Illinois Real Estate Agent Brandon Holtz’s Path to the Masters

Among the elite touring professionals and collegiate stars descending on Augusta, Georgia this week for the Masters is Bloomington, Illinois-based real estate agent Brandon Holtz.

The 39-year-old amateur golfer completed his unlikely path to the prestigious golf championship when he won the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur tournament at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona in September. The win also got him a spot in the U.S. Open in June.

Holtz is teeing off at 8:02 a.m. Central time on Thursday, paired up with Nicolas Echavarria and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson.

Holtz may be entering the tournament as an underdog — he’s the lowest ranked of the six amateurs competing this year — but he’s not satisfied with just competing. He’s aiming to make the cut and compete in the final two rounds this weekend, he said, a feat no amateur achieved last year.

“The realistic goal is to play well and make the cut,” he told The Real Deal. “I’m a realistic guy. I’m not going out there to say I’m going to win the damn thing, but at the same time, I’m not trying to get second. I want to compete.”

Growing up in Bloomington, Holtz has played golf all his life, but he first found success in basketball. He played college basketball at Illinois State University, continuing to golf as a side hobby. After college, Holtz started taking golf more seriously and went pro in 2010.

Making a living as a golfer turned out to be a tough task. Holtz competed in tournaments but never landed sponsorship deals or serious prize money, he said. So after four years, he picked up a job but kept his pro status. For the next nine years, he competed in the Illinois Open and placed second twice — nabbing him a “bonus check” but never bringing in significant money from the sport.

Then in 2023, he said, he applied to get his amateur status back.

“I really wasn’t practicing enough to really compete, and I just got kind of bored,” he said. “Just basically doing the whole year just for one event. I couldn’t play in any of the local amateur events. Basically couldn’t play with any of my buddies in these tournaments.”

Holtz got involved in real estate shortly after the pandemic after he lost his job selling football equipment for Riddell Sports. He went to work as a manager for a homebuilder, which led him to becoming a residential agent about four years ago, he said. He’s currently affiliated with Re/Max Rising. He closed about $5.6 million in transaction volume over 20 deals last year, according to Real Trends.

The job gives him the flexibility to focus on his golf game when he can, he said. He puts away his clubs from November to April every year and focuses on the “grunt work,” saving the warmer months for catering to clients and getting in a few rounds of golf when he can.

Still, he said, the realities of running his real estate business often make it difficult to make time for golf.

“As an agent, you basically have your own business, which has given me the flexibility to step away when I need to,” he said. “But also at the same time, you still got to work. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. It’s a struggle at times. Obviously you want to continue to play golf, but golf doesn’t pay you.”

Holtz’s achievement has made him something of a celebrity among his friends and fellow golfers in the Bloomington-Normal area, which he described as a “silent golfing community.” Holtz said he’s been receiving hundreds of texts from clients, fellow agents and others in the community showing their support.

“Prety much all my friends play golf, some of the fellow Realtors play golf, my clients play golf, so we all play together,” he said.

Prepping for the tournament in Augusta this week has felt “surreal,” Holtz said. His family has come along for the week and got to follow along during the traditional Par 3 Contest on Wednesday. His wife, Liz, caddied for him and his six-year-old son, Baker, and two-year-old daughter, Millie, joined them on a course. His father, Jeff, will caddie for him during the tournament.

No matter the outcome this week, Holtz said he will most likely keep his amateur status and keep golfing alongside his buddies in Bloomington, while focusing on advancing as a real estate professional for his career.

“Everyone wants to be a pro and get paid to play golf,” he said. “But realistically, that’s not necessarily an option right now. The game plan right now is to keep doing what I’m doing.”