Pate - 1976 US Open champion (Getty Images)

No player competing in the Masters this year has to worry about carrying a jinx.

For the first time since it began in 1960, the fun par-three competition yesterday was won by somebody not in the tournament.

Former major champions are invited to compete and 51-year-old Jerry Pate, the 1976 US Open champion, had a five-under-par 22 to finish one ahead of Ben Crenshaw.

No winner of the par-three event has ever gone on to collect a green jacket four days later.

Padraig Harrington described the jinx as "baloney", but those who have backed him to capture his first major title on Sunday will be mightily relieved he did not make it a record three wins in a row.

Harrington managed only a level-par 27 this time.

There were three holes-in-one - by Crenshaw at the 70-yard second, amateur Luke List at the 115-yard seventh and Raymond Floyd on the 135-yard last.

Pate last played at Augusta in 1982, the year he also had his best finish of third behind Craig Stadler.