Noah Kent is just days away from the biggest golf tournament of his life.
The 20-year-old Naples resident will compete alongside the sport’s greats at this year’s Masters Tournament, set for April 10-13 at Augusta National, one of golf’s most hallowed courses.
It’s an opportunity Kent earned with a runner-up finish at the U.S. Amateur Championship last August, one that also gained the Gulf Coast High School graduate an exemption for the 2025 U.S. Open in June.
While playing in the Masters is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, Kent, a two-time Southwest Florida Boys Golfer of the Year, is not planning on it being the culmination of his golfing journey.
“I’m definitely going to enjoy it because it pretty cool to be an amateur and playing there,” he said. “But at the same time, golf is what I want to do for a living so it’s also a business trip.”
That future career path also contributed to Kent’s decision to transfer from the University of Iowa to Florida last December.
“Enjoyed my time at Iowa but the cold weather was tough being a Florida kid,” he said. “And I’ve heard so many great things about (Florida head coach) J.C. (Deacon) and (associate head coach) Dudley (Hart). Talking to everyone around me, they thought it was the best decision.”
However, because Kent, a sophomore, played in four matches for the Hawkeyes in the fall he’s ineligible to play for the Gators this spring, a situation that’s made it difficult to fuel his competitive fire. His last significant swing came Jan. 12 in the Jones Cup, one of the top amateur events on the calendar.
“I can still do everything with the team – practice, workout, qualify – I just can’t tee it up at a competition,” Kent said. “It’s been good competing against the other boys on the team. Everyone’s been great. I feel like I’m settling in and finding my spot for sure in Gainesville.
“But yeah, I’m ready to get out there and compete.”
Kent has two chances to do just that leading up to the Masters. This weekend, he’ll be in Texas to compete in his first PGA Tour event, the 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open, after earning a sponsor’s exemption. A week later he’ll be back in Naples to play at the Terra Cotta Invitational. On the evening of April 6, the final day of the Terra Cotta, Kent will fly to Augusta for the Masters.
“It’s a busy couple of weeks but definitely exciting,” he said.
Kent, who entered last summer’s U.S. Am ranked 560th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking before his stunning run to the finals, said there’s an important lesson he can draw upon from his success there and apply in future tournaments.
“Whenever I get doubted a little bit, I kind of like to show people what I can offer,” said Kent, now ranked among the top 150 amateurs. “Whenever the pressure gets a little high, some people tend to shy away from it but I feel like I thrive in those bigger moments.”
And there’s no golf tournament in America more ripe for those moments than the Masters. Kent said his initial goal is to make the cut and play on the weekend. That would make him one of five amateurs who will battle for the Silver Cup, given to the low amateur who makes the cut.
“You get through those first two rounds and then you can start having some real goals,” he said.
Kent said he plans to have a practice round with Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, also pupils of Kent’s coach Claude Harmon III. He has also spoken about Masters prep with John Cook and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy.
“I definitely have gone out and tried to get as much information that I could,” Kent said.
Even though it’s his first Masters, Kent did have the opportunity to play the Augusta National course on two separate trips this year.
“It’s everything you’ve ever dreamed of,” he said. “I’ve watched the tournament on TV every single year but when you’re there in person, the amount of contour, how green it is, how perfect it is, it’s like heaven on earth.”
― Golfweek writer Cameron Jordan contributed to this report.
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