Seven players with state ties to watch in The Masters
Some members of the Oklahoma pro golf contingent will unfortunately be watching The Masters the same way as most of us, from their couch, but the Sooner state will still have great representation when the season’s first major begins Thursday.
That includes three making their Masters debut. Chris Gotterup, who played one very successful season for the University of Oklahoma before exploding on the PGA Tour scene with three victories in the past 16 months, will be playing his first Masters, as will current Oklahoma State star Ethan Fang, who qualified by winning The Amateur Championship (British Amateur) last summer. Also in for the first time is former Cowboy Sam Stevens.
Fang, a junior from Plano, Texas, has put together quite a resume for the defending national champion Cowboys, including being a first-team All-American in 2025. He was also a member of the 2025 U.S. Walker Cup team, Arnold Palmer Cup team, is ranked No. 8 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and was co-medalist at the 2025 Western Amateur.
He met with the media Monday and said his goal for the week was to be low amateur but “I’m going to go out there and play my best and see what happens.”
Stevens, the former Cowboy who was an overlooked member of the legendary OSU 2018 national championship team, has developed into a steady, confident professional. His more celebrated teammate from that squad Viktor Hovland is in the field.
Other players from Oklahoma State in the field are Wyndham Clark (one season at OSU), Alex Noren and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, the latter of whom holds the distinction of being the only player in the field with an Oklahoma Golf Association championship on his resume. He won the 2020 OGA Stroke Play Championship at The Territory in Duncan while a student at OSU.
Oklahoma-based pros with PGA Tour or LIV status not qualifying for the limited field include Austin Eckroat, Max McGreevy, Taylor Moore, Talor Gooch and Zach Bauchou. Also missing this year will be the bright orange outfits of Rickie Fowler, who has made 11 appearances but only qualified once since 2020.