Jordan Spieth's 3-year-old son and 89-year-old Gary Player make memories at Masters Par 3 Contest

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Sammy Spieth, age 3, hit a better tee shot by his standards than playing partners Justin Thomas and Max Homa did by theirs on the second hole of the Par 3 Contest at the Masters. He teed up a driver, gripped it cross-handed and sent his ball about 30 yards down the middle, while Thomas and Homa hit their wedges short and right into a bunker.

Sammy's dad, 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth, didn't bother to tee off. He had enough to manage with a team of caddies — all wearing white Augusta National coveralls — that included Sammy, 1-year-old daughter Sophie and wife Annie, who is expecting a third child in July.

The record book will show that Masters rookie Nico Echavarria won the Par 3 on Wednesday, beating J.J. Spaun with a birdie on the second playoff hole after each shot 5-under 22. While the Masters is arguably the easiest major to win because of its small field that includes aging past champions, the Par 3 is much easier, because most players don't even try.

Gary Player certainly does. The oldest living Masters champion at age 89, he made three straight birdies — flirting with aces on Nos. 6 and 7 — to get his name onto the leaderboard, although he ultimately didn't post an official score.

The same was true of 70 players in the field of 90. That trend likely will continue as long as the winner on Augusta National's tranquil, 1,090-yard par-3 course fails to win the green jacket. The contest began in 1960 and no one has won it and the Masters in the same year.

“I’ve never really been, like, buy into the jinx too much, but I also don’t think I’ve ever turned in a card,” Thomas said.

Rory McIlroy was joined by wife Erica and 4-year-old daughter Poppy, who holed a birdie putt on the ninth hole when she nudged the ball with her dad's putter and it nearly stopped before it caught a slope and ran into the hole.

McIlroy, who would complete the career Grand Slam with a victory on Sunday, appreciated the chance to focus on his daughter, who interrupted his on-course interview with ESPN.

“The buildup to this event is a lot, and the sort of anticipation and we’re waiting eight or nine months for the next major to roll around from the Open Championship,” McIlroy said. “To end your preparation with an afternoon like this ... it's such a fun afternoon.”

Keegan Bradley made the first ace of the day when his approach on the 140-yard sixth hole caught a ridge and trickled into the cup. He hoisted each of his sons in the air, and when the family got to the green, Bradley's younger boy, 4-year-old Cooper, ran to the hole, looked down and clapped his hands together at the sight of the ball. He lifted it out and raised his arm in triumph.

Earlier, when the Bradley family made its way down the first hole, 7-year-old Logan showed an impressive grasp of Masters patron etiquette when he yelled at his younger brother, “You can't run!”

Byeong Hun An's 5-year-old son, Sun-woo, got a cheer worthy of an ace when he bombed a drive about halfway to the green on the 130-yard first hole. Sun-woo then took out an iron and after a couple of whiffs — er, practice swings — he hit a worm-burner that scooted into a greenside bunker.

Scottie Scheffler holed a 3-footer for birdie on the first hole, a feat more impressive because he did it one-handed while holding his 11-month-old son, Bennett.

Tom Hoge gave been-there, done-that high-fives to the players and caddies in his group when he aced the 90-yard fourth with a shot that spun back and slammed into the flagstick. Brooks Koepka used the slope behind the hole on the sixth for the last hole-in-one of the day and 115th in the contest's history.

Participation in the Par 3 is optional, and a handful of players — including Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Phil Mickelson — opted out, choosing to grind on the range or play practice rounds well into the afternoon ahead of Thursday's opening round.

“If you’re not ready by now, then you don’t really have a chance. This week takes a lot of energy,” McIlroy said. “It’s a tough walk, it’s hilly, and the mental energy you’re expending as well. Get this done, and then just go home, have dinner, relax and get ready for tomorrow.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Gary Player gestures on the second hole during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Scottie Scheffler holds his son Bennett as wife Meredith laughs during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Byeong Hun An's, of South Korea, wife, Melissa, helps her son Sun-woo, 5, out of the bunker on the first hole as she holds daughter Ji-Woo, 2, during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Byeong Hun An's, of South Korea, son Sun-woo, 5, hits out of the bunker on the first hole during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Jordan Spieth and wife Annie Verret interact with daughter Sophie as they wait to play on the first hole during a practice around at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Jordan Spieth interacts with son Sammy during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, looks at his daughter, Poppy, on the first hole during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Jordan Spieth's son Sammy watches his shot on the seventh hole during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Scottie Scheffler holds his child Bennett as Sam Burns removes his ball on the first hole during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Byeong Hun An, of South Korea, watches his son Sun-woo, 5, hit on the first hole during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Keegan Bradley celebrates with sons Cooper, 4, and Logan, 7, left, on the seventh hole during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Jordan Spieth's son Sammy swings a club during the par-3 contest at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok is preventing most users from generating or editing any images after a global backlash that erupted after it started spewing sexualized deepfakes of people.

The chatbot, which is accessed through Musk's social media platform X, has in the past few weeks been granting a wave of what researchers say are malicious user requests to modify images, including putting women in bikinis or in sexually explicit positions.

Researchers have warned that in a few cases, some images appeared to depict children. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations into the platform.

On Friday, Grok was responding to image altering requests with the message: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”

While subscriber numbers for Grok aren't publicly available, there was a noticeable decline in the number of explicit deepfakes that Grok is now generating compared with days earlier.

The European Union has slammed Grok for “illegal” and “appalling” behavior, while officials in France, India, Malaysia and a Brazilian lawmaker have called for investigations.

On Thursday, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened unspecified action against X.

“This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting. And it’s not to be tolerated,” Starmer said on Greatest Hits radio. “X has got to get a grip of this.”

He said media regulator Ofcom “has our full support to take action" and that "all options" are on the table.

“It’s disgusting. X need to get their act together and get this material down. We will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.”

Ofcom and Britain's privacy regulator both said this week they've contacted X and Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI for information on measures they've taken to comply with British regulations.

Grok is free to use for X users, who can ask it questions on the social media platform. They can either tag it in posts they've directly created or in replies to posts from other users.

Grok launched in 2023. Last summer the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.

The problem is amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards, and because Grok’s images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread.

FILE - Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)