The living legends of the Masters Tournament were reunited Wednesday afternoon under the pine trees of Augusta National Golf Club, if only for fun and games.

A sea of patrons surrounds the seventh hole during the Par-3 Contest, an annual tradition at the Masters Tournament since 1960, where fun is more the focus than winning. (Rainier Ehrhardt/Staff)

Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player - 13 green jackets among them - played together in the Par-3 Contest, evoking long-held memories and thundering roars reminiscent of decades gone by.

"I don't even know how to begin to describe the enthusiasm of the people here," Player said. "Just the whole ambience of it is amazing."

Player, 71, is the only member of the trio still vying for a green jacket, after Palmer, 77, and Nicklaus, 67, became nonparticipants in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

"It's always a lot of fun to be out here playing. Don't really have much of a golf game anymore, but it's still a lot of fun," Nicklaus said.

The biggest crowds and loudest cheers of the day obviously were reserved for the "Big Three."

"I just was thrilled to be out here," Palmer said.

But it was another former champion who took home the Par-3 trophy.

Mark O'Meara, the 1998 Masters champion, won the event by one shot over Zach Johnson and Luke Donald at 5-under 22, becoming the 11th former Masters winner to capture the Par-3 Contest.

O'Meara, who birdied Nos. 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9, said he had nothing to lose.

"I know they say it's a jinx - no one's ever won the Par-3 and the Masters in the same year," O'Meara said. "But you know what? I've already won the Masters, so I don't have to worry about it, do I?"

Rory Sabbatini goes down to his knees to peer into the cup after getting the first hole-in-one of his career on the seventh hole. His wife picked the club he used. (Andrew Davis Tucker/Staff)

Johnson had a chip attempt from the back of the green at No. 9 to tie with O'Meara, but the ball lipped out. Donald also had a chip attempt from the left of the green to tie, but rolled it past.

"I would've loved to have won it. I wanted to make it," Johnson said when asked whether he was glad he didn't because of the infamous jinx.

The only holes-in-one recorded Wednesday came from David Toms and Rory Sabbatini.

Toms aced the 142-yard fifth hole with a 9-iron, and Sabbatini notched his first hole-in-one at the 110-yard seventh with a pitching wedge that his wife, Amy, picked out for him.

"It was pretty unbelievable. I've done pretty much everything humanly possible on a golf course but that," Sabbatini said. "It's amazing - relief, pure exhilaration."

As usual at the annual feel-good event, the vast majority of participants brought family within the ropes.

Most had children or grandchildren, siblings, friends or parents on the bag.

"We're all just having fun. A lot of us bring the kids out, and we want them to have a good time," Jim Furyk said. "I think sometimes the dads look forward to it more than the kids do."

Reach Steve Sanders at (706) 823-3216 or steven.l.sanders@augustachronicle.com.