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Who are the amateurs in 2026 Masters field? Mason Howell, Ethan Fang lead group of in Augusta

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Who are the amateurs in 2026 Masters field? Mason Howell, Ethan Fang lead group of in Augusta originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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One of the more exciting parts of the Masters every year is the battle of the amateurs, as the best of the bunch gets a seat in Butler Cabin at the end of the tournament.

There are a handful of ways that an amateur can earn a spot in the Masters field, which include winning an amateur championship within the past year. For the 2026 Masters, the field includes six interesting amateurs who have a chance to make a name for themselves throughout the weekend.

Half of the amateurs in the field are currently in college, but there are a few who are not competing in the 2025-26 NCAA golf season. That includes one high-school golfer who will be attending college this fall, and another amateur who is almost two decades removed from his college experience.

Get to know the six amateurs participating in the 90th Masters this weekend.

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Who are the amateurs in 2026 Masters field?

Ethan Fang

A junior on the Oklahoma State golf team, Ethan Fang won the Amateur Championship at Royal St George's in England, the second American ever to win the tournament, which secured his spot in the Masters field. As a result, this year's Masters will be Fang's second career major, as he missed the cut at The British Open last July.

Fang was named a first-team PING All-American for his performance during the 2024-25 college golf season, and he was part of Oklahoma State's national championship team last year. Additionally, he was a member of Team USA's Walker Cup winning team in 2025, going 1-2-1 over the course of the tournament.

Jackson Herrington

Jackson Herrington is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, but earned a spot at the Masters by finishing as the runner-up in the U.S. Amateur championship in 2025. The 19-year-old lefty has never played in a major, so this Masters appearance offers him a huge opportunity.

Herrington's collegiate career includes 19 tournaments over the past two seasons, with three top-10 finishes and seven finishes in the top 25.

MORE: Who has the most green jackets in Masters history?

Brandon Holtz

Brandon Holtz is the most interesting amateur playing in the Masters this year. A 39-year-old real estate broker, Holtz won the U.S. Mid-Amateur championship last September to get in this tournament and the U.S. Open, making him the oldest amateur in this year's field.

Holtz played basketball at Illinois State from 2005-09, and after a brief try as a professional, regained amateur status in 2024.

"I kept my pro card for a while just because I liked to play for cash, and it got to the point where I just wasn't playing any events anymore, so decided to get my amateur status back last year," Holtz said after winning the Mid-Am. "I didn't see this day. I'm glad it's here, though."

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Mason Howell

Mason Howell beat Jackson Herrington in the U.S. Amateur Championship, becoming the third-youngest winner of the event and giving him chance to compete at the Masters at just 18 years-old. Howell isn't even in college yet, as he is set to attend the University of Georgia in the fall.

Howell was also a member of Team USA's 2025 Walker Cup team, going 2-0-1 in three matches during the tournament. Additionally, this will not be Howell's first major, as he missed the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont.

MORE: Complete history behind the Masters green jacket

Fifa Laopakdee

Fifa Laopakdee is a 21-year-old golfer from Thailand who clinched a Masters spot and a British Open spot by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur in October. Laopakdee will make history by becoming the first amateur golfer from Thailand to compete in the Masters.

Laopakdee is currently a junior at Arizona State and helped lead the Sun Devils to the No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA tournament.

Mateo Pulcini

A 25-year-old from Argentina, Mateo Pulcini became the third Argentinian to win the Latin America Amateur Championship, which earned him an invite to the Masters. That also means that Pulcini has secured spots in three of the four majors this season, as he will tee it up at the U.S. Open and British Open as well.

Pulcini previously played four seasons of collegiate golf at Oklahoma Christian University, where he won the NCAA Division II championship three times. Pulcini also spent a season as a graduate student at Arkansas in 2023-24, where he played in five events for the Razorbacks.

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