Six amateurs arrived this week at Augusta National Golf Club for the 2026 Masters Tournament.
Five stated that one of their goals is to end Sunday inside the Butler Cabin as low amateur.
Jackson Herrington agreed about Butler Cabin, but that’s where the similarities end.
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“My goal is to win the tournament,” said Herrington, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee. “That’s my mindset.”
Herrington, whose nickname is “The Fridge,” qualified with a runner-up finish at the 2025 U.S. Amateur, and admitted to envisioning a green jacket presentation since his childhood in Dickson, Tennessee.
“Every night I would hit putts to win the Masters,” Herrington said of his youth.
This April marks 70 years since amateur Ken Venturi led the 1956 Masters by eight shots over Jackie Burke with 18 to play.
But, battered by a howling wind, Venturi shot 80, Burke carded 71, and the amateur fell by a stroke.
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No non-professional has come as close since.
Now, The Fridge is vying to become the first amateur victor.
“I know I can do it,” Herrington said. “It’s all about confidence and having the right prep.”
With an April birthday, Herrington attended the Masters twice — 2014 and 2016 — as a child, before hinting to his parents that he didn’t want to return until earning a spot.
A decade later, the Tennessee native enters the week with a plan.
“I want to play in front of the biggest crowds possible early in the week,” he said. “I plan to hopefully play Wednesday with Jordan Spieth.”
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Over the past two years, three amateurs — Wenyi Ding, Jacob Skov Olesen and Michael La Sasso — chose to miss Augusta to chase dreams of professional golf.
Ding and Skov Olesen accepted spots on the DP World Tour, while La Sasso signed with LIV Golf.
When asked if turning professional crossed his mind, The Fridge bluntly said, “There’s no amount of money I’d take over competing in the Masters.”
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Amateur Jackson Herrington dreams big at 2026 Masters for green jacket
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