Masters Par 3 Contest: Underdogs Must Show Restraint During Practice Round

Hint to Luke Donald and Lee Westwood: Nobody who has won the Masters Par 3 Contest has ever taken home the green jacket in the same year.

It may be tempting for those under-the-radar contenders—meaning anyone other than Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy—to come out firing during Wednesday's contest. They may feel slighted at the lack of attention and respect, and they may want to prove they're worth talking about, too.

But they need to make sure they keep some juice in the tank for this weekend, when it really matters.

The Masters Par 3 Contest kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday and will be streamed on Masters.com beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The contest was first played in 1960 and, ever since, it has been a Wednesday tradition at the Masters. The nine-hole, par-27 course was designed in 1958, and the course record is 20.

Using the contest for practice is a great opportunity to prepare for the main event at Augusta, and it is likely that no one is really playing to win. At least, no one should be, given the odds of winning the Masters after winning the contest.

Westwood, though he is ranked No. 3 in the world, has been passed over as a favorite to win the Masters. Though he told the Associated Press this week that he feels confident heading into the 2012 tournament, he should save that confidence for the weekend. No need to waste it during Wednesday's glorified practice round.

World No. 1 Donald talked at length on Tuesday about his frustration over this year's Masters being labeled a two-horse race between Woods and McIlroy, telling the Telegraph's Oliver Brown, "It's a little naive to say that they are the only two with a chance to win around here."

Still, that's no reason to go all-out during Wednesday's contest.

Donald should—and likely will—use the lack of attention and respect to fuel him during the Masters. Everyone knows he's good; he'll have plenty of time to prove it this weekend. No need to do so during the contest. Last year, he finished first on the Par 3 course, but perhaps this year he should scale it back a notch and save some of that competitive energy for when it really counts.

Nobody can tip his hand too much at the practice round, or else, as history shows, wearing that green jacket on Sunday is a near impossibility. It's a much better strategy to fly under the radar.