By Phil Casey, PA Sport, Augusta

Ireland's Padraig Harrington is relishing the challenge of breaking Augusta's par three jinx in the rain-delayed 67th US Masters.

Harrington and David Toms were yesterday declared joint winners of the traditional pre-tournament par three competition, which was not completed because of yet more heavy rain.

However, since it started in 1960, no player has ever won the par three contest and the Masters in the same year, Raymond Floyd coming closest in 1990 when he was denied a second green jacket in a play-off with Nick Faldo.

Harrington and Toms had both played the nine holes in 21 shots, six under par, to finish two ahead of Len Mattiace, Mark O'Meara and John Cook.

And the Dubliner laughed off suggestions he thought about deliberately missing a par putt on the last hole in order to avoid being 'cursed'.

"You know me, nothing would please me more than to win the par three and then win the tournament!" Harrington said. "I'm always out to do it the difficult way.

"I'm not superstitious and it's one of those things that's there to be broken. There are some great players who have won it. There are 10 former champions who have won the par three competition as well, just not in the same year.

"This year with joint winners there is twice the chance of breaking the duck although if one of us does it, they'll probably say it doesn't count.

"It's just a bit of fun. I get my name on the plaque as a winner of the par three and a nice Waterford Crystal Vase. I've got a few of those but this is a really nice one."

As for the weather delays and the prospect of playing 36 holes on Friday, Harrington added: "I ring home every day and they have been sitting out in the back garden while I've had three weeks of bad weather in America!

"Yesterday the course was right on saturation point and I knew the course could not come back from that if it didn't get a break, which it didn't. There is no drying weather.

"The only bad thing is I got out of bed before I found out! Anyone playing well will have some adrenaline so 36 won't be a problem. If you can't get up for the Masters you shouldn't be here."

Despite the extremely wet conditions, as usual tournament officials will not sanction the use of 'preferred lies,' where players can lift and clean their ball on the fairway.

"That's the Masters and it's right to be honest," Harrington added. "Everything else is perfect here so it's just a little bit of a test.

"It's not fair, but who says golf is meant to be fair. Everybody else is going to have the same problem and that's where the beauty lies, it tests your mental strength to cope with it."