No amateur has ever won the green jacket at Augusta National Golf Club. Few have even come close, but it’s been decades since that’s ever been a real possibility.
Despite that, the Silver Cup is still on the line this week for a group of amateurs in the field at the Masters — which would still be a life changing feat and could help kick start their PGA Tour career. They still have to make the cut, however, which is no easy task.
Advertisement
An amateur has come legitimately close to winning the Masters three times in history, though it’s been more than 60 years since the last time this has been in question. Three amateurs have finished second at the major championship, most recently when Charles Coe did so in 1961. Ken Venturi came the closest in 1956, and he actually held a four-shot lead over the field at the 54-hole mark. He shot an 80 in the final round and ended up losing by one.
Both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won the Silver Cup before launching into their respective careers. More recently, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland are the big names who were once the low amateur at the Masters. The best finish in the last decade came from Sam Bennett, who went T16 in 2023. Neal Shipley was the low amateur last April. Both Bennett and Shipley are now trying to earn their full cards on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Here’s a look at the five amateurs in the field at the Masters this April. Whether they opt to actually stay in the Crow’s Nest in the attic of the clubhouse on-site, though, remains to be seen.
Hiroshi Tai
From: Singapore | Georgia Tech
Qualification: NCAA Champion
Advertisement
Hiroshi Tai is the first player to represent Singapore at the Masters, thanks to his one-shot win at the NCAA championship last year. The Georgia Tech golfer edged out six other players to win the title. He made his major debut at the U.S. Open last summer, too, though he missed the cut at Pinehurst.
Jose Luis Ballester
From: Spain | Arizona State
Qualification: U.S. Amateur champion
Jose Luis Ballester held on late to win the U.S. Amateur last fall to earn his spot in the Masters, which made him the first Spaniard to win the event. That came a year after his win at the European Amateur, too. The Arizona State senior has been great at the college level this year, too, and already has three top-five finishes. He finished T17 at the Mexico Open earlier this season, too, and is the highest-ranked amateur in the field (No. 6).
Noah Kent
From: Naples, Florida | Iowa, Florida
Qualification: U.S. Amateur runner-up
Advertisement
Noah Kent came close to knocking off Ballester, who was a heavy favorite at the U.S. Amateur, last fall. While he came just short, the former Iowa golfer still earned entry into the field this week with his runner-up finish. He’s since transferred to Florida.
Justin Hastings, an amateur in the field this week at the Masters, finished T13 at the Mexico Open earlier this season. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
(Hector Vivas via Getty Images)
Justin Hastings
From: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands | San Diego State
Qualification: Latin America Amateur champion
Hastings won the Latin American Amateur earlier this year to earn his spot after nearly matching Xander Schauffele’s scoring record at San Diego State. He’s made two starts on the PGA Tour this season, too, including a T13 finish at the Mexico Open in February.
Evan Beck
From: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Qualification: U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
Advertisement
Evan Beck, after falling short in the championship match last year, finally pulled through to grab a dominant win at the mid-amateur championship last fall. The 34-year-old will now get to make his Masters debut.
Why no Luke Clanton?
Despite being the top-ranked amateur golf in the world — and 96th-ranked golf overall in the world — the 21-year-old Clanton did not satisfy and of the myriad qualifications to gain an invitation to the Masters. Augusta National does reserve the right to provide a special invitation, but opted not to extend one to Clanton, who is expected to turn pro in May after the NCAA championships where he will compete for Florida State.
