The history of amateur golf at Augusta National began with co-Founder Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur in the sport’s history. Honouring amateur golf has always been seen as a foundational pillar in the Masters Tournament. Bobby Jones gave his fellow amateurs a stage on which they can showcase their talents and live out their dreams.
After the amateurs make their way down Magnolia Lane for the first time, captivated, no doubt, in childlike wonder, there is an opportunity to stay on-site in the ‘Crow’s Nest’, which is located atop the Augusta National clubhouse. Not all amateurs have taken this offer up in the past, but it remains a popular option. It’s a dormitory setup that would make for a top tier Airbnb listing. The Club also puts on a dinner on the Monday night in honour of the participating amateurs in the ‘Founders Room’, which overlooks Butler Cabin and a peak at more iconic Masters history as they take dinner with the members who help organise the major championship.
The Silver Cup has been awarded since 1952 as the trophy going to the Low-Amateur (who must have made the cut). The prize however has existed since the first playing in 1934, but it was in the form of a firm handshake and the words “congratulations we are most proud of you and what you have achieved”.
Perhaps we should take a collective deep breath as I rattle off some of the previous winners of the Silver Cup… the names engraved on the trophy include…Nicklaus, Crenshaw, Mickelson, Woods, Kuchar, Garcia, Matsuyama, Cantlay, DeChambeau, Hovland and most recently Neal Shipley. The closest an amateur has come to winning the event outright was in 1956 when Ken Venturi finished solo second behind Jack Burke Jr, missing out on a play-off by single stroke.
I’d like to note there would have been seven amateurs participating this year had Michael Lasasso the 2025 NCAA DI Champion had not decided to turn pro to chase the ‘LIV money’ instead.
Let us look below at the competing six amateurs in the 2026 Masters field: