By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Rory McIlroy’s four-year-old daughter Poppy holed a 25-foot putt in the Par 3 Contest to steal the show on the eve of the Masters.
McIlroy helped his daughter make a monster birdie putt on the final hole in the family-friendly pre-event at Augusta National.
Her successful putt triggered wild celebrations from McIlroy and fellow golfer Shane Lowry.
Poppy McIlroy converts the lengthy putt on No. 9! #themasters pic.twitter.com/6Vfkfxm3v7
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2025
“The build-up to this event is a lot,” McIlroy said. “It’s nice to have this. It means more when you have a family.”
As for skipping possible practice time for light-hearted family moments, four-time major winner McIlroy said: “If you’re not ready by now, you don’t really have a chance.”
McIlroy begins his 2025 Masters bid at 1:12pm local time alongside Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Akshay Bhatia of the United States.
Colombia’s Nicolas Echavarria defeated American J.J. Spaun in a playoff to win the event, risking a green jacket curse on the eve of the year’s first major showdown.
Echavarria, who qualified for his first Masters by winning last year’s PGA Zozo Championship in Japan, birdied the second extra hole while Spaun made bogey to take what has been a poisoned chalice triumph.
No Par Three Contest winner has ever donned the Masters champion’s green jacket in the same year.
“It feels awesome,” Echavarria said. “Being my first time and winning this, it feels incredible.
“Hopefully we change the tradition of never winning the Masters Par Three Contest and the tournament itself. We’ll see about that.”
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler could join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only players to win two straight Masters titles.
South African and former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel alongside fellow South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Thriston Lawrence will fly the Mzansi flag at Augusta National, looking to bag another Green Jacket for the country.