Early careers to golden years: A look at oldest and youngest Masters golfers

College-age amateurs competing alongside former champions old enough to be their grandfathers is a longstanding Masters tradition.

The wide age range created several interesting storylines at Augusta National Golf Club last year. Seasoned golfers Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples flirted with the cut line while Arizona State senior Jose Luis Ballester relieved himself in Rae’s Creek near the 13th tee.

A 21-year-old Tiger Woods was the same age as Ballester when he became the youngest golfer to win the Masters in 1997. Eleven years to the day before that, Jack Nicklaus became the tournament’s oldest winner at 46 years old.

None of the Masters’ oldest or youngest golfers are expected to contend for a green jacket in 2026. But here’s a look at the five youngest golfers trying to make their names and five veterans trying to preserve theirs this year.

Five oldest golfers at the 2026 Masters

Fred Couples (66): Couples is getting the most out of his lifetime invitation earned by his Masters victory in 1992. He became the oldest player to make the cut, at 63 years old, in 2023 and came close to breaking his own record last year, missing the cut by two strokes.

Vijay Singh (63): Singh broke a streak of 31 consecutive Masters appearances last year when he withdrew because of injury. The 2000 Masters champion is back in the field this year, looking to make the cut like he did during his last appearance in 2024.

José María Olazábal (60): Olazábal aims to make the cut for the third time in six years when he makes his 37th Masters start next week. The 1994 and ’99 champion missed the cut by five strokes last year.

Ángel Cabrera (56): Cabrera will compete in his 22nd Masters this year after missing the tournament from 2020-24. The 2009 champion shot a 155 in 2025, the second-highest score to miss the cut in the tournament.

Mike Weir (55): Weir fell just two strokes short of making the cut last year alongside Couples. The 2003 champion is making his 27th Masters start next week and is the only Canadian ever to win the tournament.

Five youngest golfers at the 2026 Masters

Mason Howell (18): A high school senior from Thomasville, Howell is the youngest golfer playing the Masters next week. The University of Georgia signee qualified for the tournament by winning the U.S. Amateur in 2025.

Jackson Herrington (19): Herrington is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee and qualified for the Masters as the U.S. Amateur runner-up behind Howell. Herrington was the first left-handed player to make the U.S. Amateur final since Phil Mickelson in 1990.

Ethan Fang (20): Championship appearances aren’t foreign to Fang, who helped Oklahoma State win its 12th national championship in 2025. He also qualified for the Masters with his victory at the Amateur Championship in June 2025.