Masters 2026: Who are the 6 amateurs in the field this week at Augusta National?

It’s been decades since an amateur has even come close to winning the green jacket at Augusta National Golf Club. No amateur has ever pulled that feat off.

But the Silver Cup is up for grabs this week for the six amateurs competing at the Masters, something that can absolutely kickstart a PGA Tour career.

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The Silver Cup is awarded at the Masters to the amateur who finishes lowest among that group, so long as they make the cut into the weekend. Several major names throughout golf history have won that award, including Jack Nicklas and Tiger Woods. Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland pulled that off more recently, too.

While a win this week is almost certainly out of the question, getting to Butler Cabin on Sunday alongside the winner is the goal. Here’s a look at the six amateurs vying for the iconic trophy this week in Augusta.

Brandon Holtz

From: Bloomington, Illinois 
Qualification: U.S. Mid-Amateur champion

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Brandon Holtz might have the coolest story, or at least the most unusual one, leading up to the Masters. Holtz won the U.S. Mid-Amateur last year, which is the amateur tournament for golfers older than 25. He’s a Remax real estate broker out of Bloomington, Illinois, who played basketball at Illinois State. Now at 39 years old, Holtz will be one of the oldest amateurs to ever play in the Masters.

Mateo Pulcini

From: Argentina | Arkansas
Qualification: Latin American Amateur champion

At 25, Mateo Pulcini became the oldest winner of the Latin American Amateur in the events history after he took the tournament in a playoff in January, which secured his spot in the field this week. The former Arkansas golfer is a very good putter, which is what lifted him to the win dow the stretch in Peru earlier this year.

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Jackson Herrington

From: Tennessee
Qualification: U.S. Amateur runner-up

Jackson Herrington, or “The Fridge” already has a pair of top 10 finishes this season with the Volunteers. He finished in second at the U.S. Amateur, and played a pair of practice rounds with Bryson DeChambeau. The 19-year-old is perhaps the most confident of the amateurs in the field this week, too.

“My goal is to win the tournament … I know I can do it,” he said, via The Augusta Chronicle. “It’s all about confidence and having the right prep.”

Mason Howell

From: Thomasville, Georgia
Qualification: U.S. Amateur champion

Mason Howell won the U.S. Amateur last year as a high school junior, and will now get to make his Masters debut at 18 while playing alongside Rory McIlroy for the first two days. He played in the Texas Children’s Houston Open two weeks ago, too, and posted a 66 in the second round, but ended up missing the cut. This will be his second major start after he played in the U.S. Open last summer.

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Fifa Laopakdee

From: Thailand | Arizona State
Qualification: Asia-Pacific Amateur champion

Fifa Laopakdee is the first amateur from Thailand to ever compete in the Masters after his win at the Asia-Pacific Amateur. He’s got a pair of top-10 finishes and a win with the Sun Devils already this season, and he won gold at the Southeast Asian Games by 11 strokes last year.

Ethan Fang

From: Oklahoma State
Qualification: British Amateur champion

Fang has dominated at Oklahoma State so far in his career. He earned first-team All-American honors last season and helped lead the Cowboys to a national championship last season. He also became just the second American to ever win the British Amateur since 1979, which earned him a spot in the British Open last summer, too.