, and a little nine-hole, light hearted bit of fun can help you get focused. So it is a help for me for the tournament and I wouldn't want to miss it."