Of the six amateurs who qualified into the 2022 Masters tournament, over half are AJGA alumni. A tradition unlike any other, this week provides each player the chance to compete against pros they looked up to, older AJGA juniors during their time, and hosts of tournaments they competed in. Some of these names include Tiger Woods, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas.
Meet the Amateurs:
James Piot (2017) of Canton, Michigan, is making his The Masters debut at 23 years old. Piot is currently in his fifth year at Michigan State University and holds the lowest single-season scoring average in program history. In August of 2021, Piot won the 121st U.S. Amateur Championship, earning his spot in the 2022 The Masters Tournament. He defeated competitor, Austin Greaser, 2&1.
Top AJGA Finishes:
- Champion, 2017 Randy Wise Junior Open
- Champion, 2016 Randy Wise Junior Open
- T2, 2015 the Memorial Junior
- 5th, 2015 AJGA Huntsville Junior
- T5, 2014 AJGA Junior at Forest Lake presented by Tom Holzer Ford
Aaron Jarvis (2021) of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, makes his The Masters debut at just 19 years old. He's the youngest former AJGA member competing in this year's tournament. His spot was secured after becoming the first Caribbean native to win the Latin America Amateur Championship.
Top AJGA Finishes:
- T4, 2020 AJGA Junior Championship benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation
- T3, 2018 AJGA Preview at The Seagate (Ages 12-15)
Austin Greaser (2019) of Vandalia, Ohio, earned an invitation to the 2022 The Masters Tournament at 21 years old. The University of North Carolina junior has made his mark on the program over the past three years. In the fall of 2021, Greaser was one of two Tar Heels named on the Haskins Player of the Year Award watch list. Greaser is currently Carolina’s all-time leader in stroke average (71.39 over 64 rounds in 21 tournaments).
Reunions at @TheMasters are the best reunions.@AustinGreaser won the #JustinThomasJr in 2018 and is competing at The Masters for the first time this week. pic.twitter.com/7vbW2maEZZ
— AJGA (@AJGAGolf) April 7, 2022
Top AJGA Finishes:
- T3, 2019 Justin Thomas Junior Championship
- T3, 2019 Under Armour® / Jordan Spieth Championship
- Champion, 2018 AJGA Preview at La Purisima presented by Explore Lompoc
- Champion, 2018 Strategic Communications / Justin Thomas Junior Championship presented by Phocus
- T4, 2018 the Memorial Junior
Stewart Hagestad (2009) of Newport Beach, California, rounds out the group of AJGA alumni competing in the 2022 The Masters Tournament. This is the 30-year-old's second Masters appearance. Hagestad finished T36 overall and with low amateur honors in his 2017 Masters appearance.
Top AJGA Finishes:
- T3, 2008 Woodward Video Junior at The Greenbrier
- 3rd, 2007 Medicus Preseason Junior in the Chicago Southland