Hovland’s dominant play at Pebble Beach was Tiger-like.

He became the first player in U.S. Amateur history to pick-up back-to-back 7-and-6 wins, and the 104 holes he played in match play tied the mark for fewest ever needed by a champion.

“It wasn’t easy,” said Hovland, who led his matches an incredible 85 of the 104 holes he played. “But it definitely helps playing good golf and making putts. It’s really annoying to play against people who are making a lot of putts. I would have been very disappointed to lose since I was playing so well.”

The win earned Hovland a return trip to Pebble Beach for the 2019 U.S. Open, as well as spots in the field for the British Open and The Masters.

“I was just happy to make the match play,” Hovland reflected after his win. “Through every match, I started believing a little bit more. To be able to come back next year for the U.S. Open is going to be really special.”

Hovland validated his Pebble Beach performance by claiming low-amateur honors at The Masters, tying for 32^nd at 3-under, one stroke better than defending champion Patrick Reed.

Hovland’s play even earned him a seat in Butler Cabin next to…Tiger Woods.

“They had us sitting in the chairs beforehand to make sure everything was ready,” said Hovland, “and Tiger just kind of quickly came in and tapped my back and said, ‘Hey, awesome playing. Congrats.’ I didn’t really know what to say. I was sitting down just kind of looking up. Yeah, that was definitely the most nervous I was the whole week.”

Hovland just won the Ben Hogan Award, which is bestowed upon the game’s best collegiate player, and is currently No. 1 in the World Amateur rankings.

“The Masters showed me I can compete with these guys,” Hovland said. “The bigger lesson for me is that I was able to see that and realize my game is not that far off. That was my biggest take away.”

Bling also earned a spot in the U.S. Open and the Masters thanks to his runner-up finish in the U.S. Amateur.

“It’s just the beginning, not the end,” Bling reflected. “Now I get to look forward to the U.S. Open and The Masters.”

Like Hovland, Bling made the cut at The Masters. Bling borrowed a page from Tiger’s playbook and prepared for the tournament by practicing his putting on UCLA’s famed hardwood. Bling also bagged a memorable ace during the Par-3 Contest.

“I played with Rickie Fowler on Monday in a practice round,” recalled Bling, who finished at 3-over. “I got to meet Tiger, who’s been my idol ever since I was little. He wished me good luck (on Sunday) on the practice green before we started, so I thought that was really cool.”