Meet the 6 amateurs making their Masters debut

Every year, a handful of the world’s best amateur golfers earn the rare invite to the Masters, stepping onto golf’s hallowed grounds to compete alongside the game’s top professionals. Each bringing their own unique story — full of grit and hope — to Augusta National.

Here’s a closer look at the six amateurs who have earned their spot at this year’s Masters. 

Ethan Fang makes his Masters debut this week. Last June, he edged Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan one-up in the final to claim the Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s in England, joining legends like Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal and Sergio García as a champion of the prestigious amateur event. Fang, a First Team All-American at Oklahoma State University, led his team to the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship and finished runner-up in the Western Amateur. His impressive resume also includes competing in The Open at Royal Portrush and representing the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup, Walker Cup and Eisenhower Trophy.

Jackson Herrington will also tee it up at Augusta for his first Masters — and major — appearance. Last August, the University of Tennessee sophomore came up just short against Mason Howell in the U.S. Amateur final at Olympic Club, finishing runner-up. This week, he could follow in the footsteps of legends like Ben Crenshaw, Patrick Cantlay, Doug Ghim and Neal Shipley — past U.S. Am runners-up who went on to earn Low Amateur honors the following year at the Masters. Herrington, who earned Tennessee Men’s and Junior Player of the Year honors in 2024, also finished runner-up with Blades Brown in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship and advanced to match play in both the U.S. Amateur and Western Amateur.

Brandon Holtz makes his first Masters and major championship start after a remarkable rise through the Mid-Amateur ranks. Last September, in his first USGA championship, he defeated Jeg Coughlin III 3&2 to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Troon Country Club in Arizona. That victory earned him the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy and spots in both the 2026 Masters and U.S. Open. He joins past Mid-Amateur champions, including Jay Sigel and Stewart Hagestad, who later claimed Low Amateur honors at the Masters. Holtz’s path to golf’s first major has been an unconventional one. After playing college basketball at Illinois State University, he pursued professional golf before regaining his amateur status.

Mason Howell will make his Masters debut this week as one of the game’s rising stars. Last August, he won the U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club, defeating Jackson Herrington 7&6 in the final round. With his victory, Howell became the third-youngest champion in the event’s history. He joins a long list of past winners like Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. The University of Georgia commit and 2026 United States National Junior Team member also competed in the U.S. Open and represented the United States in both the Walker Cup and Eisenhower Trophy in 2025. In 2024, he earned junior All-America honors after finishing fifth in both the Western Junior and Junior Players Championship and advanced to the round of 64 in the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Fifa Laopakdee makes history this week as Thailand’s first amateur to compete in the Masters. Last October, he had a dramatic comeback at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Dubai, starting the final round six strokes behind. Birdies on holes 17, 18 and all three playoff holes propelled Laopakdee to victory, earning him spots in both the 2026 Masters and the Open Championship. The Arizona State University junior also won the individual gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games by 11 strokes. He has also represented Thailand on a global stage in both the Eisenhower Trophy and the Junior Presidents Cup. 

Mateo Pulcini makes his first Masters and major championship start after a breakthrough win at the Latin America Amateur in Peru this past January. He closed his final round with a 68 and parred the second playoff hole to secure spots in this year’s Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship. In 2025, Pulcini won World Amateur Golf Ranking events in Argentina and Brazil, finished fifth in the Mexican Amateur and represented Argentina in the Eisenhower Trophy in Singapore. He also earned three NCAA Division II All-American honors at Oklahoma Christian University and played his final collegiate season at the University of Arkansas.