AUGUSTA, Ga. — Oliver Goss of Australia was the lone amateur to make the cut at last year's Masters. It wasn't the most exciting finish in recent years, as Goss -- after firing a nice 71 to make the cut on the number -- posted rounds of 75-76 on the weekend that left him holding the silver cup for low amateur, but placed him well down the leaderboard.

But a year earlier, the golfing world was amazed by Guan Tianlang's record-breaking performance as he became, at age 14, the youngest golfer in history to play the weekend. The best finish by an amateur ever? Second place. And it's been done three times (Frank Stranahan, Ken Venturi, Charlie Coe), but not since 1961, when Coe set the record for lowest 72-hole score by an amateur at seven- under 281.

Who will shine this April at Augusta National? Seven amateurs are in the field for the tournament's 79th edition. Here are their profiles, and the road that got them invited to Augusta National for the season's first major. We'll start with players who have finished their opening round on Thursday.

Byron Meth, San Diego, Calif. @ByronMethGolf
Reason for Invitation: 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rank: 37
Thursday Score: 74

Meth is a senior at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. and will forever be remembered as the final player to ever win the U.S. Amateur Public Links championship. The event, as most know by now, has been replaced by the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball beginning next month at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The San Diego native defeated Texas freshman Doug Ghim on the first playoff hole at Sand Creek Station to capture his first USGA title. Meth, having been consumed by college events with his Tigers this spring, has just one non-collegiate tournament under his belt thus far — a T35 at the Jones Cup.

Scott Harvey, Greensboro, N.C. @ScottHarvey78
Reason for Invitation: 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rank: 4
Thursday Score: 76

The 36-year-old Harvey has two amateur victories already in 2015, winning the South American Amateur in Lima, Peru in January, as well as the rain-shortened Gasparilla Invitational the next month. At Saucon Valley in September, Harvey earned co-medalist honors at the U.S. Mid-Amateur alongside eventual final-match competitor Brad Nurski, who he defeated 6-and-5.

Matias Dominguez, Chile @Afidominguez
Reason for Invitation: 2015 Latin America Amateur champion
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rank: 96
Thursday Score: 76

The Texas Tech senior prepped for Augusta with an impressive showing at the Web.com Tour's Chile Classic, where he made the cut and finished T30. His Masters exemption was possible because of the newly formed Latin America Amateur Championship, which kicked off its inaugural event in January at Pilar Golf Club in Argentina. Run by the R&A and USGA, the event's winner was granted an invite to Augusta National, bringing the amateur total to seven.

Antonio Murdaca, Australia @AntonioMurdaca1
Reason for Invitation: 2014 Asia-Pacific Amateur champion
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rank: 24
Thursday Score: 78

Murdaca punched his ticket to The Masters with a seven-stroke win at Royal Melbourne last October. He picked up another seven-shot win earlier this year at the South Australia Amateur Classic, and has enjoyed a half dozen professional exemptions in preparation for this week's major, though Murdaca didn't reach the weekend at any of the events. The 19-year-old became the youngest Australian Boys champion in 2010 when he captured the title at just 14.

Bradley Neil, Scotland @BradleyNeil1
Reason for Invitation: 2014 British Amateur champion
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rank: 6
Thursday Score: 78

Like Yang, Neil's amateur activity has been quiet in the 2015 calendar year, having played just one event since Jan. 1. The 19-year-old struggled to a T50 finish at the Jones Cup, and has played in two professional events, both in South Africa. Neil's 2-and-1 victory over Zander Lombard at Royal Portrush granted him a Masters invite and he'll be one of just three Scotsmen in the field, along with Stephen Gallacher and former Masters winner Sandy Lyle.

Corey Conners, Canada @coreconn
Reason for Invitation: 2014 U.S. Amateur runner-up
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rank: 2
Thursday Score: 80

Conners sat atop the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings for a large portion of 2014 and into 2015 thanks to a flurry of impressive performances to go alongside his U.S. Amateur runner-up finish at Atlanta Athletic Club. In 2014, the Ontario, Canada native won the Jones Cup, was medalist at the Argentine Amateur, and finished second at the Ontario Amateur and North & South Amateur. Then he kicked off the new year with a win down under at the Lake Macquire Amateur. Having graduated from Kent State University last spring, Conners will surely turn professional following his Masters appearance.

Gunn Yang, Korea @Gunn_Yang
Reason for Invitation: 2014 U.S. Amateur champion
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rank: 40
Thursday Score: 85

Yang, who would have been a redshirt sophomore at San Diego State this year, has played in just one amateur tournament in 2015 — the New Year's Invitational — where he tied for third just three shots back of winner Sam Horsfield. Yang's choice to take a lease from SDSU this season stemmed from his many exemptions into professional tournaments, aside from just The Masters. Yang played in both the Farmers Insurance Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational, missing the cut both occasions.

CONTEST SELECTIONS

Scott Harvey: 40%
Corey Conners: 25.7%
Gunn Yang: 8.6%
Matias Dominguez: 8.6%
Bradley Neil: 8.6%
Byron Meth: 5.7%
Antonio Murdaca: 2.6%


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