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.

John Rahm and Sam Bennett (Photo: Reuters)

Here are the final results:-

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.

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.

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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.   

Round 2 Amateur Leaderboard (Graphic: The Masters)

Here are the individual scorecards of the amateur competitors: –

Sam BENNETT (USA) – 136 (-8), 3rd

Sam Bennett Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

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

Ben Carr Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

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

 Aldrich Potgieter Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

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

Matt McClean Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

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

Mateo Fernandez De Oliveira Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

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

Harrison Crowe Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

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

Gordon Sargent Scorecard (Graphic: The Masters)

ME.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.