Masters Par 3 Tournament 2024: Highlights, Reaction as Rickie Fowler Wins Event

It's been three years since Rickie Fowler last played at Augusta National.

It did not take long for him to make himself right back at home.

Fowler shot a five-under to win the 2024 Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, beating Sepp Straka, J.T. Poston and Santiago de la Fuente by two strokes.

"This is a place you don't want to miss," Fowler said. "Sitting on the couch, it's one of the few events that you would watch as a fan and professional golfer, but it's a lot better when you're a part of it."

While it isn't quite a green jacket, Fowler's victory was a long time coming as he's tried to recapture his form. He missed the last three Masters tournaments due to poor performance, a jarring fall from grace from a regular contender at Augusta.

From 2014 to 2020, Fowler finished 12th or better on five occasions and was the runner up behind Patrick Reed.

History has not been kind to Par 3 Contest winners. No Wednesday winner has ever gone on to don the green jacket in the same week. Twelve golfers have won both a Par 3 Contest and a Masters tournament, but only two, Vijay Singh and Ben Crenshaw, donned the green jacket after their Par 3 triumph.

Fowler's round notwithstanding, there were plenty of highlights from players looking up at him on the leaderboard. The day saw a number of players make a hole-in-one, which some would argue is an even sweeter accomplishment than taking the event.

Play at the 2024 Masters Tournament begins Thursday. Fowler is set to tee off at 10:06 a.m. ET.