Vanderbilt's Sargent competes at the Masters

Vanderbilt sophomore Gordon Sargent competed on golf's biggest stage over the weekend, becoming the first amateur to receive a special invitation to the Masters Tournament in more than two decades.

The reigning NCAA individual national champion failed to make the cut after the first two rounds, notching a 77 (+5) in the first round and a 76 (+4) in the second for a total of 9 over par for the tournament, which placed him in a tie for 79th overall. But it was still a historic performance for the Birmingham native. 

The last time an amateur received a special exemption to compete at the Masters was in 2000 when Aaron Baddeley accepted an invite following a win in the Australian Open. 

The Masters usually invites a handful of amateurs each year, but their invitation is tied to winning major tournaments like the U.S. Amateur Open. An exception to the rules like the one Sargent received is rare.  

Becoming the first freshman in 16 years to win an individual NCAA national championship likely helped Sargent earn Augusta National's approval. His No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Gold rankings didn't hurt either. 

Starting next year, however, the Masters will begin hanging out invitations to the reigning NCAA Division I individual champion. 

Sargent was also the first Vanderbilt student-athlete to compete at the Masters as an amateur since John Augenstein competed in the 2020 iteration.