This year's tournament will feature only three amateurs vying for the Silver Cup, after three key amateur events were cancelled due to Covid.
The Masters Amateurs In The Field – Augusta National 2021
The Masters returns to its traditional April date for 2021.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the event had to be rescheduled to November, with Dustin Johnson claiming his second Major championship.
This year, the Masters will be short on amateurs, with only three of them bidding to lift the famed Silver Cup.
The reason is once again because of Covid and its effects on the 2020 amateur tournament schedule.
The competition will still be extremely prestigious and competitive, though, with the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau winning the event previously.
This year’s amateurs are Joe Long, Charles Osborne and Tyler Strafaci. Get to know them here.
The Masters Amateurs In The Field –
Joe Long
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 46
How he qualified: Amateur Champion 2020
(Photo by Richard Heathcote/R&A via Getty Images)
The 2020 Amateur champion features in his first ever Major, as he defeated fellow countryman and friend Joe Harvey, 4&3, in the 36-hole final at Royal Birkdale after cruising through his early-week matches.
The victory also secured Long an exemption into the 149th Open Championship at Royal St George’s, as well as an exemption into the US Open.
The Englishman has played a lot of amateur golf worldwide and produced top-10’s in the South American Amateur, as well as the African and South African Amateur Stroke Play championships.
Long has also featured in a couple of European and Sunshine Tour events, including the Joburg Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship; missing the cut in both.
The 23-year-old hails from Lansdown, Bath and has recently been selected for Great Britain & Ireland’s 2021 Walker Cup team.
Related: The History Of The Masters Green Jacket
Charles ‘Ollie’ Osborne
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 247
How he qualified: US Amateur Championship Runner-Up 2020
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Osborne lost on the 36th hole to Tyler Strafaci at the 2020 US Amateur at Bandon Dunes.
The American is a junior at SMU (Southern Methodist University) and will play his first Masters Tournament in 2021.
The 21-year-old is from Reno, Nevada and has two college titles. In 2019, Osborne qualified for his first PGA Tour event, the Barracuda Championship, which was played at his home course in Reno.
Going by the name ‘Ollie’, Osborne advanced to the final of the US Amateur as the 463rd ranked amateur in the world. He started the week with a 77 in the stroke-play qualifier, but came back the next day with a 64. Following his round of 77, Osborne apparently ate a brownie with ice cream and, after the turnaround, continued to order the dessert all week.
Related: Who Owns Augusta National Golf Club?
Tyler Strafaci
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 11
How he qualified: US Amateur Championship Winner 2020
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
The 22-year-old defeated Charles Osborne 1-up on the 36th hole to claim the 2020 US Amateur Championship.
Born in southeast Florida, Strafaci enjoyed his best year to date in 2020, winning the North South Amateur and Palmetto Amateur before claiming the US Amateur.
The American has featured in a number of PGA Tour events, including this year’s Farmers Insurance Open and The Genesis Invitational.
Strafaci has featured at a Major Championship before. At the 2018 US Open he shot rounds of 78-72 (+10) to miss the cut by two strokes.
Featuring at his first Masters Tournament, the American has already secured a spot on the USA’s Walker Cup team that will compete at Seminole Golf Club in May.
Related: The 10 Best Masters Amateur Performances
Strafaci will be the favourite to claim the Silver Cup at The Masters this year.
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