Rory Sabbatini faces up to Par-Three curse

By Steve Keating

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - South African Rory Sabbatini will become the latest player to challenge the U.S. Masters Par-Three curse after winning the fun-filled tune-up event on Wednesday.

Lots of laughs and a few holes-in-one were the order of the day on a sun-kissed afternoon as golfers let off steam before the intense pressure awaiting them on Thursday when the first round of the tournament proper begins.

The Par-Three competition has not been a serious affair for years with players more interested in entertaining the huge galleries by skipping shots across the ponds than winning and having to deal with the jinx.

Since it was first held in 1960 no winner has gone on to clinch the Masters the same year but Sabbatini remained confident about his chances after finishing as joint runner-up at Augusta 12 months ago.

"I wanted to win," Sabbatini told reporters. "You can't break the curse unless you've won the par-three to begin with."

The South African posted a five-under-par score of 22, one shot better than Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and American Woody Austin.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)