Seamus Power speaks to reporters after finishing the 2023 Par 3 Contest at Augusta National with back-to-back holes in one.

Seamus Power admitted it was “a dream come true” after he became just the third player to make back-to-back holes in one in the history of the Par 3 Contest — and the reward of two pieces of Waterford Crystal.

The West Waterford man made the 103rd hole-in-one in the history of the event, which dates to 1960 when he hit a sand wedge over Ike’s Pond at the 120-yard eighth and spun his tee shot back into the hole.

Incredibly, he repeated the feat at the 135-yard ninth, hitting over Ike’s Pond again and again spinning back into the cup for back-to-back holes in one to the delight of playing partners Scott Stallings and Keegan Bradley.

"Yeah, it's a dream come true,” said Power, who had made 14 aces in competition before his Par 3 Contest feats but never back to back. "Obviously to get one was special, but to get the second one was a bit surreal. It was an absolute blast out there.

Seamus Power was pretty happy about his back-to-back aces in the Par 3 Contest at the Masters. Third man to do it. pic.twitter.com/hkxIK572ni
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) April 5, 2023

"I hit a sand wedge on 8. Probably landed 30 feet behind it and spun back, and it was looking like it was going to be close, and it dropped in, and similar on 9, I slightly pulled it and it kicked to the right and spun back in, so yeah, very lucky obviously. Great.”

No player has ever won the Par 3 Contest and the Masters in the same year and significantly, Power did not post a card after being automatically disqualified for letting his brother Jack, whose twin brother Willie caddie last year, hit a putt early in the round.

"It's obviously such a special tradition here on a Wednesday,” Power added. "Being able to share it with my brother out there, that was probably the best part.

“I don't know whether it carries into tomorrow, but it's certainly a lifelong memory that I'll treasure for a long time.”

After finishing tied 27th on his debut, Power hopes to do even better this year and making two holes in one is a confidence boost.

"Yeah, obviously it's probably not going to be as exciting as that, but we'll do our best and hopefully hit some good shots, and you never know what happens on the big course the next couple days,” he said. “But it was really fun there today.”

Asked he was going to claim his aces at the 15th and 16th of his career, he said: "Geez, absolutely. I'll claim anything I can, to be honest with you, so yeah, I'm happy with that.”

Bizarrely, defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler aced the ninth straight after Power’s feat, slam dunking his tee shot as he hit simultaneously with Tom Kim and Sam Burns.

Seamus Power was automatically disqualified from the Par 3 Contest for letting his brother Jack hit a putt. But he still signed his card. https://t.co/1uRioU6ckR pic.twitter.com/4BjUdn5AEV
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) April 5, 2023

There were five holes-in-one yesterday as Bubba Watson and Tom Hoge also made aces, bringing the grand told of aces in the history of the Par 3 Contest to 107.

Claude Harmon was the first player to make back-to-back holes in one in the event, acing the fourth and fifth in 1968.

Japan’s Toshi Ozawa then repeated the feat in 2002 as he made aces at the fifth and sixth.

Power is the fifth Irishman to have a hole-in-one in the Par 3 Contest after Darren Clarke (2001, 2nd hole), Pádraig Harrington (2006, 9th), Graeme McDowell (2010, 9th) and Shane Lowry (2019, 2nd).

Harrington is the only Irishman to win the event. He triumphed three times, winning in 2003 (tied with David Toms), 2004 (outright) and 2012 (tied with Jonathan Byrd).

The Par 3 course has been significantly overhauled this year and now measures 1,115 yards compared to its old yardage of 1,060 yards.

Augusta National reported:

Tom Hoge won the Par 3 Contest with a score of six-under-par 21.
Five holes-in-one were recorded by four players, including Tom Hoge (No. 8), Power (Nos. 8 and 9), Scottie Scheffler (No. 9) and Bubba Watson (No. 4), which marks 107 total holes-in-one made since the inception of the Par 3 Contest in 1960.
Power is the third player with consecutive holes in one in the Par 3 Contest, joining Claude Harmon (1968) and Toshi Izawa (2002).
Trophies are awarded to the winner and to the contestants who place their tee shot nearest the flagstick on each of the nine holes.

Hole No. Player Distance from Flagstick

Ancer 20 inches
Kim, T. 26 inches
Kisner 22 inches
Watson, B. Hole-In-One
Pieters 32 inches
Fleetwood Six inches
Watson, B. 12 inches
Hoge, Power Holes-In-One
Power, Scheffler Holes-In-One