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A full-time real estate agent just finished playing in the 90th Masters Tournament.
Brandon Holtz, a 39-year-old father from Bloomington, Illinois, found his way to Augusta National this week in a “super unlikely” way.
Holtz earned his Masters invite 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 Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN) system, Holtz is certainly no slouch, playing to a +4.1 handicap, which is better than scratch. To qualify for the tournament, one must achieve a handicap of 2.4 or better and be at least 25 years old when the championship begins, so Holtz was certainly 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.
That is why he is actually placed as No. 3,267 on the amateur ranking list – because he hardly gets 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, on April 9, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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Holtz won his Illinois local qualifier by shooting a 63 at Crestwicke County Club on August 11. He then traveled to Arizona the following month and ran through the four-day competition, which included both hitting and match play. His quarterfinal match actually took 19 holes to finish.
Holtz then won the final match, 3&2, to be invited to both the Masters and this year’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Holtz’s father won lifetime marks at 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 through my chest on the first tee,” Holtz, who was paired with two-time winner Bubba Watson, told The Athletic.
Holtz’s father was his caddy for his two rounds, but he missed the cut at 15 over.
Brandon Holtz talks with his caddy, Jeff Holtz, during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 6, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)
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But he’ll definitely have a good story and a pretty good excuse when he goes back to selling houses.
