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A full-time real estate agent just completed his participation in the 90th Masters Tournament.
Brandon Holtz, a 39-year-old father from Bloomington, Illinois, made a “super unlikely” trip to Augusta National this week.
Holtz received his invitation to the Masters by winning the US Mid-Amateur last September at Troon Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Winners of the event began being invited to Augusta in 2018.
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Brandon Holtz plays his shot on the second fairway during the second round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on April 10, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
According to the United States Golf Association’s GHIN (Golf Handicap and Information Network) system, Holtz is certainly no slouch, playing with a handicap of +4.1, which is better than zero. To qualify for the tournament, one must earn a handicap of 2.4 or better and be at least 25 years old when the championship begins, so Holtz was surely better than most on the links.
However, the Mid-Am was actually his first USGA-sanctioned event, he told The Athletic.
“I’m 1 for 1,” he said.
This is why he occupies 3,267th place in the amateur rankings – because he hardly scores any points.
Brandon Holtz plays his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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Holtz won his local Illinois qualifier by shooting a 63 at Crestwicke County Club on August 11. He then traveled to Arizona the following month and competed in the four-day competition which included both shots and matches. His quarterfinal match actually lasted 19 holes.
Holtz then won the final match, 3&2, to earn an invite to both the Masters and this year’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Holtz’s father earned lifetime badges for the Masters in 2004, so he was at least somewhat familiar with the course. But playing on it was another story.
“I’m pretty sure I could see my heart pounding in my chest from the first tee,” Holtz, who was paired with two-time winner Bubba Watson, told The Athletic.
Holtz’s father was his caddy during both of his rounds, but he missed the cut at 15.
Brandon Holtz talks with his caddy, Jeff Holtz, during a practice session for the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 6, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)
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But he’ll definitely have a great story, and a pretty good excuse, when he starts selling houses again.
