AUGUSTA, GA (April 2, 2018) - Six amateurs are set to take on the world's best, as the Masters begins this Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.
Each of these players has qualified through performance in some of the biggest tournaments in amateur golf over the past year.
Related: Tee Times for the Six Masters Amateurs
Here is a look the six amateurs and how they made it to Augusta National:
Doc Redman, Raleigh, NC (U.S. Amateur champion)
Redman went eagle-birdie-birdie on the last three holes to take the 117th U.S. Amateur Championship from Doug Ghim in a thrilling 37-hole final match at Riviera Country Club. Two down with two holes to go in the match, and with Ghim in close for birdie on the 17th green, Redman made a bomb for eagle from the back of the green to continue the match. He followed it up with a 167-yard approach to seven feet on the 36th hole and a birdie to take the match to extra holes. Then, after a perfect drive and pitch on the 37th hole (the famed driveable par-four 10th), his birdie and the match was conceded after Ghim had tree and bunker trouble.
Doug Ghim, Arlington Heights, IL (U.S. Amateur runner-up)
In a performance that would have won the U.S. Amateur in just about any other year, Ghim shot the stroke play equivalent of a 67 in the morning round at Riviera and found himself one down to Redman. After being down for 16 straight holes, Ghim finally squared the match on the par-five 29th hole and then forged a 2-up lead with two holes to go. Ghim must have thought he hit the winning shot at the par-five 17th, ripping a fairway wood right at the stick from 283 yards. But the ball bounced long, and when Redman rolled in his long eagle putt, the comeback was on and Ghim's consolation was his Masters invitation as runner-up.
Harry Ellis, England (British Amateur champion)
Ellis was four down to Australia's Dylan Perry with five holes to play, but battled back to win the 122nd Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s Golf Club. With only five holes to play Ellis’ second shot came within inches of going out of bounds. Perry, however, found trouble in a bunker and Ellis seized his opportunity to hole a putt for par and win the hole. That gave Ellis a lift and, after halving the next, he kept his nerve steady to win the next two holes with pars. On the 36th green, Perry missed a ten foot par putt to claim victory and the match went to extra holes. At the 38th hole, Ellis was through the green in two, chipped to four feet and holed his putt to seal a memorable comeback victory.
Joaquin Niemann, Chile (Latin America Amateur champion)
Last year, Joaquin Niemann was on site to watch his friend and countryman Toto Gana, to whom he had lost in a playoff at the Latin America Amateur, play in the Masters. Niemann decided to delay turning pro until after this year's Latin America Amateur, played in his home country of Chile. Playing in front of a raucous home crowd, Niemann fired a final-round 8-under 63 for a dramatic comeback win. Just 1 under through seven holes, Niemann got the break he needed on the 313-yard par-4 eighth hole. His attempt to drive the green sailed right, hit a tree, an ran through the bunker to within eight feet of the hole. After rolling in the eagle putt, he followed with five birdies in his next six holes to pull away from the field.
Yuxin Lin, China (Asia-Pacific Amateur champion)
The 17-year-old Lin won the ninth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand. In front of large crowds, the left-hander birdied the 17th hole and eagled 18 to card a six-under-par 65 and finish 14-under, three ahead of compatriot Andy Zhang. Tied with two holes to play, the long-hitting Lin drove the green at the 361-yard, par-four 17th to set up a tap-in birdie. On the par-five 18th, he smashed his drive down the middle of the fairway then watched as his stunning five-iron from 216 yards landed just six feet from the flag, holing the putt for an eagle three and punching the air in victory.
Matt Parziale, Brockton, MA (U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Parziale won the 37th U.S. Mid-Amateur at the Capital City Club in Atlanta, playing exceptional golf in the morning round, and then playing steadily in the afternoon and never letting Josh Nichols back in the match. How good was Parziale in the morning round? He took the equivalent of 63 shots (with concessions), making eight birdies against a single bogey, to take a 6 up lead. From there, it was a matter of playing steady golf for Parziale, letting the holes run out and forcing Nichols to come up with something special to catch him. In the end, he was able to do just that. His birdie on the par-five 12th closed out the match, 8&6.
ABOUT THE
The Masters
One of Golf's four professional majors
traditionally invites amateurs who have reached
the
finals of the US Amateur, or won the British
Amateur
or
the US Mid Amateur. Also included are
the winners of the relatively new Asia Pacific
Amateur
and Latin American Amateur.
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