First Masters Appearance For 18 Golfers In 2025 Tournament
An unprecedented 18 golfers will make their Masters debut at Augusta National in 2025. Here's a complete breakdown of the first-timers and how they qualified:
Amateur Qualifiers:
- Jose Luis Ballester (US Amateur Champion)
- Noah Kent (US Amateur Runner-up)
- Evan Beck (US Mid-Amateur Champion)
- Justin Hastings (Latin America Amateur Champion)
- Hiroshi Tai (NCAA Division I Champion)
PGA Tour Winners:
- Taylor Pendrith (CJ Cup Byron Nelson)
- Davis Riley (Charles Schwab Challenge)
- Davis Thompson (John Deere Classic)
- Aaron Rai (Wyndham Championship)
- Kevin Yu (Sanderson Farms Championship)
- Matt McCarty (Black Desert Championship)
- Nico Echavarria (Zozo Championship)
- Rafael Campos (Butterfield Bermuda Championship)
- Maverick McNealy (RSM Classic)
Major Championship Performance:
- Thomas Detry (T4 at 2024 PGA Championship)
- Thriston Lawrence (4th at The Open)
World Rankings:
- Max Greyserman (Finished 2024 at #34)
- Rasmus Hojgaard (Finished 2024 at #37)
Three golfers swinging on course
Several players qualified through multiple routes, including Taylor Pendrith who secured his spot by winning on the PGA Tour, reaching the Tour Championship, and finishing in the world's top 50.
Man holding gold trophy smiling
Tiger Woods in red shirt
Golfer mid-swing on course
Golfer celebrates trophy win
Golfer mid-swing on golf course
Golfer walking on green course
Notable achievements include Jose Luis Ballester becoming the first Spaniard to win the US Amateur, and Hiroshi Tai being one of the first beneficiaries of the newly introduced NCAA exemption category.