• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, December 7, 2007

Some of the veils that have traditionally shrouded telecasts of the Masters golf tournament are coming off.

Come this spring, ESPN will carry the annual Par 3 event that takes place the day before the tournament begins. The event has been around for nearly 50 years, but has never been televised.

"It is an event everyone enjoys, and we think it will demonstrate to kids just how fun golf can be," said Billy Payne, who chairs the tournament and has shown a willingness to experiment with new distribution avenues since taking over.

ESPN recently reached a deal to take over coverage of the first two days of the premiere golf event. The Par 3 event takes place on a special 40-year-old course. Participants include current stars and past champions.