The favourites for the U.S. Masters title heaved a collective sigh of relief when the Siouth African golfer Louis Oosthuizen won the Par-Three contest and shouldered the weight of its fabled curse.
Since the Par-Three became part of the Masters build-up in 1960 no winner has gone on to claim the Green Jacket the same year.
While golfers enjoyed some laughs with their children or grandchildren enlisted for caddie duty, Tiger Woods was among those who chose not to tempt the fates and skipped it.
Oosthuizen became the third successive South African to win the event, following Tim Clark and Rory Sabbatini , with Clarke tying for 13th last year and Sabbatini missing the cut.
The day's featured group included Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player with 80-year-old Palmer ignited a huge roar when he sank a monster length birdie putt at the last.
