Masters Par 3 Contest Suspended Due to Severe Weather Conditions

Well, that’s not the greatest way to start off the biggest event of the year.

As Wade Neely of WJZM in Nashville reports, Wednesday’s infamous Par 3 Contest at the Masters has been canceled due to rain:

"

Ugh. #Masters Week not off to a good start. The Par 3 competition has been canceled due to severe weather in the area.

— Wade Neely (@WadeNeely) April 4, 2012"

The day started bright and sunny at Augusta National, as legends of the game like Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus showed the crowd what they still had left in the tank after all these years.

Plenty of players were even able to finish all nine holes.

Padraig Harrington and Jonathan Byrd finished tied for first at five-under, while Adam Scott, Webb Simpson (through eight) and Jerry Pate (through five) were in a three-way tie for third at four-under. Phil Mickelson was tied for sixth with Kelly Kraft at three-under.

The rain really started to come down around 3:45 p.m (ET) and once the thunderstorms started to appear, the event organizers concluded it was in the best interest of everybody involved to postpone the event and hope the rain stays away for the remainder of the week.

There were plenty of concerns about the weather forecast entering the Masters, and Wednesday was not a good start. According to Weather.com, there is a 60 percent chance of rain on Thursday and a 40 percent chance on Friday. The last thing the PGA wants is tee times to be postponed to an extent that the tournament may not be able to finish until Monday.

Confused by what the Par 3 Contest is all about? Here is the official description provided by the Masters website:

"

First played in 1960, the Par 3 Contest has become a beloved Wednesday tradition at the Masters. The Par 3 Course was designed in 1958 by architect George Cobb and Augusta National Chairman Clifford Roberts. The Contest field includes Tournament participants, noncompeting past champions, and Honorary Invitees. The nine-hole, par-27 course measures 1,060 yards and plays over DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike's Pond.

"

It’s too bad the rain had to come, but it will be nothing but a footnote as long as the weather holds up for the rest of the long weekend. 

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter.