Former Mountain Brook High School golf champion Gordon Sargent has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2023 Masters.

Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, announced on Thursday that the 19-year-old Vanderbilt standout and Kazuki Higa had accept invitations extended by the tournament even though they did not meet the normal qualifying criteria.

A Birmingham native, Sargent won the individual title at the NCAA Division I men’s golf tournament in May. Higa topped the Japan Golf Tour’s Order of Merit in 2022.

“The Masters Tournament prioritizes opportunities to elevate both amateur and professional golf around the world,” Ridley said in a statement released by Augusta National. “Thus, we have extended invitations to two deserving players not otherwise qualified. Whether on the international stage or at the elite amateur level, each player has showcased their talent in the past year. We look forward to hosting them at Augusta National in April.”

Sargent will be playing in the Masters for the first time after he became the first freshman to win the NCAA’s individual championship since 2007.

No. 3 in the current World Amateur Golf Ranking, Sargent is the first amateur to accept a special invitation to play in the Masters since Aaron Baddeley in 2000.

“There is simply not a greater honor in golf than to be invited to play in the Masters Tournament,” Vanderbilt coach Scott Limbaugh said in a statement released by the school’s athletic department. “I also believe this a huge day for college and amateur golf as Augusta National Golf Club has extended a special exemption to Gordon to play in this year’s Masters as the reigning NCAA champion.

“We are thrilled for Gordon and especially proud of the way he represents our university and golf program with high character and integrity in everything he does. This is certainly another great opportunity for him to showcase his talents on the grandest of stages.”

Sargent won the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A boys’ golf individual championship in 2021 after winning the Alabama Golf Association’s state junior championship in 2019 and state amateur championship in 2020.

At Vanderbilt, he won the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award and was chosen as a first-team All-American by Golfweek and PING in his first season.

The 87th Masters will be contested April 6-9.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.