Junior Golf Champ Returns to Masters 10 Years Later

The 14-year-old in the green shirt who competed at Augusta National in 2016 is heading back to the Masters, but this time as a PGA Tour winner.

Michael Thorbjornsen claimed his first professional victory at the Rocket Classic in Detroit on Sunday, capping a journey that began when he won the Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship ten years ago. That win as a teenager gave him the thrill of competing at one of golf's most hallowed venues the Sunday before the Masters.

Now 24, Thorbjornsen becomes the first Drive, Chip and Putt champion to win on the PGA Tour. His victory earns him an automatic invitation to play in next year's Masters Tournament, returning to the course where his dreams took flight.

"The feeling's unbelievable," Thorbjornsen said after his win. "I'm feeling a lot of things, I can't really put the words to it. Just extremely, extremely grateful to be sitting here right now."

Back in 2016, the tall teenager showed remarkable poise under pressure at Augusta. He crushed a 251-yard drive, placed two chips within a combined 9 feet of the hole, and held his nerve on the famous 18th green to claim the Boys 14-15 Division title with 23 points.

Between then and now, Thorbjornsen continued proving himself as one of junior golf's brightest stars. He won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur and made headlines by making the cut at the 2019 U.S. Open while still an amateur.

Why This Inspires

Thorbjornsen's journey shows how youth golf programs like Drive, Chip and Putt create pathways for young dreamers. The program gives kids across America the chance to compete at Augusta National, planting seeds that can grow into professional careers.

Fellow Drive, Chip and Putt alum Akshay Bhatia has also made it to the PGA Tour, proving the program develops real talent. But Thorbjornsen is the first former champion to punch his ticket back to Augusta as a professional winner.

"Coming here was such a great experience," the 14-year-old Thorbjornsen said in 2016 about Augusta National. "Definitely my favorite course of all time."

Ten years later, he'll walk those fairways again, this time chasing a green jacket instead of wearing a green cap.