John

Augenstein

The World No. 717 records his first top 10 in 12 career events (nine pro), brushing aside a prior-best T20 at last season’s Charles Schwab Challenge two starts ago, in that field as one of two Champions Choice selections. With rounds of 68-69-70-68, the top 10 earns him an exemption into the Sanderson Farms in two weeks, where he’ll make his tourney debut. The 2019 U.S. Amateur runner-up, who turned pro after the 84th Masters last November, totaled 22 birdies against nine bogeys, and currently ranks 2nd in SG: Approach (6.174), 38th in SG: Putting (0.754) and 7th in SG: Tee-to-Green (7.948). On Sunday, playing out of the 12th-to-last twosome and beginning one short of the overnight top 10, he outpaced one bogey with five birdies on 14 greens in regulation, losing 0.403 strokes off-the-tee but gaining 0.487 approaching, 1.003 around, and 1.799 with the flat stick.

The young Vanderbilt product split just 5-of-14 fairways but he was still able to manage 12 greens in regulation. That included four holes where he gave himself birdie looks from inside of six feet. He also added a chip-in birdie early in his day at the par-4 third hole. Augenstein ranks second in the field with 13 birdies this week but he’ll need to clean up the blemishes as he’s also swallowed six bogeys. Playing his 12th event on the PGA TOUR, this will be the first time that he’s positioned himself inside of the top 10 after any round.

Augenstein made his professional debut a few weeks ago at The American Express (missed cut) but he’ll get another chance this week in the desert. The Vanderbilt product reached as high as 4th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking before making the leap to the pro level and he brings a lot of confidence to the table. Speaking with Kevin Prise of the PGA TOUR he had this to say, “I fully intend to get my PGA TOUR card this year. There’s not a doubt in my mind. You can never guarantee anything in athletics – nothing is guaranteed – all I know is that I have to do my best to take advantage of the opportunities that I get.” It’s easy to see why he’d have so much confidence after the college career he racked up in combination with a 55th place finish at the 2020 Masters. He has played in four total PGA TOUR events so far and landed more greens per round than the field average in three of the four, suggesting his ball-striking is strong enough to compete at the top level. Gamers should consider him as a potential sleeper in weekly formats but he is still an unknown commodity when it comes to knowing how his game will translate to the big stage.

Six amateurs were in the 92-man field this week at Augusta National of which two made the 36-hole cut. Ogletree, 22, takes low amateur honors with rounds of 73-70-71-72, five better than John Augenstein, who is currently T55 on 3-over 291 (69-72-75-75). This was Ogletree’s second major after a missed cut at the 120th U.S. Open (71-77) in September, and overall, his first time completing 72 holes in his fifth overall PGA TOUR event. Ogletree, a Georgia Tech product, cracked the field as the 2019 U.S. Amateur champ, while Augenstein, 23, is a Vanderbilt product and ironically finished runner-up to Ogletree at the same championship.

The fifth-year at Vanderbilt has played in two PGA TOUR events (2019 RBC Heritage and 2020 U.S. Open). He missed the cut in both of them. The Vandy product has cracked the field by reaching the final of the 2019 U.S. Amateur. He currently ranks 12th in the WAGR and 6th in the PGA TOUR University standings. You don’t reach that high on the ranking boards unless you have the tools to compete on the big stage. Augenstein has a good chance to earn his first cut made on the PGA TOUR, given there are just 92 golfers in the field this week and the Top 50 and ties earn a weekend tee time.