It's not unusual for an amateur to play in the Masters Tournament and then turn pro, making it his last amateur event. Brandt Snedeker did it in 2004, and Richie Ramsey followed suit last year.

Trip Kuehne missed the cut in the Masters in 1995, when he was U.S. Amateur runner-up. It was his only other Masters appearance. (File/Staff)

U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Trip Kuehne is doing a variation of that scenario this week.

Yes, it will be his last tournament as a serious amateur golfer, but he's not turning pro. He just won't play competitively in any more state, regional or national amateur events.

"This will be the last time for the foreseeable future," Kuehne said. "I might play in a best-ball event here and there, but that would be more for the camaraderie than the competition. As for seriously preparing and getting ready, I'm putting that on hold for a while."

The only thing that would bring the 35-year-old back to competitive amateur golf is if his 8-year-old son, Will, becomes interested.

Why would Kuehne, a lifelong amateur, decide to give it up?

"I can't do anything else in the amateur game," he explained.

Before he was done, Kuehne wanted to win a U.S. Golf Association individual event. He did that in the Mid-Amateur, where he beat Dan Whitaker 9 and 7 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.

Michael Thompson, of Tucson, Ariz., is one of only three amateurs in the Masters field. Colt Knost, who defeated Thompson in the U.S. Amateur, decided to turn pro, decreasing the competition for low amateur in this year's Masters. (Associated Press)

And he wanted to play in the Masters one more time as an amateur. His only other appearance came in 1995 (he qualified as the U.S. Amateur runner-up). His Mid-Amateur title qualified him to return to Augusta.

"How does it get any better than this for me?" he asked. "I'm a member of a winning Walker Cup team, won the USGA state team title for the state of Texas, I won my individual USGA championship and didn't make a bogey. Can't do any better."

Kuehne had planned to "chase the dream" of making the Masters again for three more years, or until his son turned 10. He's done it two years before his self-imposed deadline.

"He's got to go to three U.S. Opens, and late last spring he told me he wanted to go watch me play in the Masters," Kuehne said of his son. "I looked at him and I said, 'I don't know if I can make that possible, but I'll do my damndest to make that happen.'

"He hasn't asked for a lot in his life, but he asked for that. I'm glad I was able to get that done."

So Kuehne's last serious amateur event will come at Augusta National, the dream course of Bobby Jones, the most famous lifelong amateur.

The decision by U.S. Amateur and U.S. Public Links champion Colt Knost to turn pro cost him his invitation to this year's Masters. Tom Scherrer and David Berganio Jr. were the last amateurs to forgo invitations by turning pro and not make the field the following year. (Associated Press)

"I can walk out on the hallowed ground the greatest amateur ever to play built," Kuehne said.

It would be fitting if Kuehne could add the Masters' low amateur award to the one he won in the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields.

"That would be unbelievable," Kuehne said. "I can't think of a better way to finish my competitive playing career."

It will be a little easier to be low amateur in the Masters this year. Kuehne will have to make the cut, but then he has to beat only two other amateurs instead of the normal four. That's because Colt Knost, the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Public Links champion, turned pro, forfeiting his spot. The other amateurs this year are British Amateur champion Drew Weaver and U.S. Amateur runner-up Michael Thompson.

"The most important thing for me this time is to enjoy the Masters," Kuehne said. "I want to pause and reflect on the career I've had. I want to stop and smell the azaleas. That's what I've done with my golf game the past couple of years, and I've played better."

To make the experience even more memorable, Kuehne might have his brother, Hank, be his caddie. Hank, the 1998 U.S. Amateur champion, played in the 1999 Masters and turned pro.

Their sister, Kelli, won the 1995 and 1996 U.S. Women's Amateur and now plays on the LPGA Tour.

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.