Future Champions

Treed Huang, the 7-9 boys winner whose parents came from Guangdong to America in 1998, was impressed with Augusta National.

"It’s beautiful," the nine-year-old Texan said. "It’s much more than I ever expected."

His father, Yufu Huang, was shocked to see his son holding the winner’s prize.

"We didn’t expect to win," he said. "To win the Masters, that’s not even a dream right now."

It was a dream for Lucy Li, the 10-11 girls winner from California who last year became the youngest qualifier in US Women’s Amateur history at age 10.

"It’s unbelievable," said Li, whose family is from Hong Kong. "I was more nervous today because the US Amateur is just the US Amateur.

"I guess because of the Masters. It means a lot to be here where all the great players have won. It’s really amazing."

The event, aimed at boosting golf’s decline in popularity in recent years, will add a third qualifying level next year and open to more than 50,000 players, triple the number who took part in qualifying rounds for this year’s competition.

"You have already achieved what every golfer dreams," Augusta National chairman Billy Payne told competitors. “You have earned the right to compete at Augusta National."