Who won the first Masters Par-3 Contest?

Sam Snead won the first Masters Par-3 Contest.

Snead won the inaugural Masters Par-3 Contest in 1960, becoming the first champion of the nine-hole event held at Augusta National. The contest was introduced as a relaxed competition before the Masters Tournament, but it quickly became a popular part of Masters week and a showcase for famous players and their families.

The Par-3 Contest is played on Augusta National's separate par-27 course, which measures about 1,060 yards. The course was designed in 1958 by architect George Cobb and club co-founder Clifford Roberts. Traditionally, competitors may have family members serve as caddies, and in some years children or grandchildren have been allowed to hit shots.

Snead was already a major figure at Augusta when he won the first contest. He had captured the Masters three times, in 1949, 1952 and 1954, and later won the Par-3 Contest again in 1974. The event has produced a famous superstition: no player has won the Par-3 Contest and the Masters in the same year, despite many attempts by elite golfers.