Earning an invite into the Masters is a dream come true for any amateur golfer who is looking to follow in the footsteps of the greatest amateur ever to play the game – Bobby Jones.
The American was the most successful amateur golfer to compete at national and international level, and was the co-founder of the Masters Tournament along with helping design Augusta National Golf Club.
Because of this, amateurs are held in the highest regard when invited to the first Major of the season, with each invitee allowed to stay in the clubhouse for week, welcomed to the opening dinner and paired with past champions during the first two rounds.
Here, we take a look at the amateurs vying for the prestigious low amateur title at this year’s edition.
Keita Nakajima
Golf fans in the UAE will be pretty familiar with Keita Nakajima after the Japanese sensation won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) in a thrilling play-off at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club last year.
Nakajima, who is the world’s leading amateur, shot a final round three under par 68 to force extra holes with Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho before triumphing on the second trip back up the 18th with a birdie Kho had found the water.
With the win, the 21-year-old secured his spot in the Masters as well as a dream practice round at Augusta National with the reigning Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama.
“I am very proud of what I have achieved,” said Nakajima, who became the third Japanese winner of the event after Matsuyama and Takumi Kanaya. “To follow in the footsteps of Hideki-san and Takumi feels great. I am very thankful to the tournament for giving us such great opportunities.”
The Masters will be the first of three Majors the youngster will compete in this season with his AAC win also securing a spot in The 150th Open Championship, while he will also feature at the U.S. Open as part of winning the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the men’s World No. 1 in 2021 World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Aaron Jarvis
With just 27 holes of golf in the Cayman Islands and an estimated 71,000 residents, it’s hard to believe that one of them will be teeing it up at Augusta National next month.
But believe it or not, Aaron Jarvis will become the first Cayman golfer to compete in the Masters after triumphing at the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) earlier this year.
The 19-year-old amateur became the first Caribbean champion of the event’s history after posting a final round three-under-par 69 to finish on seven under par for the championship and secure a one-stroke victory over a chasing pack of Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira and Vicente Marzilio of Argentina, Brazil’s Fred Biondi and Santiago De la Fuente of Mexico.
“Honestly, I can’t even get the words out,” said Jarvis after his historic win against players from more established and much larger golfing nations.
“I just tried to get myself to have some good birdie looks and they went in. I was in a comfortable position because there wasn’t much pressure. I knew all the cameras were going to be with the other groups.”
As well as securing a place in the Masters, Jarvis will also compete at The 150th Open at St Andrews, The 127th Amateur Championship, the U.S. Amateur Championship and the final stages of qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Open.
Austin Greaser and James Piot
The American duo of Austin Greaser and James Piot secured sealed their tickets to Augusta National after reaching the final of the U.S. Amateur – the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers.
Piot came out on top in the final day showdown between the pair after he rallied from a three-hole deficit with the help of three birdies over the final eight holes to capture the 121st edition at Oakmont Country Club with a 2-and-1 victory over Greaser.
“When I got down, I knew that my driver had been a bit shaky,” said Piot, who became the first golfer from Michigan to win the event. “I just tried to stay confident in myself. I wanted to play the back nine in 4 under and I ended up playing it in 3 under.”
Both men also received an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Open while Piot also secured a spot in The 150th Open Championship with the triumph.
Stewart Hagestad
Stewart Hagestad will be heading back to the Masters for the second time after securing the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship for the second time last year.
The 30-year-old, from California, added to his 2016 triumph at Stonewall after holding off Mark Costanza 2 and 1 at windy Sankaty Head for a return to Augusta National, where he became the first Mid-Amateur to make the cut at the first Major of the season and was low amateur having finished in a tie for 36th.
“Costanza gave me nothing the whole day,” said Hagestad, a second-year MBA student at the University of Southern California. “I thought that at some point I would maybe get a break or he would give me a hole. I knew that he would come out swinging. He’s a really good player. I tried to go out and basically make him beat me, and he damn near did that.”
The victory also earned Hagestad an exemption into this year’s U.S. Open at the Country Club.
Laird Shepherd
Englishman Laird Shepherd produced one of the greatest ever comebacks to win The 126th Amateur Championship as well as securing a spot in the Masters.
In an all-English, 36-hole final over the renowned Moray links, 23-year-old Shepherd looked down and out in his game with Monty Scowsill, who was eight up and in complete control after 17 holes of the morning round.
Even though Shepherd won the final hole of the morning session and continued to claw it back in the afternoon, his opponent was still four up with four holes left to play.
Yet Shepherd won the final four holes and then held his nerve to claim victory with a par on the second extra hole – an outcome that reduced him to tears.
“It’s an amazing, amazing feeling,” said Shepherd after his triumph. “To come back from eight down through 17 holes, I mean I was honestly more concerned about not making an embarrassing record-breaking defeat.
“The tears are probably for the tough times I’ve had over the last few years. It’s never nice as an athlete when you feel like you are going backwards, like I was.”
As well sealing a ticket to the Masters, Shepherd secured a spot in The 149th Open Championship last year as well as this year’s U.S. Open.
