Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica and daughter Poppy have donned matching white jumpsuits complete with family name for the famous Par 3 Contest on the eve of The Masters.
Erica caddied for her husband while playing partner and pal Shane Lowry was seen giving Poppy some tips out on the green.
The Holywood native described the importance of putting thoughts to one side in the run up to such an important event as he aims to finally complete the career grand slam.
“Yeah, I’m feeling good about the week,” Rory said. “It’s sort of going into what you know, the feelings, the emotions, and everything are going to be for tomorrow, to sort of have this leading into it is really nice.
“Very relaxed, fun with the family. A really nice way to chill out before the real stuff begins,” Rory said.
Shane Lowry was also joined by his family, with English golf Tommy Fleetwood also walking the fairway with his children.
But it was another Irishman who grabbed all the golfing headlines as Seamus Power finished out the day’s event with back-to-back aces on the 8th and 9th holes.
The Masters Par 3 event precedes the main competition at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
The first ever Par 3 was held before the 1960 tournament and was won by three-time Masters champion Sam Snead.
The contest takes place in a single round on a nine-hole, par-27 course in the northeast corner of the club’s grounds, designed in 1958.
Traditionally, the contest participants have invited family members to caddie for them, sometimes allowing them to play shots on their behalf.
At the 2016 contest, an incredible nine holes in one were recorded at the event.
Padraig Harrington has won the event three times through the years but traditionally it has been dominated by the Americans. No [player has ever won the Par 3 day before winning the main event four days later.
