So, Rory's Not Winning the Masters This Year

If there is anyone in the Masters field that would love to be cursed and try to overcome it, it would be Tiger Woods. Gary Player. Rory Sabbatini. That's the one. Rory won the infamously cursed par 3 contest today.

For the record, Rory Sabbatini officially took himself out of Masters contention by winning the Par 3 Contest at five-under 22, a shot ahead of Woody Austin. No player in the Par- 3's 49-year history has gone on to win the green jacket the same week.

Couples, who aced the seventh hole to finish tied for third with Jupiter's Ian Baker-Finch and others, said his ears hurt afterward.

"It's pretty roary out there," Couples said. "Not Rory Sabbatini, but roaring. It's a great event, it's fun. It was loud."

I would imagine his effort had something to do with the curse, but I'd bet that it had a lot to do with this being the first ever telecast of the par 3 contest.

South African Rory Sabbatini, with a five-under total, was the winner and will now try to defy the hex.

"I wanted to win the par-three contest," Sabbatini said.

"You can't break the curse unless you've won the par-three contest to begin with."

And while we're here, why not some other highlights (verbally):

Nicklaus hit his approach shot on the second hole to within 7 inches, and he almost aced the ninth hole, allowing grandson Jack IIII to tap in his birdie putt.

Making the aces were Fred Couples, Wayne Grady, Paul Azinger and Charlie Coody. Palmer was closest-to-the-pin at No. 1 (221/2 inches) and Jupiter's Brett Wetterich also earned crystal at No. 2 (211/4 inches).