\u201cI have 12 or 13 names, and that doesn\u2019t include Scottie or Rory,\u201d Balionis<\/a> said on the Fairway Rollin\u2019 Podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n McIlroy, priced up as the second favourite for The Masters<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n The five-time major champion then finished a lacklustre T46 at The Players Championship the following week.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While Balionis did highlight LIV Golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau<\/a> (12\/1) as a strong contender \u2014 particularly after back-to-back LIV Golf victories in Singapore and South Africa \u2014 she was clear that the American is not her primary pick.<\/p>\n Instead, her number one choice for the 2026 Masters is an Englishman.<\/p>\n No, not in-form duo Matt Fitzpatrick (25\/1) or reigning FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood (25\/1), but Justin Rose<\/a>, who is priced up at best odds of 35\/1.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Justin Rose<\/p>\n \u201cI think Justin Rose has to be at the top of my list,\u201d said Balionis.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u2019s agonising playoff defeat to McIlroy.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Balionis believes that experience and comfort at Augusta could prove decisive this year.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s making his 21st start, which is incredible, and he\u2019s been so close here before,\u201d she added of the world number seven.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bryson DeChambeau<\/p>\n DeChambeau, as mentioned, remains firmly in her thinking \u2014 but more as part of the chasing pack rather than her headline selection.\u00a0<\/p>\n Balionis pointed to his emotional reaction after last year\u2019s near-miss, when a costly double-bogey at the 11th effectively ended his challenge.<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n \u201cHe 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHe 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.’\u201d<\/p>\n She believes that emotion could fuel a serious run from arguably now the most popular player in world golf.\u00a0<\/p>\n Balionis added: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam Scott<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-03-14t230330z_187295033_mt1usatoday28496785_rtrmadp_3_pga-the-players-championship-third-round-.jpeg\")
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