It has been a good start to the week for Georgia Tech senior Christo Lamprecht.
The top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking won the Georgia Cup on Sunday, a matchup against Nick Dunlap that pits the defending U.S. Amateur champ against the defending British Amateur winner. Lamprecht nailed a 14-foot eagle putt on the final hole at the Golf Club of Georgia to win 1 up.
Then, the duo headed to Augusta National Golf Club for the 2024 Masters. Although only Lamprecht remains an amateur, they both will make their debut at the 88th edition of the Masters.
“It’s my first time coming to the Masters,” Lamprecht said. “I promised myself the first time I come here is when I play, not come and watch. So this is so cool. It’s so fun. I have a bunch of friends from home that flew over. It’s fun to have some family and friends around. It’s pretty special.”
Lamprecht, at 6-foot-8, is one of five amateurs in the field. That means he has a couple special privileges this week others won’t be able to enjoy.
On Monday, it was the annual Amateur Dinner, where he and the other four ams got to enjoy a dinner with Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley. Then, Lamprecht got to partake in another tradition reserved for amateurs: staying a night in the Crow’s Nest.
It’s a room that is reserved for amateurs the week of the Masters. Measuring only 30 feet by 40 feet, the tight space is historic sitting above the Augusta National clubhouse.
“The Crow’s Nest is going to be fun,” Lamprecht said. “Only night I’ll be staying here, but I’m looking forward to it. Just sitting around with a bunch of amateurs and talking about our experiences and stuff, just being little kids in a toy store.”
Amateurs at the Masters usually spend one night, if not more, in the Crow’s Nest. But it’s not going to be comfy for Lamprecht, who looks like he belongs on a basketball court as much as he does a golf course.
“There’s very few places in America that have a bed big enough for me, but I’ve gotten used to that,” Lamprecht, from South Africa, said. “It’s probably the best uncomfortable sleep I’ll ever have in my life. Yeah, I’m just fortunate to be here.”
Fans may remember Lamprecht from the 2023 Open Championship when he held a share of the first-round lead after the opening day and finished as the low amateur.
Time will tell if he’s able to hoist the Silver Cup, given to the low amateur at the Masters, come Sunday.
