Imago
Composition of silhouette of male golf player over landscape and blue sky with copy space. sport and competition concept digitally generated image. Copyright: xx 1451962
Imago
Composition of silhouette of male golf player over landscape and blue sky with copy space. sport and competition concept digitally generated image. Copyright: xx 1451962
A regular presence at Augusta in recent years, Harris English was part of a group with Brian Harman and Sepp Straka during the Par 3 Contest, moving through Augusta National in front of a relaxed midweek crowd. Graham Coffey, co-founder at Dawgs Central, was also at the grounds ahead of the 2026 Masters, moving backwards through the course when he found a good spot at the No. 5 tee box and stayed awhile.
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And what he witnessed there had nothing to do with birdies, aces, or leaderboard positions. But it may have been the most memorable moment of the entire day. Coffey shared an account of his experience on X, which has left everyone feeling a little warm in the heart.
Coffey described how a father and his son, who has special needs, arrived early and secured a front-row spot by setting up folding chairs. They patiently waited as groups passed by. When English reached the tee, the father quietly stood behind his son and pointed towards him.
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“Harris caught sight of the father and without hesitation he walked over,” Coffey then noted, highlighting English’s warm personality.
There are lots of cool little things that happen at The Masters. It might be the most kid friendly event in all of sports. Still, I wanted to share something I caught during the Par 3 contest today with Harris English.
English, Brian Harmon and Sepp Straka played the round…
— Graham Coffey (@GrahamCoffeyDC) April 9, 2026
Harris English walked towards them and had a conversation with them – about the game, their travel plans, and in general, how their time at the event was going so far. Coffey then added that it “seemed like Harris had met this young man at a tournament somewhere before. He remembered him,”
While the interaction lasted only a few moments, its impact appeared clear. A minute into the conversation, Harris took off his glove and gave it to the young man. To our witness’s surprise, the father and son also packed up their chairs when Harris moved along with his other team members, even as big names like Rory McIlroy were expected.
Other people Coffey talked to revealed that the two had been there all day, hoping to see English. “Nobody knew the full backstory exactly, but it was about the only thing the son had talked about,” Coffey added, emphasizing the anticipation leading up to the meeting.
Coffey summed up the moment simply: “One genuine interaction can have a lot of impact on someone.”
The day itself had been a typically warm Wednesday. The Par 3 Contest is one of Augusta National’s most beloved traditions, a lighthearted prelude to the tournament’s intensity, and an afternoon shaped by family, laughter, and moments that linger beyond the scorecard.
The Par 3 remains a unique part of the Masters
Despite having no impact on rankings or the tournament itself, the Par 3 Contest has long been a source of some of the most memorable moments at Augusta.
The contest dates back to 1960, when Sam Snead won the inaugural edition on the nine-hole course designed around Augusta National’s grounds. Since then, it has built a reputation that has nothing to do with the competitive golf that follows on Thursday. Players bring their children as caddies. Past champions walk the same fairways as the current field.
This year’s edition saw Aaron Rai win at 6-under par, edging out Jacob Bridgeman and Johnny Keefer by a stroke. The aces came early, and Justin Thomas opened proceedings with a hole-in-one on No. 2.
Still and all, familial moments stole the show.
Scottie Scheffler walked around the course with his wife, Meredith, their young son Bennett, and their newborn Remy, who was only 12 days old. This was the first time they had all been seen publicly as a family of four, which made the day feel very special.
Justin Thomas, on the other hand, made one of the best shots of the day: a hole-in-one at the second hole, one of four aces that day. But the moment quickly changed when his one-year-old daughter, Molly Grace, stole the show. She walked up to him during the party and reached for his club, as if she wanted to take a swing herself.
