Masters Par 3 Tournament 2017: Date, Tee Times, Live-Stream Info and Preview

The Masters Par 3 Contest has preceded the main event every year since 1960, and 2017 will be no different.

As usual, the nine-hole competition will take place on the Wednesday prior to the Masters, and players will be caddied by partners and family members.

Individual tee times are yet to be confirmed, but the tournament will start at 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. BST).

Here are the details you need to catch the action:

Date: Wednesday, April 5

Time: 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. BST

TV: ESPN (U.S.), Sky Sports 4 (UK)

Live Stream: From 3 p.m. ET on Masters.com and WatchESPN (U.S.), from 7:30 BST on Sky Go (UK)

Before the tension and drama of the full tournament, the Par 3 event offers a relaxing introduction to Augusta National on the special nine-hole course located near the 10th hole of the main course.

The combined length of the course is just 1,060 yards, with the shortest hole being just 70 yards and the longest a mere 140.

Unsurprisingly, holes-in-one are common, and last year nine players holed out an ace, which was a course record.

Jimmy Walker, who won the 2016 contest, was among those to hit a hole-in-one on the way to carding a record score of eight under.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Typically, the field consists of those participating in the main tournament, past Masters champions and honorary invitees.

Tom Watson and two other legendary former champions will be among those competing:

However, a change has been made to those eligible to play this year, and honorary invitees will no longer be able to participate.

Per the Associated Press (h/t Golf.com), the invitees—which include former winners of golf's other three majors and U.S. Amateur champions—have been informed by the club that while they retain "special access" to the Masters, they may not take part in the Par 3 Contest.

Ian Baker-Finch, who won the British Open in 1991, is unhappy with the change: "As a person and an honorary invitee, I'm disappointed because it was my favourite day of the year. I loved it. I'll still be there, though, and I'll watch like everyone else."

Curtis Strange, who won the U.S. Open in 1988 and 1989, offered his insight: "I think with time constraints, they want to make it for players in the field. My sense is that the Par 3 was getting a little bit crowded and taking a little bit too long, and they wanted to streamline it. I think that's fine."

Indeed, per AP, the "increased participation and interest" in the tournament is what led to the change.

Despite honorary invitees no longer being able to compete, this year's Par 3 Contest promises to be another entertaining and light-hearted opener to what should be an electric Masters tournament.