Amanda Balionis has delivered a major surprise ahead of The Masters by ruling out both defending champion Rory McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler — instead naming an Englishman as her leading contender for the green jacket at Augusta National.
The CBS Sports reporter revealed she has narrowed her shortlist to “12 or 13 players”, but neither grand slam champion McIlroy nor two-time Masters winner Scheffler feature — despite the pair heading the betting for the season’s first major in Georgia.
“I have 12 or 13 names, and that doesn’t include Scottie or Rory,” Balionis said on the Fairway Rollin’ Podcast.
McIlroy, priced up as the second favourite for The Masters at odds of 10/1, arrives with question marks after withdrawing before the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with back pain last month.
The five-time major champion then finished a lacklustre T46 at The Players Championship the following week.
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Scheffler, the red-hot 5/1 favourite, has also lacked his usual sharpness in recent starts, posting finishes of T24 at Bay Hill and T22 at TPC Sawgrass.
The four-time major champion has since stepped away from competition ahead of the birth of his second child, leaving uncertainty around his preparation for Augusta after pulling out of last week’s Houston Open.
While Balionis did highlight LIV Golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau (12/1) as a strong contender — particularly after back-to-back LIV Golf victories in Singapore and South Africa — she was clear that the American is not her primary pick.
Instead, her number one choice for the 2026 Masters is an Englishman.
No, not in-form duo Matt Fitzpatrick (25/1) or reigning FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood (25/1), but Justin Rose, who is priced up at best odds of 35/1.
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Justin Rose
“I think Justin Rose has to be at the top of my list,” said Balionis.
Rose has endured an up and down start to the 2026 season, but the up was a huge one when landing a 13th career PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in February.
The 45-year-old boasts one of the most consistent records at Augusta National, with seven top-10 finishes and three runner-ups, including last year’s agonising playoff defeat to McIlroy.
Rose also lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia in 2017 and has long been regarded as one of the best course fits on the Masters rota.
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Balionis believes that experience and comfort at Augusta could prove decisive this year.
“He’s making his 21st start, which is incredible, and he’s been so close here before,” she added of the world number seven.
Bryson DeChambeau
DeChambeau, as mentioned, remains firmly in her thinking — but more as part of the chasing pack rather than her headline selection.
Balionis pointed to his emotional reaction after last year’s near-miss, when a costly double-bogey at the 11th effectively ended his challenge.
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“He comes in and ends up finishing T5, which is still the best finish in his Masters career. He’s watching this playoff start to happen.
“He is so hot under the collar. He looks at me off-camera, and he says, ‘I just handed this to Rory, and I can’t believe he might give it away.’”
She believes that emotion could fuel a serious run from arguably now the most popular player in world golf.
Balionis added: “I think that little added incentive or focus that you can’t recreate anywhere else, I actually think that might be really, really important for him.”
Adam Scott
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Balionis also identified 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott (70/1) as another experienced contender to watch, highlighting both his strengths and weaknesses.
She said of the Australian: “I’m looking at his stats, and he’s top five in iron play this season, fourth in proximity to the hole. This is looking good for Adam Scott until you look at his putting. He’s at the bottom of the list in three-putt avoidance.”
With McIlroy and Scheffler both overlooked, Balionis’ bold prediction places the spotlight firmly on Rose — a proven Augusta performer she believes is best placed to finally get over the line.
GolfMagic’s betting tips for The Masters will be published on Monday morning, so stay tuned for that as our Editor and expert tipster Andy Roberts is on a red-hot run of tipping form.
Do you agree with Amanda? Is Rose going under the radar at odds of 35/1 for The Masters? Does DeChambeau represent LIV Golfs best chance? Who is your pick for the win? Share your thoughts and comments below, or join the debate on our social media channels – @GolfMagic
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