From Bloomington High to The Masters

Former ISU basketball star, Brandon Holtz, tees off at Augusta

Brady Phelps, Senior Staff Reporter

Apr 9, 2026

Brandon Holtz poses in a photo shared to Instagram after reflecting on the financial realities of competing following his U.S. Mid-Am victory and thanking sponsors, including RE/MAX, for helping support the journey to events like the Masters and U.S. Open. Photo Courtesy of: Brandon Holtz/Instagram

Bloomington native and former Illinois State basketball player Brandon Holtz tees off Thursday at the Masters, the only golfer from Illinois in this year’s field at Augusta National Golf Club.

The 39-year-old RE/MAX real estate broker earned his place on golf’s biggest stage by winning the United States Golf Association’s Mid-Amateur Championship last September in Scottsdale, Arizona—a victory that punched his ticket to both the 2026 Masters and this summer’s U.S. Open.

Holtz, a Bloomington High School graduate, is paired for Thursday’s opening round with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson.

Holtz, shown here as a Bloomington High School junior, was more than a standout basketball player—he also competed in golf for the Raiders, where he was coached by former NCHS teacher and current Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball coach Rob Rose.
Image Courtesy of: Bloomington High School Yearbook

His caddie will be his father, Jeff Holtz, who won the Masters lottery in 2004, earning lifetime badges to the tournament.

For decades, Brandon joined his father behind the ropes at Augusta as a patron before earning his own spot inside them.

Holtz played basketball at Illinois State from 2005-09 after a standout career at Bloomington, where he once scored 68 points in a single game. After college, he turned to golf and competed in professional mini-tour events before renewing his amateur status last year.

Coaching him on the range at Augusta is Craig Onsrud, the Illinois Wesleyan women’s golf coach and manager of Normal’s Ironwood Golf Course.

On Wednesday, Holtz was joined by his wife, former Unit 5 administrator Elizabeth Grimm, and two children, ages 6 and 2, for the annual Par 3 Contest, a tradition that invites players’ families inside the ropes for a practice round.

Holtz teed off at 8:19 a.m. Thursday.

Live coverage is available on the Masters app and at masters.com/live.

This story will be updated.

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