What does the '(a)' mean on Masters golf leaderboards? Explaining how amateurs made 2026 field

Almost all of the names in the 2026 Masters Tournament are incredibly well known.

They've won major championships, or recent tournaments, or consistently rank near the top of leaderboards. And then there are the guys with '(a)' next to their name.

Those are players you've likely never heard of.

Sometimes, they'll rise to prominence in the years to come. Other times, they're hardly ever heard from again.

But for one week at Augusta National Golf Club, these talented golfers get to compete among the best in the world.

What does the (a) mean on Masters golf leaderboards?

That little 'a' stands for amateur.

It means that the competitor is not a professional but rather qualified for the Masters through one of a variety of amateur competitions that send a golfer to Augusta.

How many amateurs are at 2026 Masters?

There are six amateur competitors at the 2026 Masters Tournament.

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How do amateurs qualify for Masters?

There are a variety of methods, with the six amateurs this year making it by these ways:

• Ethan Fang: British Amateur champion
• Jackson Herrington: U.S. Amateur runner-up
• Brandon Holtz: U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
• Mason Howell: U.S. Amateur champion
• Fifa Laopakdee: Asia-Pacific Amateur champion
• Mateo Pulcini: Latin America Amateur champion

A seventh, NCAA champion Michael La Sasso from Ole Miss, could've played but instead turned pro to join LIV Golf.

History of low amateur score at Masters

Each year, the low amateur score is recognized at the Masters.

This is who has earned that honor through the years (any year listed with 'none' means that no amateur made the cut):

• 2025 — none
• 2024 — Neal Shipley, 300, tied 53rd
• 2023 — Sam Bennett, 286, tied 16th
• 2022 — none
• 2021 — none
• 2020 — Andy Ogletree, 286, tied 34th
• 2019 — Viktor Hovland, 285, tied 32nd
• 2018 — Doug Ghim, 296, tied 50th
• 2017 — Stewart Hagestad, 294, tied 36th
• 2016 — Bryson DeChambeau, 293, tied 21st
• 2015 — none
• 2014 — Oliver Goss, 298, 49th
• 2013 — Guan Tianlang, 300, 58th
• 2012 — Patrick Cantlay, 295, tied 47th
• 2011 — Hideki Matsuyama, 287, tied 27th
• 2010 — Matteo Manassero, 292, tied 36th
• 2009 — none
• 2008 — none
• 2007 — none
• 2006 — none
• 2005 — Ryan Moore, 287, tied 13th
• 2004 — Casey Wittenberg, 288, tied 13th
• 2003 — Ricky Barnes, 291, 21st
• 2002 — none
• 2001 — none
• 2000 — David Gossett, 303, tied 54th
• 1999 — Sergio Garcia, 295, tied 38th
• 1998 — Matt Kuchar, 288, tied 21st
• 1997 — none
• 1996 — none
• 1995 — Tiger Woods, 293, tied 41st
• 1994 — John Harris, 305, tied 50th
• 1993 — none
• 1992 — Manny Zerman, 294, tied 59th
• 1991 — Phil Mickelson, 290, tied 46th
• 1990 — Chris Patton, 297, tied 39th
• 1989 — none
• 1988 — Jay Sigel, 300, tied 39th
• 1987 — Bob Lewis, 309, 54th
• 1986 — Sam Randolph, 293, tied 36th
• 1985 — Sam Randolph, 290, tied 18th
• 1984 — Rick Fehr, 288, tied 25th
• 1983 — Jim Hallet, 297, tied 40th
• 1982 — Jodie Mudd, 294, tied 20th
• 1981 — Jay Sigel, 294, tied 35th
• 1980 — Jay Sigel, 289, tied 26th
• 1979 — Bobby Clampett, 290, tied 23rd
• 1978 — Lindy Miller, 286, tied 16th
• 1977 — Bill Sander, 299, 49th
• 1976 — Curtis Strange, 291, tied 15th
• 1975 — George Burns, 292, tied 30th
• 1974 — none
• 1973 — Ben Crenshaw, 295, tied 24th
• 1972 — Ben Crenshaw, 295, tied 19th
• 1971 — Steve Melnyk, 292, tied 24th
• 1970 — Charles Coe, 292, tied 23rd
• 1969 — Bruce Fleisher, 300, 44th
• 1968 — Vinny Giles, 288, tied 22nd
• 1967 — Downing Gray, 297, tied 36th
• 1966 — Jimmy Grant, 299, tied 28th
• 1965 — Downing Gray, 294, tied 31st
• 1964 — Deane Beman, 288, tied 25th
• 1963 — Labron Harris Jr., 298, tied 32nd
• 1962 — Charles Coe, 288, tied ninth
• 1961 — Charles Coe, 281, tied second
• 1960 — (tie) Jack Nicklaus and Billy Joe Patton, 293, tied 13th
• 1959 — Charles Coe, 288, sixth
• 1958 — Billy Joe Patton, 288, eighth
• 1957 — Harvie Ward, 288, fourth
• 1956 — Ken Venturi, 290, second
• 1955 — Harvie Ward, 290, tied eighth
• 1954 — Billy Joe Patton, 290, third
• 1953 — (tie) Frank Stranahan and Harvie Ward, 291, tied 14th
• 1952 — Chuck Kocsis, 297, tied 14th
• 1951 — Charles Coe, 293, tied 12th
• 1950 — Frank Stranahan, 297, tied 14th
• 1949 — (tie) Charles Coe and Johnny Dawson, 295, tied 16th
• 1948 — Skee Riegel, 293, tied 13th
• 1947 — Frank Stranahan, 283, tied second
• 1946 — Cary Middlecoff, 293, tied 12th
• 1943–45: Masters not played due to World War II
• 1942 — Charlie Yates, 304, tied 28th
• 1941 — Dick Chapman, 297, tied 19th
• 1940 — Charlie Yates, 293, tied 17th
• 1939 — (tie) Chick Harbert and Charlie Yates, 294, tied 18th
• 1938 — Tommy Suffern Tailer, 298, tied 18th
• 1937 — Charlie Yates, 301, tied 26th
• 1936 — Johnny Dawson, 294, tied ninth
• 1935 — Lawson Little, 288, sixth
• 1934 — Charlie Yates, 298, tied 21st

Notable names on that list include Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Kuchar and Patrick Cantlay.

Further back, the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange and Phil Mickelson were all low amateur.

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