The Des Moines, Iowa native qualified for the Masters this weekend when he battled it out for six days to win the 83rd U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora, Colo.

“It was the greatest feeling,” said Newman, who played nearly 162 holes of golf in the tournament. “It’s the biggest tournament that I’ve won, and it really hasn’t sunk in yet.

“But I have a smile on my face every time I think about it.”

The winner of the Public Links Championship receives an invite to the Masters and the U.S. Amateur Championship — making it one of the biggest amateur tournaments in the world.

The tournament field of 156 competitors was narrowed by match play rules, and Newman had to play a round against Billy Horschel, the second-ranked amateur golfer in the world.

“I have a ton of confidence, and I know I can compete against the best in the world,” Newman said.

“I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with the pressure and nerves.”

MSU men’s golf coach Sam Puryear is excited for Newman to have the opportunity to play in the Masters and expects him to build off of this weekend’s big win.

“Jack’s win will show his teammates that all things are possible if they work hard enough,” he said.

“His play will help elevate the team, and I expected his success to segue into the season.”

Newman also has high expectations for the Spartans in the fall and looks forward to helping guide his team to its third straight Big Ten title and the opportunity to compete for the NCAA national championship.

“We have a strong group of returning players,” Newman said.

“Hopefully my confidence builds into the other players on the team, and we come out firing this year.”

But until the MSU season starts, Newman will continue to sharpen his golf skills. He will compete in the Kalamazoo Country Club Invitational, the Western Amateur Golf Championship, and finally the U.S. Amateur before the end of the summer.

Then next spring it will be time to compete in one of golf’s biggest showcases.

“I don’t know if it has sunk in that I’m going to the Masters,” he said.

“I probably won’t realize it until I get there and see all of the pros. I’m just excited to get there, but there is a lot of golf to be played before (the Masters).”