The Amateurs At The 2025 Open Championship

Sunday 20th July 2025

Scottie SCHEFFLER  (USA) won the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush G.C. with a 267 (-17) total.

No low amateur Silver Medal was awarded this year as none of the nine amateurs made the cut.

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Friday 18th July 2025

Round 2

None of the nine amateurs made the cut at the 153rd Open Championship meaning that the Silver Medal will again not been awarded at Royal Portrush. In 2019 none of the six amateurs were able to advance to the weekend rounds. 2019 was the last time the medal wasn’t awarded.

The best of the amateurs were Ethan FANG (USA) and Cameron ADAM (SCO) who both finished on 145 (+3), albeit Adam may feel the most aggrieved to miss out. After all he bogeyed his two final holes where as Fang finished his second round with a birdie.

As in 2019 the top 70 and ties 36 hole cut fell at 143 (+1). Exactly 70 players from 22 different countries progressed.

World No. 1 Scottie SCHEFFLER (USA) -10 leads Matt FITZPATRICK (ENG) -9 and Brian HARMAN (USA) & Haotong LI (CHN) -8 at the half-way stage. Scheffler’s 132 (-10) total is a new record for the first 36-holes of an Open played at Royal Portrush.

The average score in Round 2 was 72.224 (+1.224), lower than Round 1’s 73.038 (+2.038).

Round 2 Amateur Scoreboard (Graphic: PGA Tour & The Open / NTT DATA)

Click here to view the – 2025 Open Championship Leaderboard

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Thursday 17th July 2025

Round 1

Scottish pair Connor GRAHAM and Cameron ADAM were the best of the amateurs on Day 1 of The Open Championship after they both recorded 73’s (+2), finishing the opening round tied for 72nd at Royal Portrush G.C.

Justin HASTINGS (CAY) and Richard TEDER (EST) are 1-shot further back in tied 98th with European Amateur and Amateur champions, Filip JAKUBČÍK (CZH) and Ethan FANG (USA), tied 116th on +4.

2024 Amateur champion Jacob SKOV OLESEN (DEN), Haotong LI (CHN), Matt FITZPATRICK (ENG), Christiaan BEZUIDENHOUT (RSA) and Harris ENGLISH (USA) all shot 67’s to share the Round 1 lead on -4.

The average Round 1 score was 73.038 (+2.038).

Round 1 Amateur Scoreboard (Graphic: The Open / NTT DATA)

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Tuesday 15th July 2025

Round 1 & 2 Tee Times (BST)

The tee times for the two opening rounds were released on Tuesday afternoon: –

6.57am / 11.58am – Cameron SMITH (AUS) / Marco PENGE (ENG) / Justin HASTINGS (CAY)

8.36am / 1.37pm – Thorbjorn OLESEN (DEN) / Matthew JORDAN (ENG) / Filip JAKUBČÍK (CZH)

9.14am / 2.15pm – Takumi KANAYA (JAP) / Justin WALTERS (RSA) / Bryan NEWMAN (RSA)

10.42am / 3.43pm – Matti SCHMID (GER) / Ryggs JOHNSTON (USA) / Richard TEDER (EST)

11.47am / 6.46am – Francesco MOLINARI (ITA) / Jesper SVENSSON (SWE) / Connor GRAHAM (SCO)

12.09pm / 7.08am – Adam SCOTT (AUS) / Rickie FOWLER (USA) / Ethan FANG (USA)

12.53pm / 7.52am – Si Woo KIM (KOR) / Shugo IMAHIRA (JAP) / Seb CAVE (ENG)

3.43pm / 10.42am – Brian CAMPBELL (USA) / John CATLIN (USA) / Frazer JONES (ENG)

3.54pm / 10.53am – Nathan KIMSEY (ENG) / Jason KOLRAK (USA) / Cameron ADAM (SCO)

Click here to view all of the – Round 1 & 2 Tee Times

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14th July 2025

Introduction

156 players from 31 countries will contest the 153rd Open Championship which will be played at Royal Portrush G.C. in Northern Ireland on 17-20 July 2025.

The course will play to 7,381 yards, the fifth longest in Open history, and a par of 71.

The competition will be decided by stroke play over 72 holes. An aggregate play-off will be used to break any ties for 1st place.

The 70 lowest scores over the first 36 holes, and ties for 70th place, will advance to the final two rounds over the weekend.

The Silver Medal is awarded to the leading amateur in The Open Championship who completes 72 holes.

Amateurs In The Field

Nine amateurs are competing, all of them amongst the 37 debutants, having earned exemptions or come through qualifying: –

Cameron ADAM (SCO, 22, d.o.b. 6th July 2003, WAGR 29) – 2025 Open Amateur Series Winner*
Caddie – Sam Chien (Assistant Coach, Northwestern University)

Seb CAVE (ENG, 21, d.o.b. 10th June 2004, WAGR 120) – FQ at Royal Cinque Ports
Caddie – Alex Cave (Father)

Ethan FANG (USA, 20, d.o.b. 6th May 2005, WAGR 4) – 2025 Amateur Champion
Caddie – Will Livermore (Childhood Friend)

Connor GRAHAM (SCO, 18, d.o.b. 24th October 2006, WAGR 39) – FQ at Dundonald Links 
Caddie – Fintan Bonner (Senior Instructor, St. Andrews Links)

Justin HASTINGS (CAY, 21, d.o.b. 18th September 2003, WAGR 12) – 2025 Latin Am Amateur Champion
Caddie – Tom Ridley (Professional Caddie)

Filip JAKUBČÍK (CZH, 21, d.o.b. 22nd November 2003, WAGR 7) – 2025 European Amateur Champion
Caddie – Matt Walton (Head Coach, University of Arizona)

Frazer JONES (ENG, 20, d.o.b. 13th July 2005, WAGR 976) – RQ at Lindrick / FQ at Burnham & Berrow
Caddie – Andy Jones (Father)

Bryan NEWMAN (RSA, 17, d.o.b. 20th December 2007, WAGR 635) – 2025 African Amateur Champion
Caddie – Will Beatty (Royal Portrush Member / Amateur Golfer)

Richard TEDER (EST, 20, d.o.b. 29th November 2004, WAGR 94) – FQ at West Lancashire
Caddie – Daniel Moss Silva (Estonian Team Coach)

*The Open Championship Amateur Series was introduced by The R&A in 2023. It offers an exemption to the player who gains the most WAGR points in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, the Amateur Championship and the European Amateur Championship events (as long as they didn’t win the Amateur or European Amateur Championships which meant they were already exempt).

The 2025 Amateur Competitors (Photo: The Open)

Filip Jakubčík and Richard Teder will become the first golfers from Czech Republic and Estonia to play in The Open.

Six amateurs competed in the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, none making the cut.

In total seven winners of The Amateur Championship are competing this week. In addition to Ethan Fang (2025) there is Sergio Garcia (1998), Julien Guerrier (2006), Matteo Manassero (2009), Romain Langasque (2015), Aldrich Potgieter (2022) and Jacob Skov Olesen (2024).

Low Amateur Silver Medal

Since 1949 the Silver Medal has been awarded to the leading amateur in The Open Championship who completes 72 holes. Bronze Medals are awarded to all other amateurs who complete 72 holes.

The Open has been staged at Royal Portrush twice previously, in 1951 and 2019.

Frank Stranahan USA won the Silver Medal for the third time in 1951 when he finished tied 12th.

No amateur made the cut six years ago so no medal was awarded.

Calum SCOTT (SCO), 20 at the time, won the low amateur Silver Medal in the 2024 Open Championship with rounds of 71, 75, 70 and 76 (+8) at Royal Troon.

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Calum Scott – Winner of the 2024 Silver Medal (Photo: Luke Walker / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

For more information on this prize please take a look at my article – The Open Championship’s Silver Medal.

Additional Information

Click here to view the official – 2025 Open Championship Website

2024 Regional & Final Qualifying

No amateur or professional player came through both Regional and Final Qualifying this year.

The five amateurs who advanced to the Championship through Qualifying were all exempt directly into Final Stage.

Click here to view my article on – The Open Championship – 2025 Regional & Final Qualifying

Click here to view the official – Open Championship Website (Final Qualifying)

Click here to view the official – Open Championship Website (Regional Qualifying)

Cameron Adam (Photo: Adam Family)

ME.

Copyright © 2014-2025, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Masters – 2025 Amateur Preview & Results

13th April 2025

Results

Rory McILROY (NIR) became the sixth player to win the career grand slam when he overcame Justin ROSE (ENG) with a birdie on the first play-off hole (the 18th). Both players finished the 72 hole Augusta National G.C. test on 277 (-11), 2-shots ahead of Patrick REED (USA) and 3 ahead of defending champion Scottie SCHEFFLER (USA). 

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No amateur made the cut so no Silver Cup was awarded at The 89th Masters.

53 players made the 36 hole top 50 and ties cut which fell at 146 (+2). 

The average field score in Round 1 was 73.59 which fell to 72.67 in Round 2.

Round 2 Amateur Leaderboard (Graphic: The Masters)

Justin HASTINGS (CAY) produced the lowest round by an amateur shooting an even par 72 on Day 2.

Justin Hastings Scorecard – 148 +4 Tied 59th (Graphic: The Masters) 

Hiroshi TAI (SGP) led the five amateurs after the opening round on +1 but was unable to follow it up on Friday.

Hiroshi Tai Scorecard – 150 +6 Tied 73rd (Graphic: The Masters)

Mid-Amateur Evan BECK (USA) enjoyed five birdies over his 36 holes but these were mixed up with far too many dropped shots.

Evan Beck Scorecard – 153 +9 Tied 87th (Graphic: The Masters

The favourite for the Silver Cup Jose Luis BALLESTER (ESP) got off to a poor start on Thursday and fell away badly on the back nine in Round 2.

Jose Luis Ballester Scorecard – 154 +10 Tied 90th (Graphic: The Masters)

Noah BECK (USA) shot the worst amateur total score but enjoyed a rollercoaster ride whilst doing it. Four birdies and an eagle on the 13th in Round 2 were his highlights.

Noah Beck Scorecard – 155 +11 Tied 93rd (Graphic: The Masters)

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8th April 2025

The 89th Masters will take place at Augusta National G.C. this week between Thursday 10th and Sunday 13th April.

A field of 95 players will be competing, six more than last year.

Five amateurs will be playing, the same number as last year.

The primary goal for each amateur is to make the 36 hole cut and if they achieve that to then go on and win the low amateur Silver Cup.

I will be updating this article with amateur scoring information and reports as the tournament unfolds.

Click here to view the – 2025 Masters Final Results

The 2025 Masters Journal

2025 Amateur Player Biographies

The legacy of Bobby Jones, the co-founder of the tournament and a lifelong amateur (at least during his competitive years), means The Masters has always found a place for the world’s leading amateurs.

This year’s intake will see the total number of amateurs to have played in The Masters rise to 464.

The five amateurs competing at The Masters in 2025 are: –

JOSE LUIS BALLESTER BARRIO (ESP), 21 – winner of the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship
The Arizona State senior Ballester beat Noah Kent in last year’s U.S. Amateur final by 2 Holes to secure his place at Augusta.
WAGR #6 (09/04/25) 
Top Amateur Odds – 15/8 FAV

EVAN BECK (USA), 34 – winner of the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
Beck beat Bobby Massa 9&8 in the final of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. After regaining his amateur status he returned to amateur competition in 2021. He is in pole position for the mid-amateur spot on the 2025 U.S. Walker Cup team. Beck now works as an investment analyst at Browns Advisory in Washington D.C.  
WAGR #21 (09/04/25)
Top Amateur Odds – 5/2

JUSTIN HASTINGS (CAY), 21 – winner of the 2025 Latin America Amateur Championship
Hastings won the Latin America Amateur at Pilar G.C. in Argentina. He is a senior at San Diego State University.
WAGR #25 (09/04/24)
Top Amateur Odds – 5/2

NOAH KENT (USA), 20 – runner-up at the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship
Floridian Kent now plays his golf at the University of Florida having transferred from Iowa last summer.
WAGR #140 (09/04/25) 
Top Amateur Odds – 15/2

HIROSHI TAI (SGP), 23 – winner of the 2024 NCAA Division I Individual Championship 
Tai was born in Hong Kong but represents Singapore; he is their first golfer to compete in The Masters. He was playing for Georgia Tech when he won the NCAA Championship.
WAGR #50 (09/04/24)
Top Amateur Odds – 8/1

U.S. and Amateur champions also receive non-playing honorary invitations which mean they are invited to attend The Masters every year for the rest of their lives.

Jacob Skov Olesen (DEN), 25, the 2024 Amateur champion, and Wenyi Ding (CHI), 20, the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, both turned pro since their wins, having won cards on the DP World Tour, which entailed them giving up their exemptions.

2025 Amateur Tee Times (GMT +5hrs)

Round 1

Group 6 – 8.35am EDT / 1.35pm BST – Bernhard LANGER (GER), Will ZALATORIS (USA) & Noah KENT (USA)

Group 14 – 10.15am EDT / 3.15pm BST – Scottie Scheffler (USA), Justin Thomas (USA) & Jose Luis BALLESTER (ESP)

Group 20 – 11.21am EDT / 4.21pm BST – Bubba Watson (USA), Matthieu Pavon (FRA) & Evan BECK (USA)

Group 22 – 11.49am EDT / 4.49pm BST – Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Denny McCarthy (USA) & Hiroshi TAI (SGP)

Group 24 – 12.11pm EDT / 5.11pm BST – Dustin Johnson (USA), Nick Taylor (CAN) & Justin HASTINGS (CAY)

Round 2

Group 4 – 8.13am EDT / 1.13pm BST – Bubba Watson (USA), Matthieu Pavon (FRA) & Evan BECK (USA)

Group 6 – 8.35am EDT / 1.35pm BST – Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Denny McCarthy (USA) & Hiroshi TAI (SGP)

Group 8 – 9.03am EDT / 2.03pm BST – Dustin Johnson (USA), Nick Taylor (CAN) & Justin HASTINGS (CAY)

Group 22 – 11.49am EDT / 4.49pm BST – Bernhard LANGER (GER), Will ZALATORIS (USA) & Noah KENT (USA)

Group 30 – 1.23pm EDT / 6.23pm BST – Scottie Scheffler (USA), Justin Thomas (USA) & Jose Luis BALLESTER (ESP)

By tradition the reigning U.S. Amateur champion is always paired with the reigning Masters champion. Accordingly Jose Luis Ballester has been paired with Scottie Scheffler this year (with Nick Taylor making up the three ball).

Click here to view all of the – Masters 2025 Tee Times

Amateur Perks

Only amateur competitors are permitted to stay in the Crow’s Nest accommodation in the clubhouse. Most of them normally spend at least one night there during Masters week.  

The Amateur Dinner, hosted by chairman Fred Ridley and normally attended by around between 50-100 guests, was held in The Founders Room on the evening of Monday 7th April. The Captain of The R&A, President of the USGA, a former amateur participant and an amateur contestant from this year normally speak.

Evan Beck, Jose Luis Ballester, Fred Ridley, Noah Kent, Justin Hastings and Hiroshi Tai (Photo: Chris Turvey / Augusta National G.C.)

2024 Masters – Amateur Performances

22 year old NEAL SHIPLEY (USA) won the low amateur Silver Cup at The 88th Masters Invitational at Augusta National G.C.

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Neal Shipley (Photo: The Masters)

His rounds of 71-76-80-71 and total score of 300 +12 saw him finish in tied 53rd place.

NEAL SHIPLEY (USA) – 300 +12 Tied 53rd

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Neal Shipley’s 72 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

The 36-hole cut fell at 150 (+6) with 60 players progressing to the weekend. This was the first year that the cut has fallen at +5 or higher since 2017 highlighting how tough Augusta played on the opening two days.

There was a 2.5 hour weather delay on Day 1 of The Masters following overnight rain. As a result 27 of the 89 players in the field were required to complete their first rounds on Friday morning.

Neal SHIPLEY (USA), on +3, was the only amateur to make the cut with rounds of 71 and 76.

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Round 2 Amateur Leaderboard (Graphic: The Masters)

Click here to view the – 2024 Masters Final Results

The Masters – Amateur Playing Records

For more information on amateur performances at The Masters please take a look at this companion article – The Masters – Amateur Records.

ME.

Copyright © 2014-2025, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Amateurs At The 2024 Open Championship

21st July 2024

Round 4

Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA) was the 2024 Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal Troon G.C. Rounds of 69, 72, 69 and 65 saw him finish on 275 (-9), two shots ahead of Justin ROSE (ENG) and Billy HORSCHEL (USA).

20 year old Calum SCOTT (SCO) won the low amateur Silver Medal at The 152nd Open Championship with rounds of 71, 75, 70 and 76 (+8).

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Calum Scott (Photo: Luke Walker / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

Talking afterwards Scott said “I made it tough for myself coming in bit I’m just super happy to come in and be the Low Am. It’s one of the highest honours I think you can win as as an amateur. I’m very proud of myself for that.”

Scott is the ninth Scottish player to win the Silver Medal following in the footsteps of W. Dickson Smith, R. Reid Jack, Charlie Green, Ronnie Shade, Barclay Howard, Stuart Wilson, Lloyd Saltman and Sam Locke. All won the prize whilst playing at a course in Scotland.

Tommy MORRISON (USA) and Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN) (+11) finished tied 60th after final rounds of 73, the best amateur score of the day, and 76 respectively.

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Tommy Morrison’s Round 4 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data)

Luis MASAVEU (ESP), the fourth amateur to make the cut, shot a 76 in Round 4 to finish the Championship in 78th on +18.

Morrison, Olesen and Masaveu all received Bronze Medals which are awarded to other amateurs who make the cut.

Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 17.23.05

Final Amateur Scoreboard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data) 

Here are all of the amateur Round 4 hole-by-hole scores: –

Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 17.22.42

Round 4 Amateur Hole-By-Hole Scoreboard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data) 

Here are the key amateur statistics from Round 4: –

Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 19.54.29

Click here to view the – 2024 Open Championship Results

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20th July 2024

Round 3

On a day where the playing conditions worsened as each hour passed by it was no surprise to see the Open Championship leaderboard tighten up.

After 54 holes Billy HORSCHEL (USA) on -4 leads Thriston LAWRENCE (RSA), Sam BURNS (USA), Russell HENLEY (USA), Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA), Justin ROSE (ENG) and Dan BROWN (ENG) by 1-shot.

Calum SCOTT (SCO) +3 tied 25th, now just seven shots back, consolidated his lead in the low amateur Silver Medal race with a solid round of 70 in Round 3.

Screenshot 2024-07-20 at 20.37.03

Calum Scott’s Round 3 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data)

Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN) +6 now tied 54th shot 72, Tommy MORRISON (USA) +9 tied 70th 74 and Luis MASAVEU (ESP) +13 tied 78th 78.

Screenshot 2024-07-20 at 19.56.48

Round 3 Amateur Scoreboard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data) 

Here are all of the amateur Round 3 hole-by-hole scores: –

Screenshot 2024-07-20 at 19.56.25

Round 3 Amateur Hole-By-Hole Scoreboard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data) 

Here are the key amateur statistics from Round 3: –

Screenshot 2024-07-21 at 19.54.14

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Round 2

Shane LOWRY (IRL) leads The 152nd Open Championship after 36 holes with a 135 (-7) total. Overnight leader Dan BROWN (ENG) encouragingly stood his ground after shooting a 1-over 72 in the second round. Justin ROSE (ENG) joined the Yorkshireman in tied 2nd on 137 (-5) after he fired an excellent 68 in some of the tougher conditions. It is the first time since 1951 that three GB&I players have been at the top of The Open leaderboard after two rounds.

Players who started later in Round 1 and earlier in Round 2 had the best of the draw.

To be in the race for the low amateur Silver Medal you’ve still got to be in it – which of course means making the low 70 players and ties cut after 36 holes.

At the end of Day 2 just four of the 12 amateurs were amongst the 80 players on +6 or better, from 23 different countries, who survived to fight another day.

Well done to Calum SCOTT (SCO) +4 tied 38th, Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN) +5 tied 54th, Luis MASAVEU (ESP) and Tommy MORRISON (USA) both +6 tied 69th who can look forward to another 36 holes around Royal Troon over the weekend.

Assuming they complete the full 72 holes they will each be awarded a Bronze Medal by The R&A to commemorate their achievement. The lowest amateur of the four on Sunday will of course be upgraded to a shiny Silver one.

“I’m super happy to make it through to the weekend,” Scott said. “That was the intention, the goal was to make it through those first two rounds and put myself in with the chance to win that Silver Medal.

The Amateur champion Olesen produced the best amateur round of the day achieving the rare feat of 18 consecutive pars in his 71. Discussing his play to date the Dane said: “It is what I have dreamt of ever since I was a kid, getting to be in these positions. I think I held my own pretty well. I was quite nervous on the front nine (yesterday) and that is why my score was bad, but I played the last 26 holes bogey-free, and I am pretty proud of that and will take a lot from it.”

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Jacob Skov Olesen’s Round 2 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data)

Here are the final 36 hole scores from the amateur contingent: –

Screenshot 2024-07-19 at 21.37.39

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Round 2 Amateur Scoreboard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data) 

Jasper STUBBS (AUS) showed good heart in Round 2 after essentially playing himself out of contention on Day 1. His 72 included five birdies including a nice sign off on the 18th green.

Screenshot 2024-07-19 at 21.48.12 Jasper Stubbs’ Round 2 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data)

Here are all of the amateur Round 2 hole-by-hole scores: –

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Round 2 Amateur Hole-By-Hole Scoreboard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data) 

Here are the key amateur statistics from Round 2: –

Screenshot 2024-07-19 at 23.22.09

ME.

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18th July 2024

Round 1

The Round 1 leader of The Open Championship is 29 year old Dan BROWN (ENG), who, playing in his first major, shot a bogey free 6-under 65. Dan’s younger brother Ben, the reigning English Amateur champion, is on the bag.

In the opening rounds of The Championship, with a large field and a one tee start, an early or late tee time is often highly beneficial to a player’s scoring chances. That certainly proved to be the case for the two leading amateurs on Day 1.

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Calum Scott Tees Off In Round 1 (Photo: Stuart Franklin / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

Calum SCOTT (SCO), who was the first amateur to tee off at 6.35am, produced the best score, an even par 71. He enjoyed four birdies including one on The Postage Stamp 8th hole to finish the day tied 18th.

Talking after his round the Texas Tech rising senior from Nairn said “It was tough to settle in there for a while with the crowds. It was something I haven’t experienced before so that was new. I managed my way around the golf course really well and holed some good putts. I was really happy with the result.”

Screenshot 2024-07-18 at 21.28.22

Calum Scott’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data)

The second best score came from the last amateur out, Matty DODD-BERRY (ENG), who teed off nearly ten hours later at 4.16pm. The Royal Liverpool member started with a nice birdie and held his round together superbly after giving two shots away early on. HIs 72 (+1) saw him end Round 1 tied for 31st place.

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Matty Dodd-Berry’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data)

Jaime MONTOJO (ESP) made the best start of any player in the field when he holed his second shot on the 1st for an amazing eagle 2. He finished his round on +3 and tied 69th one shot behind his impressive compatriot Luis MASAVEU who will have been pleased with his 73 (tied 42nd).

Here are all of the amateur Round 1 hole-by-hole scores: –

Screenshot 2024-07-18 at 21.54.19

Round 1 Amateur Hole-By-Hole Scoreboard (Graphic: The R&A / NTT Data) 

Here are the key amateur statistics from Round 1: –

Screenshot 2024-07-19 at 09.05.52

ME.

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16th July 2024

Amateur Tee Times

The start times for the opening two rounds of The Open Championship were released at noon today.

Here are amateur tee times for Rounds 1 and 2: –

6.46am / 11.47am – Alex Noren (SWE), Tom Mckibbin (N.I.), Calum SCOTT (SCO)

7.41am / 12.42pm – Francesco Molinari (ITA), Justin Rose (ENG), Jasper STUBBS (AUS)

8.36am / 1.37pm – John Daly (USA), Santiago DE LA FUENTE (MEX), Aaron Rai (ENG)

8.47am / 1.48pm – Stewart Cink (USA), Chris Kirk (USA), Dominic CLEMONS (ENG)

10.20am / 3.21pm – Keegan Bradley (USA), Will Zalatoris (USA), Gordon SARGENT (USA)

10.42am / 3.43pm – Guido Migliori (ITA), Sean Crocker (USA), Tommy MORRISON (USA)

12.31pm / 7.19am – Ernie Els (RSA), Gary Woodland (USA), Altin VAN DER MERWE (RSA)

12.42pm / 7.30am – Henrik Stenson (SWE), Rasmus Hojgaard (DEN), Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN)

3.54pm / 10.42am – Ryan Van Velzen (RSA), Charlie Lindh (SWE), Luis MASAVEU (ESP)

4.05pm /10.53am – Kazuma Kobori (NZL), Jaime MONTOJO FERNÁNDEZ (ESP), Liam NOLAN (IRL)

4.16pm / 11.04am – Daniel Brown (ENG), Denwit Boriboonsub (THA), Matty DODD-BERRY (ENG)

Click here to view the full – 2024 Open Tee Times

ME.

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15th July 2024

Introduction

157 players will contest the 152nd Open Championship which will be played at Royal Troon G.C. in Scotland on 18-21 July 2024.

The competition will be decided by stroke play over 72 holes. An aggregate play-off will be used to break any ties for 1st place.

The 70 lowest scores over the first 36 holes, and ties for 70th place, will advance to the final two rounds over the weekend.

img_9174-1

12 amateurs are competing, all for the first time, having earned exemptions or come through qualifying: –

Dominic CLEMONS (ENG, 22, d.o.b. 14/06/02) – 2024 Final Qualifying, Burnham & Berrow
Caddie – Michael Clemons

Santiago DE LA FUENTE (MEX, 22, d.o.b. 18/11/01) – 2024 Latin America Amateur Champion
Caddie – Jose Lopez 

Matty DODD-BERRY (ENG, 20, d.o.b. 11/11/03) – 2024 Final Qualifying, West Lancashire
Caddie – Chris Mitchelsen 

Luis MASAVEU (ESP, 21, d.o.b. 17/12/02) – 2024 Final Qualifying, Royal Cinque Ports
Caddie – Gonzolo Fernandez Castano 

Jaime MONTOJO FERNÁNDEZ (ESP, 19, d.o.b. 13/13/04) – 2024 Final Qualifying, Royal Cinque Ports
Caddie – Luis Montojo Fernández 

Tommy MORRISON (USA, 19, d.o.b. 11/08/04) – 2024 European Amateur Champion
Caddie – Stan Mercer 

Liam NOLAN (IRL, 24, d.o.b. 26/03/00) – 2024 Final Qualifying, Dundonald Links
Caddie – Kenny Fahey

Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN, 25, d.o.b. 28/05/99) – 2024 Amateur Champion
Caddie – Andreas Sko Olesen 

Gordon SARGENT (USA, 21, d.o.b. 27/05/03) – 2023 Mark H. McCormack Medal Winner
Caddie – Mike Thomson

Calum SCOTT (SCO, 20, d.o.b. 23/10/03) – 2024 Open Amateur Series Winner*
Caddie – James Vargas

Jasper STUBBS (AUS, 22. d.o.b. 16/12/01) – 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion
Caddie – Simon Clarke

Altin VAN DER MERWE (RSA, 27, d.o.b. 08/11/96) – 2024 African Amateur Championship~
Caddie – Nicky Gold

*The Open Championship Amateur Series was introduced by The R&A in 2023. It offers an exemption to the player who gains the most WAGR points in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, the Amateur Championship and the European Amateur Championship events (as long as they didn’t win the Amateur or European Amateur Championships which meant they were already exempt).

~A new exemption category for 2024.

This is the highest number of amateurs to be playing since 1987 when 13 featured.

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The Amateur Competitors (Photo: The Open)

Royal Troon G.C.

In 2024 the course will play to 7,385 yards, the third longest in Open history, and a par of 71.

The par 5 6th at 623 yards and the par 3 8th at 123 yards will be the longest and shortest holes ever seen at the Championship.

In the first qualifying round for The Open in 1950, the German amateur, Hermann Tissies scored 15 at The Postage Stamp on his way to a round of 92.

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Royal Troon Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / Players’ Edition Strokesaver)

Low Amateur Silver Medal

Since 1949 the Silver Medal has been awarded to the leading amateur in The Open Championship who completes 72 holes. Bronze Medals are awarded to all other amateurs who complete 72 holes.

The Open has to date been played nine times at Royal Troon G.C. with the Silver Medal awarded on seven occasions. The first Open here in 1923 pre-dates the award and no amateur made the cut in 2016.

The Silver Medal winners at Royal Troon are Frank Stranahan USA (1950), Charlie Green SCO (1962), Danny Edwards USA (1973), Malcolm Lewis ENG (1982), Russell Claydon ENG (1989), Barclay Howard SCO (1997) and Stuart Wilson SCO (2004).

For more information on this prize please take a look at my article – The Open Championship’s Silver Medal.

Additional Information

Click here to view the official – 2024 Open Championship Website

Click here to view the  – 2024 Open Tee Times

Click here to view the – 2024 Open Championship Leaderboard

2024 Regional & Final Qualifying

No amateur or professional player came through both Regional and Final Qualifying this year.

The five amateurs who advanced to the Championship through Qualifying were all exempt directly into Final Stage.

Click here to view my article on – The Open Championship – 2024 Regional & Final Qualifying

Click here to view the official – Open Championship Website (Final Qualifying)

Click here to view the official – Open Championship Website (Regional Qualifying)

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Matty Dodd-Berry (Photo: The Open)

ME.

Copyright © 2014-2024, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Masters – 2024 Amateur Preview & Results

14th April 2024

Results

22 year old NEAL SHIPLEY (USA) won the low amateur Silver Cup at The 88th Masters Invitational at Augusta National G.C.

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Neal Shipley (Photo: The Masters)

His rounds of 71-76-80-71 and total score of 300 +12 saw him finish in tied 53rd place.

NEAL SHIPLEY (USA) – 300 +12 Tied 53rd

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Neal Shipley’s 72 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

The Ohio State graduate student and Pittsburg native had the additional privilege of being paired with Tiger WOODS (USA) in the final round. Woods, struggling for fitness, shot a disappointing 76 to follow up his 82 on Saturday.

Speaking after his round Shipley said “Playing with Tiger on Sunday at The Masters, I think I would have to win one of these to top this week. It has definitely been a dream week but I am looking forward to being out here soon, hopefully. He is such a normal guy and really cool, and he was great to me all day.”

Scottie SCHEFFLER (USA) won the tournament by 4-shots with a 277 -11 score, collecting $3.6m in prize money. Ludvig ÅBERG (SWE) -7, playing in his first major, finished 2nd with Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG), Max HOMA (USA) and Collin MORIKOWA (USA) all tied 3rd on -4. It was Scheffler’s second Masters win following on from his triumph in 2022.

The 36-hole cut fell at 150 (+6) with 60 players progressing to the weekend. This was the first year that the cut has fallen at +5 or higher since 2017 highlighting how tough Augusta played on the opening two days.

There was a 2.5 hour weather delay on Day 1 of The Masters following overnight rain. As a result 27 of the 89 players in the field were required to complete their first rounds on Friday morning.

Neal SHIPLEY (USA), on +3, was the only amateur to make the cut with rounds of 71 and 76.

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Round 2 Amateur Leaderboard (Graphic: The Masters)

Here are the individual scorecards of the four other amateurs that failed to make the cut: –

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT (RSA) – 152 +8 Tied 71st MC

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Christo Lamprecht’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

STEWART HAGESTAD (USA) – 152 +8 Tied 71st MC

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Stewart Hagestad’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

SANTIAGO de la FUENTE (MEX) –  154 +10 Tied 77th MC

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Santiago de la Fuente’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Jasper STUBBS (AUS) – 156 +12 Tied 82nd MC

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Jasper Stubbs’ 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Click here to view the – 2024 Masters Final Results

ME.

___________________________________

9th April 2024

The 88th Masters will take place at Augusta National G.C. this week between Thursday 11th and Sunday 14th April.

A field of 89 players will be competing, one more than last year.

Five amateurs will be playing, two less than in 2023.

The primary goal for each amateur is to make the 36 hole cut and if they achieve that to then go on and win the low amateur Silver Cup.

I will be updating this article with amateur scoring information and reports as the tournament unfolds.

2024 master journal cover_final-1

The 2024 Masters Journal

2024 Amateur Player Biographies

The legacy of Bobby Jones, the co-founder of the tournament and a lifelong amateur (at least during his competitive years), means The Masters has always found a place for the world’s leading amateurs.

This year’s intake will see the total number of amateurs to have played in The Masters rise to 459.

The five amateurs competing at The Masters in 2024 are: –

SANTIAGO de la FUENTE (MEX), 22 – winner of the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship
Santiago is from Ocotlan in Mexico but will be well acclimatised as he is in his third year at the University of Houston in Texas. In 2023 he represented the International Team in the Arnold Palmer Cup and represented his home country in the Eisenhower Trophy.
WAGR #26 (10/04/24)
Top Amateur Odds – 4/1

STEWART HAGESTAD (USA), 33 on 10th April – winner of the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
From Newport Beach, California Stewart won the U.S. Mid-Amateur title for the third time last year. He has also played on four successful Walker Cup teams. Third Appearance at Augusta. In 2017 he finished tied 36th to pick up the low amateur prize.
WAGR #12 (10/04/24)
Top Amateur Odds – 3/1

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT (RSA), 23 – winner of the 2023 Amateur Championship
The Amateur champion from George made a splash in last year’s Open Championship with an opening round of 66 (-5) and ultimately won the Silver Medal. In 2023 he represented the International Team in the Arnold Palmer Cup and represented his home country in the Eisenhower Trophy. Masters debut.
WAGR #1 (10/04/24)  
Top Amateur Odds – 6/4

NEAL SHIPLEY (USA), 23 – runner-up at the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship
Now a graduate student at Ohio State University having graduated from James Madison University in 2022. He is an experienced amateur with a number of high finishes to his name. Lost to Nick Dunlap in the U.S. Amateur Championship final last year. Masters debut.
WAGR #37 (10/04/24) 
Top Amateur Odds – 17/4

Jasper STUBBS (AUS), 22 – winner of the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship 
Earned his place by winning the Asia-Pacific in a play-off against Wenyi Deng at Royal Melbourne G.C. Masters debut.
WAGR #339 (10/04/24)
Top Amateur Odds – 13/2

U.S. and Amateur champions also receive non-playing honorary invitations which mean they are invited to attend The Masters every year for the rest of their lives.

Nick Dunlap, the 2023 U.S. Amateur champion, and Fred Biondi (BRA), the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Individual champion both turned pro to forego their amateur exemptions. Dunlap is of course in the field as his decision was prompted by a win at the American Express event on the PGA Tour in January.

2024 Amateur Tee Times (GMT +5hrs)

Round 1

Group 2 – 8.12am EDT / 1.12pm BST – José-María Olazábel (ESP), Taylor Moore (USA) & Santiago de la FUENTE (MEX)

Group 4 – 8.36am EDT / 1.36m BST – Chart Schwartzel (RSA), Luke List (USA) & Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA)

Group 6 – 9.00am EDT / 2.00pm BST – Zach Johnson (USA), Corey Connors (CAN) & Jasper STUBBS (AUS)

Group 18 – 11.30am EDT / 4.30pm BST – Mike Weir (CAN), Ryo Hisatsune (JAP) & Neal SHIPLEY (USA)

Group 20 – 11.54am EDT / 4.54pm BST – Fred Couples (USA), Adam Hadwin (CAN) & Stewart HAGESTAD (USA)

Round 2

Group 3 – 8.24am EDT / 1.24pm BST – Mike Weir (CAN), Ryo Hisatsune (JAP) & Neal SHIPLEY (USA)

Group 5 – 8.48am EDT / 1.48pm BST – Fred Couples (USA), Adam Hadwin (CAN) & Stewart HAGESTAD (USA)

Group 17 – 11.18am EDT / 4.18pm BST – José-María Olazábel (ESP), Taylor Moore (USA) & Santiago de la FUENTE (MEX)

Group 19 – 11.42am EDT / 4.42pm BST – Chart Schwartzel (RSA), Luke List (USA) & Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA)

Group 21 – 12.12pm EDT / 5.12pm BST – Zach Johnson (USA), Corey Connors (CAN) & Jasper STUBBS (AUS)

By tradition the reigning U.S. Amateur champion is always paired with the reigning Masters champion. Accordingly Nick Dunlap has been paired with Jon Rahm this year (with Justin Rose making up the three ball).

Click here to view all of the – Masters 2024 Tee Times

Amateur Perks

Only amateur competitors are permitted to stay in the Crow’s Nest accommodation in the clubhouse. Most of them normally spend at least one night there during Masters week.  

The Amateur Dinner, hosted by chairman Fred Ridley and normally attended by around between 50-100 guests, was held in The Founders Room on the evening of Monday 8th April. The Captain of The R&A, President of the USGA, a former amateur participant and an amateur contestant from this year normally speak.

Perhaps somewhat harshly Nick Dunlap, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was not invited.

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Jasper Stubbs, Santiago de la Fuente, Neal Shipley, Fred Ridley, Stewart Hagestad and Chrsito Lamprecht (Photo: Chris Turvey / Augusta National G.C.)

2023 Masters – Amateur Performances

The 2022 U.S. Amateur champion Sam BENNETT (USA) finished tied 16th with a 286 (-2) total. As the only amateur to make the cut he also secured the low amateur Silver Cup. 

Sam, who was 23 at the time, was the first amateur to finish inside the top 20 since 2005 (Ryan Moore, tied 13th) and the first in 30 years to card a bogey-free round (Round 1) at The Masters.

However, after tiring over the weekend he missed out on a Top 12 finish which would have earned him an exemption into next year’s tournament. It is worth remembering that after two opening 68’s he entered the weekend on -8 and in sole 3rd place. 

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Sam Bennett’s Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

The six other amateurs competing in 2023 all missed the cut.

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Round 2 Amateur Leaderboard (Graphic: The Masters)

The Masters – Amateur Playing Records

For more information on amateur performances at The Masters please take a look at this companion article – The Masters – Amateur Records.

ME.

Copyright © 2014-2024, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Masters – 2023 Amateur Preview & Results

9th April 2023

Jon RAHM (ESP) won the 87th Masters with a 276 (-12) total. His rounds of 65, 69, 73 and 69 were good enough for a four shot victory over Phil MICKLESON (USA) and Brooks KOEPKA (USA) who finished on 280 (-8).

Rahm became the first European player to win both the U.S.Open Championship and The Masters Tournament.

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John Rahm and Sam Bennett (Photo: Reuters)

Here are the final results:-

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Final Leaderboard (Graphic: The Masters)

Click here to view the full – Masters 2023 Results 

U.S. Amateur champion Sam BENNETT (USA) – 286 (-2), Tied 16th – won the low amateur Silver Cup. 

23 year old Sam was the first amateur to finish inside the top 20 since 2005 (Ryan Moore, Tied 13th) and the first in 30 years to card a bogey-free round (Round 1) at The Masters.

However, after tiring over the weekend the U.S. Amateur champion missed out on a Top 12 finish which would have earned him an exemption into next year’s tournament.

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Sam Bennett Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Bennett returned back to Texas A&M University immediately following the prize presentation and was considering teeing it up tomorrow in his home college event, the Aggie Invitational, where 36 holes are scheduled to be played at the Traditions Club in Bryan.  

ME.

___________________________________

8th April 2023

Due to inclement weather Round 2 had to be completed on Saturday morning.

The cut fell at 147 (+3) with 54 players progressing to the weekend.

The big news from an amateur perspective was the outstanding performance of Sam BENNETT (USA) whose two 68s left him in 3rd place heading into the final two rounds. With his Texas A&M college coach Brian Kortan on the bag his 136 (-8) total is the second best 36-hole total in the history of The Masters. Ken Venturi got to -9 in 1956 albeit the course nearly 70 years later is a totally different beast.   

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Round 2 Amateur Leaderboard (Graphic: The Masters)

Here are the individual scorecards of the amateur competitors: –

Sam BENNETT (USA) – 136 (-8), 3rd

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Sam Bennett Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Ben CARR (USA) – 149 (+5), Tied 60th MC

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Ben Carr Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Aldrich POTGIETER (RSA) – 151 (+7), Tied 70th MC

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 Aldrich Potgieter Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Matt MCCLEAN (N.I.) – 151 (+7), Tied 70th MC

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Matt McClean Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Mateo FERNANDEZ DE OLIVEIRA (ARG) – 151 (+7) Tied 70th MC

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Mateo Fernandez De Oliveira Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Harrison CROWE (AUS) – 152 (+8) Tied 75th MC

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Harrison Crowe Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Gordon SARGENT (USA) – 153 (+9) Tied 79th MC

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Gordon Sargent Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

ME.

___________________________________

4th April 2023

The 87th Masters will take place at Augusta National G.C. this week between Thursday 6th and Sunday 9th April.

A field of 88 players will be competing, two less than last year.

Seven amateurs will be playing, one more than in 2022.

The primary goal for each amateur is to make the 36 hole cut and if they achieve that to then go on and win the low amateur Silver Cup.

I will be updating this article with amateur scoring information and reports as the tournament unfolds.

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The 2023 Masters Journal

2023 Amateur Player Biographies

The legacy of Bobby Jones, the co-founder of the tournament and a lifelong amateur (at least during his competitive years), means The Masters has always found a place for the world’s leading amateurs.

This year’s intake will see the total number of amateurs to have played in The Masters rise to 454.

The seven amateurs competing at The Masters in 2023 are: –

SAM BENNETT (USA), 23 – winner of the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship
Texas native Sam is a fifth-year senior at Texas A&M University. He beat Ben Carr (see below) in the 122nd U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood C.C. in New Jersey. Sam has “Don’t wait to do something” tattooed on the inside of his arm to commemorate his father who died in June 2022. Masters debut.
SPWAR #11  / WAGR #6
Top Amateur Odds – 7/2 (2nd)

BEN CARR (USA), 22 – runner-up at the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship
From Columbus, Georgia Ben is a fifth year student at Georgia Southern University. Runner-up at last year’s U.S. Amateur this will be his Masters debut.
SPWAR #8 / WAGR #46 
Top Amateur Odds – 10-1 (5th)

HARRISON CROWE (AUS), 21 – winner of the 2022 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship 
From Bexley in Australia Harrison qualified for this year’s Masters with a 1-shot victory at the Asia-Pacific Championship in Thailand. Masters debut.
SPWAR #45  / WAGR #33  
Top Amateur Odds – 8-1 (4th)

MATEO FERNANDEZ DE OLIVEIRA (ARG), 23 – winner of the 2022 Latin America Amateur Championship 
Mateo is a senior at the University of Arkansas and qualified with a record breaking -23 win in this year’s Latin America Amateur in Puerto Rico. Masters debut.
SPWAR #13  / WAGR #25 
Top Amateur Odds – 15/2 (3rd)

MATTHEW MCCLEAN (N.I.), 29 – winner of the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship 
From Malone G.C. in Belfast, Matt, an optometrist by profession, beat Hugh Foley 3&1 in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship final to secure his place in the field. Masters debut.
SPWAR #55  / WAGR #70
Top Amateur Odds – 14-1 (7th)

ALRICH POTGIETER (RSA), 18 – winner of the 2022 Amateur Championship
The Amateur champion arrives in form with wins in the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship, the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and The Georgia Cup, where he beat Sam Bennett by 5&4. He will be the fifth South African amateur to participate in The Masters. Masters debut.
SPWAR #33  / WAGR #32 
Top Amateur Odds – 5-1 (3rd)

GORDON SARGENT (USA), 19 – winner of the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Individual Championship
In something of a surprise The Masters issued a ‘special invitation’ to an amateur for the first time since Aaron Baddeley received one in 2000. Many believe this will prove to be the precursor to a new exemption category for the winner of the NCAA Division I Individual title*. Sergent won this event in 2022 whilst a freshman at Vanderbilt University.
SPWAR #4  / WAGR #1
Top Amateur Odds – 11/8 (1st Fav.)

U.S. and Amateur champions also receive non-playing honorary invitations which mean they are invited to attend The Masters every year for the rest of their lives.

This is as strong a group of amateurs as I can recall and I am hopeful we will see a few play all 72-holes and that there will be a genuine Silver Cup competition.

* This was formally confirmed by Fred Ridley in his Chairman’s press conference on Wednesday 5th April 2023 and will be effective from 2024.  

2023 Amateur Tee Times (GMT +5hrs)

Round 1

Group 2 – 8.12am EDT / 1.12pm BST – Vijay Singh (FIJ), Scott Stallings (USA) & Matthew MCCLEAN (N.I.)

Group 6 – 9.00am EDT / 2.00pm BST – Larry Mize (USA), Min Woo Lee (AUS) & Harrison CROWE (AUS)

Group 10 – 9.48am EDT / 2.48pm BST – Bubba Watson (USA), Seamus Power (IRE) & Mateo F. DE OLIVEIRA (ARG) 

Group 17 – 11.18am EDT / 4.18pm BST – Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Taylor Moore (USA) & Aldrich POTGIETER (RSA)

Group 19 – 11.42am EDT / 4.42pm BST – Bernhard Langer (GER), Mito Pereira (CHI) & Ben CARR (USA)

Group 24 – 12.48pm EDT / 5.48pm BST – Zach Johnson (USA), Jason Day (AUS) & Gordon SARGENT (USA)

Group 28 – 1.36pm EDT / 6.36pm BST – Scottie Scheffler (USA), Max Homa (USA) & Sam BENNETT (USA)

Round 2

Group 2 – 8.12am EDT / 1.12pm BST – Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Taylor Moore (USA) & Aldrich POTGIETER (RSA)

Group 4 – 8.36am EDT / 1.36pm BST – Bernhard Langer (GER), Mito PEREIRA (CHI) & Ben CARR (USA)

Group 9 – 9.36am EDT / 2.36pm BST – Zach Johnson (USA), Jason Day (AUS) & Gordon SARGENT (USA)

Group 13 – 10.30am EDT / 3.30pm BST – Scottie Scheffler (USA), Max Homa (USA) & Sam BENNETT (USA)

Group 17 – 11.18am EDT / 4.18pm BST – Vijay Singh (FIJ), Scott Stallings (USA) & Matthew MCCLEAN (N.I.)

Group 21 – 12.12pm EDT / 5.12pm BST – Larry Mize (USA), Min Woo Lee (AUS) & Harrison CROWE (AUS)

Group 25 – 1.00pm EDT / 6.00pm BST – Bubba Watson (USA), Seamus Power (IRE) & Mateo F. DE OLIVEIRA (ARG) 

*By tradition the reigning U.S. Amateur champion is always paired with the reigning Masters champion. 

Click here to view the – Masters 2023 Tee Times

Click here to view the – Masters 2023 Leaderboard 

Amateur Perks

Only amateur competitors are permitted to stay in the Crow’s Nest accommodation in the clubhouse. Most of them normally spend at least one night there during Masters week.  

The Amateur Dinner, hosted by chairman Fred Ridley and normally attended by around between 50-100 guests, was held in The Founders Room on the evening of Monday 3rd April. The Captain of The R&A, President of the USGA, a former amateur participant and an amateur contestant from this year normally speak. Two time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange spoke this year.

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Ben Carr, Sam Bennett, Gordon Sargent, Fred Ridley, Matt McClean, Harrison Crowe, Aldrich Potgieter and Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira (Photo: Chris Turvey / Augusta National G.C.)

2022 Masters – Amateur Performances

No amateur made the cut at the 2022 Masters so the Silver Cup was not awarded. It was the second consecutive year that an amateur had not completed the 72 holes.

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Round 2 Amateur Scoreboard (Graphic: The Masters)

The cut fell at 148 (+4), tied 45th, with 52 players progressing to the final 36 holes over the weekend.  

Keita NAKAJIMA (JAP) and Austin GREASER (USA) were the leading amateurs finishing tied 64th on 151 +7.

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Keita Nakajima Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Nakajima lived up to his pre-tournament billing as the favourite for the low amateur Silver Cup with an even par first round of 72 which left him tied 19th. However, on day 2 a long tee shot on the 12th led to a double bogey and eventually a 5-over back nine which saw him spiral down the leaderboard. He hardly missed a putt in round 1 but seemed to find the greens much harder on Friday.

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Austin Greaser Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Big hitting Greaser gave himself a chance of making the cut with an opening round of 74 (+2). Unfortunately a poor double bogey from the middle of the 11th fairway followed by a long tee shot on 12 and another bogey saw his opportunity quickly disappear. He hit 21 greens in regulation, the best of the six amateurs, and will have been pleased with his overall performance.

Click here to view the full– 2022 Masters Results

The Masters – Amateur Playing Records

For more information on amateur performances at The Masters please take a look at – The Masters – Amateur Records.

ME.

Copyright © 2014-23, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Masters – 2022 Amateur Preview & Results

10th April 2022

Scottie SCHEFFLER (USA) won the 86th Masters Tournament at Augusta National G.C. with a 278 (-10) total. His 3-shot winning margin could have been larger save for a four-putt finish on the 72nd hole.

Rory MCILROY (IRL) finished 2nd on -7 after a superb 68 in round 4. Shane LOWRY (IRL) and Cameron SMITH (AUS) finished tied 3rd on 283 (-5).

Click here to view the full– 2022 Masters Results  

ME.

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8th April 2022

For the second year running no amateurs made the cut and therefore the Silver Cup prize will not be awarded.

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Round 2 Amateur Scoreboard (Graphic: The Masters)

The cut fell at 148 (+4), tied 45th, with 52 players progressing to the final 36 holes over the weekend.  

Here are the individual scorecards of the amateur competitors: –

Keita NAKAJIMA (JAP) – 151 (+7), Tied 64th

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Keita Nakajima Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Nakajima lived up to his pre-tournament billing as the favourite for the low amateur Silver Cup with an even par first round of 72 which left him tied 19th. However, on day 2 a long tee shot on the 12th led to a double bogey and eventually a 5-over back nine which saw him spiral down the leaderboard. He hardly missed a putt in round 1 but seemed to find the greens much harder on Friday.

Austin GREASER (USA) – 151 (+7), Tied 64th

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Austin Greaser Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Big hitting Greaser gave himself a chance of making the cut with an opening round of 74 (+2). Unfortunately a poor double bogey from the middle of the 11th fairway followed by a long tee shot on 12 and another bogey saw his opportunity quickly disappear. He hit 21 greens in regulation, the best of the six amateurs, and can be pleased with his overall performance.

Aaron JARVIS (CAY) – 155 (+11), Tied 78th

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Arron Jarvis Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Jarvis, the least experienced amateur, played his way out of the tournament with an opening 81 but showed good heart to come back with a 74 in round 2. The highlights were his two birdies on the 12th where his tee shots finished 7 feet and 1 foot away from the hole. Scores that would see him pick up 2.50 shots on the field average.   

James PIOT (USA) – 155 (+11), Tied 78th

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James Piot Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

U.S. Amateur champion James Piot struggled on Day 1 to an 81 from which there would never be any way back. A couple of bad swings on 13 in day 1 saw him rack up a costly 8. He will have been pleased to pick up four birdies in round 2 and leave with a far more respectable 74 under his belt.

Stewart HAGESTAD (USA) – 160 (+16), 87th

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Stewart Hagestad Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Unlike on his previous visit in 2017 Hagestad’s lack of distance caught up with him and he was unable to keep his score going on the greens where he struggled with the pace.

Laird SHEPHERD (USA) – 166 (+22), 89th

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Laird Shepherd Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Amateur champion Laird Shepherd was sadly out of his depth at Augusta National and appeared intimidated off the tee. Fighting a pull hook with his woods and finding just one of the par 3’s in regulation in eight attempts. 11/28 fairways and just 9/36 greens in regulation is always going to make scoring difficult. Nevertheless he seemed to putt reasonably well and will have enjoyed the par 5 13th which he birdied in both rounds.

ME.

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6th April 2022

The 86th Masters will take place at Augusta National G.C. this week between Thursday 7th and Sunday 10th April.

A field of 91 players will be competing, three more than last year. [Paul Casey withdrew on the opening morning with a back injury meaning just 90 players actually started]

Six amateurs will be playing. In 2021 only three amateurs played as the COVID-19 pandemic saw the prior Asia-Pacific Amateur, Latin America Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships all cancelled so there were no winner exemptions from these events.

The primary goal for each amateur is to make the 36 hole cut and if they achieve that to then go on and win the low amateur Silver Cup.

image

The 2022 Masters Journal

2022 Amateur Player Biographies

The legacy of Bobby Jones, the founder of the tournament and a lifelong amateur (at least during his competitive years), means The Masters has always found a place for the world’s leading amateurs.

This year’s intake will take the total number of amateurs to have played in The Masters to 447.

The six amateurs competing at The Masters are: –

AUSTIN GREASER (USA), 21 – runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship
From Vandalia in Ohio Austin is a junior at University of North Carolina. Masters debut.
SPWAR 26 / WAGR 23

STEWART HAGESTAD (USA), 31 on Sunday – winner of the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship 
From Los Angeles, California Stewart is a two time U.S. Mid-Am champion.  He has just completed an MBA at USC and is moving into private equity role shortly. Finished T36 to win the Silver Cup on his Masters debut in 2017. This will be his 5th major appearance having also played in three  U.S. Opens (2017-18-19).
SPWAR 213 / WAGR 13

AARON JARVIS (CAY), 19 – winner of the 2022 Latin America Amateur Championship 
Aaron is from George Town in Grand Cayman and is a freshman at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Masters debut.
SPWAR 605 / WAGR 827

KEITA NAKAJIMA (JAP), 21 – winner of the 2021 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship 
Keita, from Kazo City, won his first professional tournament in his home country of Japan in 2021 and finished T28 in the Zozo Championship last October and 41st in this year’s Sony Open, both on the PGA Tour. Masters debut. The clear favourite for the 2022 Silver Cup.
SPWAR 14 / WAGR 1 / OWGR 239

JAMES PIOT (USA), 23 – winner of the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship
James is a fifth-year senior at his local university Michigan State. Masters debut. He made his pro debut at last month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational missing the cut at Bay Hill after two 78s.
SPWAR 15 / WAGR 60

LAIRD SHEPHERD (ENG), 24 – winner of the 2021 Amateur Championship
The 2020 Stirling graduate who has settled in St. Andrews will be making his second major appearance after narrowly missing the cut in the 2021 Open Championship. Since 2018 Laird has overcome knee and back injuries so has only played a modest schedule in recent years. Masters debut.
SPWAR 1,207 / WAGR 49

U.S. and Amateur champions also receive non-playing honorary invitations which mean they are invited to attend The Masters every year for the rest of their lives.

2022 Amateur Tee Times (GMT +5hrs)

Round 1

Group 2 – 8.11am EDT / 1.11pm BST – Mike Weir (CAN) / Padraig Harrington (IRL) / AUSTIN GREASER (USA)

Group 8 – 9.17am EDT / 2.17pm BST – Zach Johnson (USA) / Si Woo Kim (KOR) / AARON JARVIS (CAY)

Group 15 – 10.45am EDT / 3.45pm BST – Hideki Matsuyama (JAP)* / Justin Thomas (USA) / JAMES PIOT (USA)*

Group 17 – 11.18am EDT / 4.18pm BST – Sandy Lyle (SCO) / STEWART HAGESTAD (USA)

Group 20 – 11.51am EDT / 4.51pm BST – Charl Schwartzel (RSA) / Robert MacIntyre (SCO) / LAIRD SHEPHERD (ENG)

Group 24 – 12.35pm EDT / 5.35pm BST – Bubba Watson (USA) / Tom HOGE (USA) / KEITA NAKAJIMA (JAP)

Round 2

Group 1 – 8.00am EDT / 1.00pm BST – Sandy Lyle (SCO) / STEWART HAGESTAD (USA)

Group 4 – 8.33am EDT / 1.33pm BST – Charl Schwartzel (RSA) / Robert MacIntyre (SCO) / LAIRD SHEPHERD (ENG)

Group 8 – 9.17am EDT / 2.17pm BST – Bubba Watson (USA) / Tom HOGE (USA) / KEITA NAKAJIMA (JAP)

Group 17 – 11.18am EDT / 4.18pm BST – Mike Weir (CAN) / Padraig Harrington (IRL) / AUSTIN GREASER (USA)

Group 23 – 12.24pm EDT / 5.24pm BST – Zach Johnson (USA) / Si Woo Kim (KOR) / AARON JARVIS (CAY)

Group 30 – 1.52pm EDT / 6.52pm BST – Hideki Matsuyama (JAP)* / Justin Thomas (USA) / JAMES PIOT (USA)*

*By tradition the reigning U.S. Amateur champion is always paired with the reigning Masters champion.

Click here to view all of the – Masters 2022 Tee Times

Amateur Perks

Only amateur competitors are permitted to stay in the Crow’s Nest accommodation. Most of them normally spend at least one night there during Masters week.  

The Amateur Dinner, hosted by chairman Fred Ridley and normally attended by around 100 guests, was held on Monday evening. This was a return to its traditional slot having moved to Wednesday in 2020 and 2021. Sergio Garcia, 2017 winner and the low amateur in 1999, was the guest speaker this year.

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Keita Nakajima, James Piot, Austin Greaser, Fred Ridley, Aaron Jarvis and Stewart Hagestad
(Photo: Chris Turvey / Augusta National)

2021 Masters – Amateur Performances

No amateur made the cut at the 2021 Masters so the Silver Cup was not awarded. It was the first time since 2015 that an amateur had not completed the 72 holes.

Ollie OSBORNE (USA) shot two rounds of 76 to finish tied 74th on 152 (+8), the best of the three amateurs in the field.

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Ollie Osborne’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

Joe LONG (ENG) produced the lowest round by an amateur at the 2021 Masters in Round 2 with a 72 (Ev). However, his 154 (+10) total saw him finish in 80th place. Joe missed a four foot birdie putt on his final hole to miss the chance to match James Sugrue’s 71 in 2020, the lowest and only under par round by a GB&I amateur in Masters history.

Joe Long’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

U.S. Amateur champion Tyler STRAFACI (USA) struggled to rounds of 80 and 81 to finish in 86th place, last of the three amateurs in 2021.

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Tyler Strafaci’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

The Top 50 and Ties cut fell at +3 with 54 players making the weekend.

Click here to view the full – 2021 Masters Results

The Masters – Amateur Playing Records

For more information on amateur performances at The Masters please take a look at – The Masters – Amateur Records.

ME.

Copyright © 2014-22, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Masters – 2021 Amateur Preview & Results

Sunday 11th April 2021

Hideki MATSUYAMA (JAP) won the 2021 Masters Tournament with a 278 (-10) total.

Hideki Matsuyama  (Photo: The Masters)

The Masters reflected his journey to the title in a nice tweet which highlighted his two Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship titles in 2010 and 2011 to qualify for the tournament, his Silver Cup low amateur win in 2011 and finally the life changing first major victory today.  

Matsuyama became just the seventh player to win both the Silver Cup and The Masters tournament itself, joining Cary MIDDLECOFFJack NICKLAUS, Ben CRENSHAW, Tiger WOODS, Phil MICKELSON and Sergio GARCIA in a select group.

The prize money for finishing first this year at Augusta National was £2,070,000.

2017 Walker Cup players Will ZALATORIS (USA) -9 finished 2nd and Robert MACINTYRE (SCO) -2 tied 12th. They earned $1,242,000 and $264,500 respectively and also secured their places in the 2022 Masters. 

The 2021 Masters Results (Graphic: The Masters)

Click here to view the full – 2021 Masters Results

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Saturday 10th April 2021

Hideki MATSUYAMA (JAP) moved into a four shot lead on -11 after a superb 65 in Round 3 which saw him come home in just 30 shots. His bogey free round included one eagle and five birdies.

Playing in his tenth Masters the Japanese star now has a great chance to become Asia’s first male major champion.

There would be a nice symmetry if he can come through tomorrow as his compatriot 17 year old Tsubasa Kajitani won the 2nd Augusta National Women’s Amateur last week.

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Hideki Matsuyama Receives The Silver Cup In 2011 (Photo: The Masters) 

Heading into tomorrow’s final round Xander SCHAUFFELE (USA), Mark LEISHMAN (AUS), Justin ROSE (ENG) and Will ZALATORIS (USA) are his nearest challengers on -7.

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Friday 9th April 2021

Sadly no amateur made the cut at the 2021 Masters and therefore the Silver Cup will not be awarded on Sunday. It is the first time since 2015 that an amateur has not completed the 72 holes.

Ollie OSBORNE (USA) shot his second successive 76 to finish tied 74th on 152 (+8), the best of the three amateurs in the field. His three birdies today were offset by seven bogeys. Ollie was a little unlucky with his tee shots on the 6th and 16th but a couple of pulled drives late on simply left him too much to do. The SMU college golfer had another good day but will no doubt be disappointed with his finish. 

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Ollie Osborne’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

Click here to watch every shot of – Ollie Osborne’s Round 2

Joe LONG (ENG) produced the lowest round by an amateur at this year’s Masters in Round 2 with a very accomplished 72 (Ev). His 154 (+10) total saw him finish in 80th place. The highlights were his three consecutive birdies on the back nine. He hit the 13th and 15th greens in two and had tap-in birdies on both of these famous par 5’s. Just like yesterday he finished with a superb approach into the 18th but was unable to convert his 4 foot birdie putt. James Sugrue’s 71 last November therefore remains the sole under par round by a GB&I amateur in Masters history.  

Joe Long’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

Click here to watch every shot of – Joe Long’s Round 2

U.S. Amateur champion Tyler STRAFACI (USA) struggled on Friday and finished 86th, last of the three amateurs. His 81 included one double bogey and eight bogeys. The highlight was his birdie on 14 where he holed a huge 25 yard putt from just off the front of the green.

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Tyler Strafaci’s 36 Hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

Click here to watch every shot of – Tyler Strafaci’s Round 2

Justin ROSE (ENG) recovered from another slow start to shoot an even par 72 in Round 2 and retain his lead on -7. His 18 hole 4-shot lead is now down to one though with Will ZALATORIS (USA) and Brian HARMAN (USA) in tied 2nd on -6.

The Top 50 and Ties cut fell at +3 with 54 players making the weekend.

ME.

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Thursday 8th April 2021

Ollie OSBORNE (USA), the least heralded of the three amateurs in the field, shone brightest on the opening day at Augusta National G.C. The course played firm and fast and the wind swirled through the pines making for a tough test.

Osborne’s 76 (+4) saw him finish the day in tied 60th. The big hitting SMU player produced a tidy round with no big errors which were the downfall of his competitors for the Silver Cup. His bonus came via nice putts for birdies on the par 5 8th and 15th which gave him some additional breathing space.

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Ollie Osborne’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

Click here to watch every shot of – Ollie Osborne’s Round 1 (select Round 1 tab)

Tyler STRAFACI (USA) played better than his 80 (+8) paying a heavy price for two mistakes which ended up costing him 5-shots. He’ll start Day 2 in 84th place. Firstly an aggressive approach to the 9th left him over the back with no shot to a green which sloped severely away from him. Then three holes later his tee shot to the notorious par 3 12th came up short finding the lake.   

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Tyler Strafaci’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

Click here to watch every shot of – Tyler Strafaci’s Round 1 (select Round 1 tab)

Joe LONG (ENG) shot an 82 (+10) in Round 1 to finish the day in tied 86th place. The Bristolian made a solid start but a pushed drive into the trees on the 5th cost him a triple-bogey and entering a tough run of holes he was unable to get back on track. The back nine saw an improvement with five pars and a birdie. Having struggled down the 13th he produced a great chip over Rae’s Creek to escape with just a bogey. However, the 17th will have disappointed the Amateur champion – three putts from 4ft saw him leave the green with a 6 when a 4 had looked likely. Nevertheless this time he bounced back well on 18 with a birdie. A great drive round the left-to-right dog leg set up a mid-iron which finished dead having lipped out for eagle.   

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Joe Long’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters) 

Click here to watch every shot of – Joe Long’s Round 1 (select Round 1 tab)

Justin ROSE (ENG) leads the 2021 Masters by 4-shots after his 65 (-7) in Round 1. Rose was 9-under for his final 11 holes after a slow start which had seen him record bogeys on the 1st and 7th. Brian HARMAN (USA) and Hideki MATSUYAMA (JAP) lead the chasing pack after 69’s (-3).

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7th April 2021

The 85th Masters will take place at Augusta National G.C. this week between 8th-11th April.

The field is a little lower than normal with just 88 players competing.

One of the reasons for this is that there are only three amateurs playing in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic saw the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Latin America Amateur Championship and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship cancelled in 2020 so the three places traditionally allocated to their winners were not required this year.

As with last year’s Masters, played later than normal in November, there will only be a limited number of patrons on site due to COVID-19. This will hopefully help the amateurs to settle more quickly in to their famous surroundings when play gets underway.

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The 2021 Masters Journal

2021 Amateur Player Biographies

The legacy of Bobby Jones, the founder of the tournament and a lifelong amateur (at least during his competitive years), means The Masters has always found a place for the leading amateur players.

This year’s intake will take the total number of amateurs to have participated to 441.

The three Amateurs competing at The Masters are : –

JOE LONG (England) – winner of the 2020 Amateur Championship (Cat. 8 exemption). One of ten Englishmen in the field Long, 23 from Bristol, qualified after beating compatriot Joe Harvey in the Amateur Championship final at Royal Birkdale G.C. His victory also earned him automatic selection for the GB&I Walker Cup team. Joe picked up an injury whilst surfing in February but is confident he has fully recovered. This will be his first major appearance as well as his first competitive outing in USA. Caddie – John Chance (local). Current SPWAR #35 / WAGR #46.

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Joe Long (Photo: Richard Heathcote / The R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

CHARLES ‘OLLIE’ OSBORNE (USA) – runner-up at the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship (Cat. 7 exemption). Osborne, 21, is a junior at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He has won two college titles to date. Ollie monday qualified for the 2019 Baracuda Championship on the PGA Tour played at his home course in Reno, Nevada but missed the cut. This will be his first major appearance. Caddie – Stephen Osborne (father). Current SPWAR #124 / WAGR #247.

TYLER STRAFACI (USA) – winner of the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship (Cat. 7 exemption). Strafaci, 22, graduated from Georgia Tech last May and whilst he returned for a fifth year in September he ultimately decided to forego his final spring semester to pursue playing opportunities. In addition to his U.S. Amateur win at Bandon Dunes he also won the North & South Amateur and Palmetto Amateur last summer. Like Long he will represent USA in the 2021 Walker Cup match at Seminole G.C. next month. He has played in one major before, the 2018 U.S. Open Championship. Tyler has also played in four PGA Tour events missing the cut in each of them. He picked up a collarbone injury playing in the 2021 Genesis Invitational which he has only just recovered from. Tyler’s grandfather Frank Sr., who died 10 years before he was born, played in The Masters in 1938 and 1950. Only Tommy Armour and Tommy Armour III have previously achieved this grandfather-grandson double. Caddie – Bret Benjamin (local). Current SPWAR #18 / WAGR #11.   

The U.S. and Amateur champions also receive non-playing honorary invitations which mean they are invited to attend The Masters every year for the rest of their lives.

Amateur Perks

Due to social distancing only one amateur has been allowed to stay in the Crow’s Nest per night. Joe Long stayed there on Sunday night, Tyler Strafaci on Monday and Ollie Osborne on Tuesday. 

The Amateur Dinner is being held on Wednesday night as it was in 2020. It had for many years been held on the Monday of Masters week. Chairman Fred Ridley will host the evening with Viktor Hovland, the 2018 U.S. Amateur champion who has subsequently transitioned smoothly to the pro ranks, the special guest speaker.

2021 Amateur Tee Times (GMT +5hrs)

Round 1

Group 5 – 8.48am EDT / 1.48pm BST – Bernhard Langer (GER) / Will Zalatoris (USA)* / JOE LONG (ENG)

Group 13 – 10.30am EDT / 3.30pm BST – Dustin Johnson (USA) / Lee Westwood (ENG) / TYLER STRAFACI (USA)

Group 22 – 12.24pm EDT / 5.24pm BST – Fred Couples (USA) / Francesco Molinari (ITA) / OLLIE OSBORNE (USA)

Round 2

Group 7 – 9.12am EDT / 2.12pm BST – Fred Couples (USA) / Francesco Molinari (ITA) / OLLIE OSBORNE (USA)

Group 20 – 11.54am EDT / 4.54pm BST – Bernhard Langer (GER) / Will Zalatoris (USA)* / JOE LONG (ENG)

Group 28 – 1.36pm EDT / 6.36pm BST – Dustin Johnson (USA) / Lee Westwood (ENG) / TYLER STRAFACI(USA)**

*Will Zalatoris who represented USA in the 2017 Walker Cup is also making his Masters debut this week. Alongside the three amateurs there are three professional debutants this year; Robert MacIntyre, who also played in the 2017 Walker Cup, and Carlos Ortiz are the other two.

**By tradition the reigning U.S. Amateur champion is always paired with the reigning Masters champion.

Click here to view all of the – Masters 2021 Tee Times

2020 Masters – Amateur Performances

Andy OGLETREE (USA) won the 2020 Silver Cup at The Masters for the low amateur completing all 72 holes.

He finished tied 34th on 286 (-2) after rounds of 73, 70, 71 and 72.

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Andy Ogletree (Photo: Michael Holahan / The Augusta Chronicle)

James SUGRUE (IRL) finished his opening two rounds on 148 (+4) and missed the cut. His four 3-putts in Round 1, including a short one on the 18th when he was trying to finish his round before darkness fell, probably ruined his chances of progressing.

He can take some consolation from his second round 71 though which was the first under par and lowest round ever recorded by a GB&I amateur at The Masters. Whilst the shots still had to be played James took advantage of the November playing with the softer conditions making scoring much easier than normal. 

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James Sugrue 36 hole Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

Click here to view the final – Masters 2020 Leaderboard

The Masters – Amateur Playing Records

For more information on amateur performances at The Masters please take a look at – The Masters – Amateur Records.

ME.

Copyright © 2014-21, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Masters – 2020 Amateur Results

15th November 2020 – Round 4

2019 U.S. Amateur champion Andy OGLETREE (USA) won the 2020 Silver Cup at The Masters for the low amateur completing all 72 holes.

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Andy Ogletree (Photo: Michael Holahan / The Augusta Chronicle)

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2020 Final Results (Photo: The Masters)

Ogletree delivered another very impressive round, particularly after starting on the 10th with two straight bogeys. His even par 72 in the final round saw him finish in tied 34th place on 286 (-2).

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Andy Ogletree’s Results (Photo: The Masters)

John AUGENSTEIN (USA) also teed off on the 10th hole but a poor start meant he was unable to apply any pressure on Ogletree in his pursuit of the amateur prize. His final round 75 meant he finished 5-shots back of his compatriot.

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John Augenstein’s Results (Photo: The Masters)

Click here to view the final – Masters 2020 Leaderboard

ME.

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14th November 2020 – Round 3

Andy OGLETREE (USA) again impressed in round 3 and will take a 2-shot lead into the final round in the race for the low amateur Silver Cup. Ogletree, looking increasingly comfortable in these surroundings, shot a 71 today alongside Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter off the 10th. Another very steady round, albeit one which included two bogeys in his last three holes, means he has had just four bogeys in his last 36 holes.

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Andy Ogletree 54 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

John AUGENSTEIN (USA), playing with Rory McIlroy and Bernhard Langar off the 1st, sadly continued to trend upwards in scoring terms. A poor start and finish both caused by pushed tee shots were the main contributors to his 75. He’ll start the final round on Even par and will be hoping for a low one to get a modicum of revenge for his 2019 U.S. Amateur defeat to Ogletree at Pinehurst.

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John Augenstein 54 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

Dustin Johnson on -16, a 54 hole tied record score after a 65 (-7) in round 3, will take a 4-shot lead into tomorrow’s final round over Sungjae Im, Abraham Ancer and Cameron Smith.

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54 Hole Leaderboard (Photo: The Masters)

ME.

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12th-14th November 2020 – Rounds 1 and 2

John AUGENSTEIN (USA) and Andy OGLETREE (USA) both made the 36 hole cut and will now contest the low amateur Silver Cup competition over the weekend.

A total of 60 players made the cut which fell at 144 (Even). The soft conditions saw lower than normal scoring.

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Amateur 36 Hole Leaderboard (Photo: The Masters)

John AUGENSTEIN (USA) enjoyed an excellent 3-under par opening round which included an eagle on the 13th. Starting his second round on the 10th he moved to -6 overall and was sitting comfortably in the top 10 before a poor finish saw him fall down the leaderboard to tied 28th.

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John Augenstein 36 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

Andy OGLETREE (USA) showed great character to make the cut on 143 (-1) in tied 43rd place. He was 4-over after four holes having started nervously from the 10th in round 1 in the company of Tiger Woods. In his subsequent 32 holes he recorded nine birdies and just four bogeys to get himself under par.

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Andy Ogletree 36 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

James SUGRUE (IRL) finished on 148 (+4) to miss the cut. His four 3-putts in Round 1, including a short one on the 18th when he was trying to finish his round before darkness fell, probably destroyed his chances of progressing. He can take some consolation from his second round 71 though which was the lowest round ever recorded by a GB&I amateur at The Masters.

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James Sugrue 36 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

Mid-amateur Lukas MICHEL (AUS) also missed the cut after rounds of 76 and 74. Six birdies weren’t enough to offset a number of bogeys.

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Lukas Michel 36 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

Left hander Yuxin LIN (CHN) struggled to a disappointing 79 in round 1. His eagle 3 on the 15th was the highlight and will at least earn him a pair of crystal highball glasses. A much improved second round 73 restored some pride but sadly the damage had already been done.

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Yuxin Lin 36 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

Abel GALLEGOS (ARG), the youngest and least experienced player in the field, unsurprisingly found the going tough. His 160 (+18) tied 89th with Andrew Landry, last of the 90 players who completed both rounds.

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Abel Gallegos 36 hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

Here are the 36 hole playing statistics for the six amateur contestants: –

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36 Hole Amateur Playing Statistics (Source: The Masters)

ME.

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10th November 2020

The 84th Masters will take place at Augusta National G.C. between 12-15 November. A field of 92 players including six amateurs will be aiming to win the green jacket in 2020.

This year’s Masters was originally scheduled to be played on 9-12 April but had to be deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As such there will be no colourful azalea backdrops and the course is expected to be much softer, playing longer but easier.

This year the Amateur Dinner is being held on Wednesday night, instead of the normal Monday, and due to social distancing only one amateur will be allowed to stay in the Crow’s Nest per night.

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Andy Ogletree, Lukas Michel, Abel Gallegos, Fred Ridley, James Sugrue, Luxin Yin and John Augenstein at the 2020 Amateur Dinner (Photo: The Masters)

There will be no patrons due to COVID-19 which should hopefully help the amateurs to settle more quickly in to their famous surroundings when play gets underway. However, their chances of making the weekend have been reduced with the 36-hole cut being restricted to just the low 50 players and ties – the within 10 strokes proviso being removed due to the limited daylight.

I will be updating this article throughout the week with scoring information as I have done in previous years.

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The 2020 Masters Journal (November Version)

2020 Amateur Player Biographies

The legacy of Bobby Jones, the founder of the tournament and a lifelong amateur (at least during his competitive years), means The Masters has always found a place for the leading amateur players. This year’s intake will take the total number of amateurs to have competed to 438.

Since 2016 just six Amateurs have been able to qualify for The Masters. In 2020 they are: –

The Winner of the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship (Cat. 7) – ANDY OGLETREE (USA). Ogletree, 22, graduated from Georgia Tech last May with a degree in Business Administration. He represented USA in the 2019 Walker Cup match at Royal Liverpool G.C. and has played in four PGA Tour events this year missing the cut in all of them. Tradition dictates that Ogletree will have the pleasure of playing with Tiger Woods, the defending champion, in the opening two rounds. SPWAR #11 / WAGR #7.   

The Runner-Up at the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship (Cat. 7) – JOHN AUGENSTEIN, (USA). Augenstein is a 22 year old 5th year Senior at Vanderbilt University and also represented USA in the 2019 Walker Cup match. SPWAR #13 / WAGR #12.

The Winner of the 2019 Amateur Championship (Cat. 8) – JAMES SUGRUE (Ireland). The 23 year old from Mallow in County Cork will become the 15th Irishman to play in The Masters this week. He won the Amateur at Portmarnock in June 2019 and represented GB&I in the Walker Cup a few months later. SPWAR #95 / WAGR #8.

The Masters

James Sugrue During Tuesday Practice (Photo: Golffile / Scott Halleran)

Ogletree, Augenstein and Sugrue had all planned to turn pro after playing in The Masters in April so have had to delay their plans to ensure they experience Augusta National G.C.

The U.S. and Amateur champions also receive non-playing honorary invitations which mean they are invited to attend The Masters every year for the rest of their lives.

The Winner of the 2019 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (Cat. 9) – YUXIN LIN (China). This was left-hander Yuxin’s second win in this Championship, he also won in 2017, so for a 20 year old amateur he will unusually arrive in Augusta with some experience. The Masters co-founded this event in 2009. SPWAR #45 / WAGR #29.

The Winner of the 2019 Latin America Amateur Championship (Cat. 10) – ABEL GALLEGOS CAPUTO (Argentina). Gallegos won the Championship at El Camaleon G.C. in Mexico when he was just 17. The Masters co-founded this event in 2015. SPWAR #165 / WAGR #199.

The Winner of the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship (Cat. 11) – LUKAS MICHEL (Australia). The 26 year old Michel was the first non-American to win this title. He is of Czechoslovakian descent and has a Masters Degree in Engineering from the University of Melbourne. This exemption has been in place since 1989. SPWAR #230 / WAGR #90.

Up until 2015, when the U.S.G.A. discontinued the Championship, the winner of the U.S. Public Links was also invited. Byron Meth (USA) was the last recipient of such an invite in 2015.

2020 Amateur Tee Times – Rd 1 and Rd 2 (GMT +4hrs)

John Augenstein – 11.16am (1st) / 7.11am (10th)
with Danny Willett and Rickie Fowler

Abel Gallegos – 7.55am (1st) / 12.00pm (10th)
with Charles Schwartzel and Jason Day

Yuxin Lin 7.00am (10th) / 11.05am (1st)
with Sandy Lyle and Jimmy Walker

Lukas Michel – 7.22am (1st) / 11.27am (10th)
with Larry Mize and Andrew Landry

Andy Ogletree – 7.55am (10th) / 12.00pm (1st)
with Tiger Woods and Shane Lowry

James Sugrue – 12.11pm (10th) / 8.06am (1st)
with Jose Maria Olazabel and Andrew Putnam

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Click here to view the – Masters 2020 Tee Times

2019 Masters – Amateur Performances

Viktor Hovland (Norway) won the low amateur Silver Cup competition at The Masters in 2019.

He was just the 7th non-American to win the Silver Cup and only the third European, following in the footsteps of Sergio Garcia (1998) and Matteo Manassero (2009).

He finished tied 32nd overall on 285 (-3), ten strokes behind winner Tiger Woods.

Hovland turned pro and has won on the PGA Tour in 2020. The only other player to win the Silver Cup and follow it up with a PGA Tour win since 2000 is Bryson DeChambeau.

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Viktor Hovland (Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Takumi Kanaya (Japan) posted the best amateur round of the 2019 Masters in Round 3 with a 4-under 68.

For more information on last year’s amateur performances please take a look at – The Masters – 2019 Amateur Results

The Masters – Amateur Playing Records

For more information on amateur performances at The Masters please take a look at – The Masters – Amateur Records.

ME.

Copyright © 2016-20, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

The Masters – 2019 Amateur Results

14th April 2019

Viktor HOVLAND (NOR) completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Low Amateur Silver Cup competition at The Masters.

He finished tied 32nd on 285 (-3), just 10 strokes behind winner Tiger Woods.

In the 83rd playing of the tournament Viktor became just the 7th non-American to win the Silver cup and only the third European, following in the footsteps of Sergio Garcia (1998) and Matteo Manassero (2009).

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Viktor Hovland (Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Hovland, the Oklahoma State University Junior, recorded 1 eagle, 17 birdies and 16 bogeys in his 72 holes.

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Viktor Hovland’s Hole-By-Hole Scorecard (Photo: The Masters)

Álvaro ORTIZ (MEX) ran him close though. He bogeyed his final hole, the 9th, in Round 4 with Hovland watching on from the clubhouse.

Devon BLING (USA) and Takumi KANAYA (JAP) completed their 72 holes on Sunday with a 73 and 78 respectively.

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Amateur Round 4 Scores At The Masters

Due to weather warnings the final round tee times were brought forward. The amateur pairings for Round 4 were (BST times / *10th tee): –

11.30am * – Kyle Stanley, Viktor HOVLAND and Charley Hoffman
11.41am * – Kevin Kisner, Bryson DeChambeau and Takumi KANAYA
12.14pm * – Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Kevin Na and Alvaro ORTIZ
12.25pm * – Patrick Reed, Devon BLING and Keith Mitchell

Click here to view – The 2019 Masters Results

ME.

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13th April 2019

Takumi KANAYA (JAP) posted the best amateur round of the 2019 Masters. His 68 (-4) moved him up to second place in the Low Amateur competition, one back of Victor HOVLAND (NOR) who continued his consistent play at Augusta National with a 71 in Round 3.

Here is the Round 3 Amateur Leaderboard.

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Amateur Round 3 Scores At The Masters

The amateur pairings for Round 3 were (BST times): –

1.25pm – Zach Johnson and Takumi KANAYA
1.45pm – Martin Kaymer and Devon BLING 
3.35pm – Kevin Na and Alvaro ORTIZ
3.45pm – Viktor HOVLAND and Jimmy Walker

ME.

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12th April 2019

A total of 65 players from a starting field of 87 made the cut; four of the six amateurs were amongst this group. Not since 1999 have four progressed and you have to go back to 1978 to find a higher number.

At the end of Round 2 Victor HOVLAND (NOR) remained the Low Amateur with a 36 hole 143 (-1) total. An eagle on the 13th was the highlight of his second round.

Alvaro ORTIZ (MEX) matched the Norwegian World No. 1’s 71 on Day 2 to finish on Even par for the Tournament.

A three-putt bogey on the 16th by Adam Scott pushed the cut back to +3 and let in Devon BLING (USA) and Takumi KANAYA (JAP) on the number.

Mid-Amateur Kevin O’CONNELL (USA) bounced back from a disappointing opening round but his 71, which included an eagle and five birdies, and 148 (+4) total ended up being one shot too many. He finished tied 66th.

Amateur champion Jovan REBULA (RSA) crashed out of The Masters with four double bogeys on his back nine resulting a disappointing 79 in Round 2. He missed the cut by 5-shots, finishing tied 80th.

Here is the Round 2 Amateur Leaderboard.

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Amateur Round 2 Scores At The Masters

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11th April 2019

Victor HOVLAND (NOR) led the Low Amateur competition at the end of Round 1 recording an even par round of 72.

Here is the Round 1 Amateur Leaderboard.

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Amateur Round 1 Scores At The Masters

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9th April 2019

The amateur tee times for Rounds 1 and 2 were (BST times): –

1.52pm / 4.37pm – Mike Weir, Shane Lowery and Kevin O’CONNELL
2.14pm / 4.59pm – Danny Willett, Brandt Snedeker and Takumi KANAYA
3.31pm / 6.16pm – Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson and Viktor HOVLAND
4.37pm / 1.41pm – Trevor Immelman, Martin Kaymer and Devon BLING 
5.10pm / 2.14pm – Bernhard Langer, Matt Wallace and Alvaro ORTIZ
5.43pm / 2.36pm – Vijay Singh, Billy Horschel and Jovan REBULA

ME.

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2019 Amateur Player Biographies

Since 2016 just six Amateurs have been able to qualify for The Masters. In 2019 they were: –

The Winner and Runner-Up of the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship – Viktor HOVLAND, 21 (NOR) and Devon BLING, 19 (USA). Viktor is a Junior at Oklahoma State, the current No. 1 ranked U.S. College team, and will become the first Norwegian to compete in The Masters. Californian Devon is a sophomore at UCLA. His mother, who tragically died in 2012, was born in London and his father in India.    

The Winner of the 2018 Amateur Championship – Jovan REBULA, 21 (South Africa). The nephew of Ernie Els recently beat Hovland in the pre-Masters Georgia Cup match.

The U.S. and Amateur champions also receive non-playing honorary invitations which mean they are invited to attend The Masters every year for the rest of their lives.

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(l-r) Viktor Hovland, Kevin O’Connell, Alvaro Ortiz, Fred Ridley, Devon Bling, Takumi Kanaya and Jovan Rebula – The 2019 Amateurs (Photo: The Masters)

The Winner of the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship (Over 25s) – Kevin O’CONNELL, 30 (USA). This exemption has been in place since 1989. A reinstated amateur O’Connell beat Brett Boner in the Final 4&3 at Charlotte C.C., North Carolina last September.

The Winner of the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (APAC) – Takumi KANAYA, 20 (Japan). The Masters co-founded this event in 2009. Kanaya, from Hiroshima, shot a final round 65 at Sentosa G.C. in Singapore to secure this exemption. He has played in the most professional events of all of the 2019 amateurs (22). He finished 2nd in the 2017 Japan Open and tied 17th in the Australian Open last December (where Hovland was tied 13th).

The Winner of the 2019 Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) – Alvaro ORTIZ, 23 (Mexico). The Masters co-founded this event in 2015. Ortiz graduated from the University of Arkansas last summer and has put on hold plans to turn professional to take up this opportunity. He will become the first Mexican to qualify for The Masters since the late 1970’s.

Up until 2015, when the U.S.G.A. discontinued the Championship, the winner of the U.S. Public Links was also invited. Byron METH (USA) was the last recipient of such an invite in 2015.

For more information on amateurs at The Masters you may like to take a look at – The Masters – Amateur Records.

ME.

Copyright © 2016-19, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

Amateurs In The 2016 Masters

10th April 2016

UPDATE

Bryson DECHAMBEAU lived up to his star billing and won the Silver Cup. Rounds of 72, 72, 77 and 72 saw him finish on +5 and a creditable Tied 22nd.

Bryson DeChambeau Masters 2016

Bryson DeChambeau Receives The Silver Cup (Photo: Jon-Michael Sullivan)

France’s Romain LANGASQUE shot the lowest ever round by a European Amateur in Rd 4 – his 68, followed rounds of 74, 73, and 83. He finished on +10 for Tied 42nd.  As the only other amateur to make the cut he won the Silver Medal.

Derek BARD (76, 77), Sammy SCHMITZ (81, 75), Cheng JIN (79, 78) and Paul CHAPLET (83, 82) all missed the cut.

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3rd April 2016

There will be six amateurs competing at this week’s Masters. The 2016 intake will take the total number of amateurs who have competed in the tournament to 415.

Masters 2016 Journal

The Masters Tournament – 2016 Journal

Listed below are all of the potential eligibility routes to The Masters for amateurs and the 2016 beneficiaries (where applicable): –

Current U.S. Amateur champion (honorary, non-competing after one year*)
Bryson DECHAMBEAU (United States) won the 2015 U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields C.C. last August.

DeChambeau was just the fifth golfer in history to win the Individual title at the NCAA Division I Championship and follow it up with the U.S. Amateur Championship a few months later.

He has made a big noise in golf since becoming U.S. Amateur champion and it will be interesting to see how he goes at the Masters. He plans to turn pro at the RBC Heritage Classic at Hilton Head the week immediately after his Augusta experience.

Current Amateur Rankings – SPWAR 1 / WAGR 3.

Bryson DeChambeau US Amateur 2015

Bryson DeChambeau (Photo: USGA)

Current U.S. Amateur runner-up
Derek BARD (United States) lost the U.S. Amateur final 7&6 to DeChambeau but gained the consolation of an invitation to The Masters.

Bard is a Junior at the University of Virginia. He has won once this season at the U.S. Collegiate in October and more recently has had two Top 5’s in March; at the Palmetto Invite (71-65-71, -3 5th) and the Linger Longer Invitational (68-71-71, -6 4th).

Current Amateur Rankings – SPWAR 13 / WAGR 25.

Derek Bard

Derek Bard (Photo: USGA)

Current British Amateur champion (honorary, non-competing after one year*)
Romain LANGASQUE (France) won the 2015 Amateur Championship at Carnoustie last June.

The 20 year old Amateur champion seems to be going from strength to strength in recent weeks winning the Spanish Amateur, coming second at the Barclays Kenya Open on the European Challenge tour and then earlier this week defeating DeChambeau 4&3 in The Georgia Cup challenge match.

He also plans to turn pro straight after the Masters – few would doubt he is ready.

Current Amateur Rankings – SPWAR 5 / WAGR 7.

Romain Langasque Amateur 2015 Photo 2

Romain Langasque (Photo: Getty Images)

Current Asia-Pacific Amateur champion (since 2014)
Cheng JIN (China) won the 2015 Asia-Pacific at the Clearwater Bay G.&C.C. in Hong Kong last October. A first round 62 (-8) set him up for a famous victory.

Jin was 18 on 6th March but has been making a name for himself for a few years now. He won a PGA Tour China pro tournament in 2014 and has impressed when given invitations to play in both Asia and European Tour events in recent months.

He will become the second Chinese player to compete in The Masters and no one would be surprised to see him making the cut like Tianlang Guan did back in 2013.

Current Amateur Rankings – SPWAR 16 / WAGR19.

Cheng Jin Asia-Pacific 2015

Cheng Jin (Photo: APAC)

Past Asia-Pacific champions invited to the following year’s Master’s include: –
2009 Chang-Won Han (Korea)
2010 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)
2011 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)
2012 Tianlang Guan (China)
2013 Chang-Woo Lee (Korea)
2014 Antonio Murdaca (Australia)

Current Latin America Amateur champion (since 2015)
Paul CHAPLET (Costa Rica) won the 2016 Latin America Amateur in January at the Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominicon Republic.

Despite winning the Costa Rican National Junior Championship in both 2014 and 2015 16 year old Chaplet was something of a surprise winner of the 2016 Latin American Amateur.  The second youngest player in the field he was ranked 834th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the start of play in January.

He will easily be the youngest player at this year’s Masters.

Current Amateur Rankings – SPWAR 380 / WAGR 441.

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Paul Chaplet (Photo: LAAC)

Matias Dominguez (Chile) won the inaugural Latin America Amateur at Pilar G.C. in Argentina, thus gaining entry to the 2015 Masters.

Current U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
Sammy SCHMITZ (United States) won the U.S. Mid-Amateur (over 25’s) at John’s Ireland Club in Florida last October. A hole-in-one on a par 4 normally gets the job done. It certainly did for Schmitz (35) on the final hole of last year’s championship.

Schmitz was a 3-time All-American at St. John’s University before moving to Florida to pursue his pro ambitions. It didnt work out so he regained his amateur status and now works in the healthcare industry back home in River Falls, Minnesota.

Current Amateur Rankings – SPWAR 509 / WAGR 2,535.

Sammy Schmitz 2016 US Mid-Amateur

Sammy Schmitz (Photo: USGA)

The first 12 players, including ties, from the previous year’s Masters
Last year none of the 7 amateurs who competed made the cut so no one has taken advantage of a return trip.

The 2015 amateur scores were: –
Corey CONNERS (Canada)            80 69
Byron METH (United States)           74 76
Anthonio MURDACA (Australia)     78 73
Matias DOMINGUEZ (Chile)           76 76
Scott HARVEY (United States)        76 81
Bradley NEIL (Scotland)                 78 79
Gunn YANG (South Korea)             85 74

The first 4 players, including ties, from the previous year’s other Majors, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the U.S. P.G.A. Championship  

No amateurs were able to take advantage of this exemption criteria last year although at The Open Championship at St. Andrews they were queuing up to try.

The low amateur at the 2015 U.S. Open was Brian Campbell (United States) +5 T27.

The low amateur at the Open Championship was Jordan Niebrugge (United States) -11 T6. Oliver Schniederjans (United States) and Ashley Chesters (England) -9 T12 as well as Paul Dunne (Ireland) -6 T30 were also noteworthy.

No amateurs compete in the U.S. P.G.A. Championship.

Prior to this year the Current U.S. Public Links champion also earned a berth. The U.S.G.A. decided to discontinue the Championship in 2015 and as a result Byron Meth was the last player to gain an exemption via this route.

* Honorary, non-competing after one year invitations are awarded to the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur champions. In other words they are invited to play in the tournament the following year after their Amateur victory (so long as they remain amateurs) but then are also invited annually to attend the tournament as guests of the Club.

ME.

Copyright © 2016, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.