When the family of a Tennessee golfer and current Masters participant needed help, VFL and Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning stepped in and came to the rescue. As the University’s motto goes, Vols help Vols.
The University of Tennessee has the distinct honor of having one of its current players, Jackson Herrington, in the field for the 89th Masters tournament coming up this weekend in Augusta, GA.
Herrington earned his spot last summer when he finished runner-up at the 2025 US Amateur at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
But with the constant popularity of the most famous and prestigious golf tournament in the world, tickets – even for family members – can be hard to come by.
The 19-year-old Tennessee sophomore’s spot in the Masters has come with several ticketing requests from outside people of his family. Herrington’s mother, Nikki Herrington, described the overwhelming nature of the situation in an interview with Masters writer Nick Pietruszkiewicz.
“I’m hearing from people we don’t even know,” Nikki Herrington told Pietruszkiewicz. “Some people were thinking we weren’t coming every day. My son is playing the Masters. We are coming every day.”
That’s when Manning, a member at Augusta National, came in to help. The Tennessee legend eased some of the stress by providing the Herrington family with a few extra event passes.
“Peyton Manning overnighted us some,” Nikki Herrington told Pietruszkiewicz. “Peyton has been so great. All of the Vol community has been so, so supportive.”
More From RTI: Tennessee Golfer Jackson Herrington Playing In The Masters This Week
Herrington’s Masters journey will officially begin on Thursday morning at 8:14 a.m. ET. He will be playing alongside 2009 Masters Champion Angel Cabrera and Sami Valimaki.
During the 2025-2026 season, Herrington had a scoring average of 70.67. The Tennessee golfer has 30 career rounds of par of better, 11 career rounds in the 60s, and seven career Top 20 finishes.
“Being able to be around the big crowds with those big guys is a little bit different,” Herrington said with a grin as he spoke to the Augusta National media. “You know, they sneak in there a little bit. But, yeah, just trying to stay within myself and tell myself I belong. I’d say I was a little bit nervous on the first tee today, but after that I just kept telling myself I belong and they’re no better than I am. I’ve just got to prove that.”
Check out Nick Pietruszkiewicz’s full article, A Day With Jackson Herrington, here.
Building confidence at Augusta 🙌 pic.twitter.com/8SqAoNwxPC
— Tennessee Golf (@Vol_Golf) April 7, 2026
