Austin Smotherman sets sights on earning Masters invite after picking up back-to-back PGA Tour wins
Austin Smotherman is aiming to break into the world’s top 50 by the end of 2026, which would secure him an invitation to next year’s Masters. The 32-year-old has won two consecutive PGA Tour events this autumn, turning a successful run into a chance to qualify for a major he has yet to play.
His victories came at the Bank of Utah Championship and, 22 days later, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. They brought more than $1.1 million, a place in the PGA Tour’s 2028 Championship Series, and exemptions for the 2027 PGA Championship and US Open; he has risen to 54th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Smotherman plans to play the Austin Championship and RSM Classic to try to move into the top 50, after beating Seamus Power in a three-hole play-off in Bermuda following the event’s reduction to 54 holes because of strong winds.
In short
- Two straight PGA Tour wins lifted Smotherman to world No. 54.
- A top-50 finish by year-end would earn him a Masters place.
- He plans to play Austin and the RSM Classic to improve his ranking.
Explained simply
The PGA Tour is the main professional golf circuit in the United States, where players compete in tournaments throughout the season. The Masters is one of golf’s four major championships and is held each spring at Augusta National in Georgia.
Austin Smotherman is an American golfer who had not yet played in the Masters. Golfers can earn a place there in several ways, including reaching the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking by the end of the year.
That ranking compares professional golfers’ results across tournaments around the world. A Masters invitation would give Smotherman the chance to compete in a major championship, while his recent wins also bring places in other major events.