Rory McIlroy, along with Erica Stoll and Brooks Koepka, tees off with Jena Sims before rain ends the Masters par 3 competition

The popular par 3 competition THE MASTERS made its long-awaited return on Wednesday, on the eve of the year’s first golf major.

But the family fun was canceled in the afternoon after a heavy rain shower.

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Before the heavens opened, fans were spoiled Rory McIlroy and woman Erika Stoll enjoying a putt together.

Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka teeed off with Jena Sims on Augusta’s par 3, and stars like Kevin Kisner also joined with their families.

But everyone was disappointed when Masters bosses announced rain would halt the event.

The game was suspended at 3:45 p.m. local time before being abandoned for the day 45 minutes later.

A statement said: “Due to poor weather conditions and safety concerns, play has been suspended for Wednesday’s practice round.

“The current forecast will not allow the site to reopen and the gates are now closed for the remainder of the day.”

Previously included were Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Paul Casey Stars the show around Augusta.

The par 3 competition is a Masters tradition, held on the eve of the tournament.

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And this year it returned for the first time since 2019 after Covid forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events.

Players show a more relaxed side when teeing off with their families on the nine-hole course.

But they will show a more serious side when the green jacket battle begins at 1pm UK time on Thursday.

World No. 2 Rahm was spotted with his youngest son, whom wife Kelley Cahill gave birth to a week before last year’s tournament.

Casey also brought his wife, Pollyanna, and their two children to the Augusta National.

And former Masters champion Garcia brought his family, including his wife Angela, to the friendly event.

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England stars Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and retired Nick Faldo also attended on Wednesday afternoon.

The weather had threatened to wipe out Wednesday’s par 3 spectacle before finally moving on.

For the second day in a row, thunderstorms forced a shortened training session.

The guests were sent off, the players pushed back into the clubhouse.

But the real electricity is on the ground, not in the sky. A feeling of something special – possibly unforgettable.

And there are no prizes to guess why.

Whatever happens over the next four days, round one of The Masters will be about one man – and a comeback story few could have imagined. Even if Tiger Woods misses the cut tomorrow night, he’s already a winner.

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And the galleries that will accompany him every painful step of the 7,510 yards from the first tee to the 18th green, up and down the hills and valleys, will be united in their despair, baffling medical professionals, pundits and the greatest player of this millennium rival to see how.

Tiger’s 2019 triumph, when even some of his most ardent fans began to doubt he could ever regain those days of glory, remains a beacon.

Yet by so many standards, just hitting his opening shot on the first fairway this year will be an even bigger win.

Pure adrenaline, that competitive spirit, will be at the heart of Woods’ determination. But there’s more of that than usual this time, a tournament that feels like a celebration of the sport – and the end of the worst pandemic to change the planet.

In 2020, The Masters took place behind closed doors in November.

Last April, with Woods having recently left his hospital bed after a horrific car accident that nearly cost him his right foot, the crowd was tight as Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese winner.

But this week normality has been even more gratifying, although the weather has done its best to dampen the process.

Oops and hoots, full galleries, the smell of cigars hangs in the air. . .

As Rory McIlroy put it, “It feels like we’re back to normal life, like a normal Masters.”