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Former Illinois Golfer Brian Campbell Finishes Strong at The Masters
Apr 10, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Brian Campbell tees off on no. 5 during the first round of the Masters Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former Illinois Golfer Brian Campbell Finishes Strong at The Masters

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jason Langendorf  |  Last updated Apr 13, 2025 7:03 PM ET

Golf rarely follows the same rhythms as other professional sports. It's slower. Measured. The game's best players are rarely teenagers and those only just exploring the edges of adulthood. It requires patience, maturity and mastery – tens of thousands of repetitions and years of trial, error and usually miniscule improvement.

So it's not as if Brian Campbell, 32, is late to the party. In fact, maybe he's right on time.

After making his Masters debut Thursday and surviving the cut Friday, Campbell – a former University of Illinois golf team member and 2015 Big Ten Golfer of the Year – roared back from a humbling Saturday round with a 4-under 68 on Sunday. He closed out the tournament at 1-over (72-73-76-68-289), making up 20 spots in his final round to finish tied for 32nd place.

If that sounds somewhat underwhelming, consider that Campbell took on one of the world's gnarliest golf courses in perhaps the sport's most pressurized environment. (If the planet's best golfer, Rory McIlroy, can miss a 4-foot putt on 18 to win it, imagine what the Masters must be like for mere mortals.)

Campbell beat out FedEx Cup top-30 competitors like Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry and Brian Harman over the weekend – not to mention those who missed the cut (notably, Dustin Johnson and Joe Highsmith).

A T-32 finish, especially after the hole Campbell dug for himself Saturday, is an achievement in itself. He was Sunday's biggest mover behind Hideki Matsuyama, who made up 27 spots on the leaderboard with a torrid 6-under 66.

Next up: cracking into the FedEx Cup top 30 himself. Campbell came into the Masters at No. 36 on the leader board, and after winning the Mexico Open in February (which punched his ticket to Augusta National), he is moving – gradually, but purposefully – up the rungs against PGA competition. At 32, he may just be entering his prime.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Golf Alumnus Makes the Weekend Cut at The Masters

Illinois Track and Field Athlete Breaks 17-Year-Old Record at Florida Relays

Illinois Golf Alumni Make Their Masters Tournament Debuts Thursday

This article first appeared on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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