{"id":515288,"date":"2026-04-06T04:42:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T04:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/515288\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T04:42:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T04:42:23","slug":"every-player-in-the-2026-masters-tournament-ranked-91-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/515288\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Player in the 2026 Masters Tournament, Ranked 91-1"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the most wonderful time of the year!<\/p>\n

Our nine-month abyss without men\u2019s major championship golf is over, and so much has happened since Scottie Scheffler marched to victory at Royal Portrush. To get you prepped for the Masters we have ranked all 91 players in the field by the advanced metric of One Man\u2019s Opinion. Use this list to fill out your pool, make your wagers or simply be a more informed viewer. Happy reading, and Happy Masters week!<\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2209805528.jpg\"91. Fred Couples<\/p>\n

Age: 66 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 1992<\/p>\n

A star at the Champions Dinner with 11 career top-10 finishes at the Masters and 20 top-25s in 40 starts but just one made cut since 2018, a T50 in 2023. He\u2019d be the first to tell you that the course keeps getting longer and he keeps hitting it shorter, so let\u2019s cherish Fred at Augusta while we can. <\/p>\n

90. Jose Maria Olazabal<\/p>\n

Age: 60 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 1994, 1999<\/p>\n

Two-time Masters champion and an all-time short gamer now north of 60. Made the cut in 2021 and 2024 and surely that\u2019s the goal this time around. Something tells me he\u2019d also be an epic hang at the Champions Dinner. <\/p>\n

89. Angel Cabrera<\/p>\n

Age: 59 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2009<\/p>\n

His return to Augusta National after a stint in an Argentinian prison for assault was the talk of the town last year and my guy Alan Shipnuck\u2019s story on it earned him his latest GWAA award. He missed the cut but got hot on the Champions Tour the month after, winning back-to-back starts that were somehow both major championships. (Talk about a strange schedule). Playing full-time on the PGA TOUR Champions again this year. Not only did he win the Masters in 2009, he hit one of the great shots in Masters history in a driving rain on the 18th hole in 2013 to send it to extra holes. Vuele!<\/p>\n

88. Mateo Pulcini (a)<\/p>\n

Age: 25 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

From Argentina, he spent four years at Oklahoma Christian before transferring to Arkansas for his senior year. Remained an amateur then secured a dramatic victory at the Latin America Amateur Championship to get into the Masters, and I\u2019m very curious as to what his post-Augusta plans are. <\/p>\n

87. Mike Weir<\/p>\n

Age: 55 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: 2003<\/p>\n

Won a Masters during Tiger\u2019s heyday, no small achievement. Playing full-time on the PGA TOUR Champions but hasn\u2019t posted a top-10 finish there yet this year and hasn\u2019t made a cut at the Masters since 2020, and before that hadn\u2019t made a cut since 2014. Seeing Saturday would be a big accomplishment. <\/p>\n

86. Vijay Singh<\/p>\n

Age: 63 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2000<\/p>\n

Drew a rise out of some (myself included) when he used a one-time career moneylist exemption to play the season opener in Hawaii. Turns out, he didn\u2019t really plan on playing the whole season as that\u2019s the only PGA TOUR event he\u2019s played in. Tied for 40th that week, impressively, and back at the Masters after withdrawing from last year\u2019s event. <\/p>\n

85. Jackson Herrington (a)<\/p>\n

Age: 19 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A\t<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Finished runner-up to Mason Howell in the U.S. Amateur at Olympic in the summer between his freshman and sophomore year at the University of Tennessee. Known as \u201cThe Fridge,\u201d which is an awesome nickname. Ranked 103rd in the World Amateur Ranking and No. 67 in college golf. <\/p>\n

84. Brandon Holtz (A)<\/p>\n

Age: 39 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A\t<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not his fault for taking advantage of the rule, but the U.S. Mid-Am Champion is a former professional golfer. It\u2019s a theme in the mid-am ranks: six of the eight quarterfinalists in the Mid-Am played professionally before regaining their status. Not exactly what Bobby Jones had in mind. <\/p>\n

83. Naoyuki Kataoka<\/p>\n

Age: 28 Data Golf Ranking: 375<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Came from 7 behind to win the Japan Open in October and get a spot in his first major championship. Plays full-time on his home circuit and for him this will be a test\u2026wait for it\u2026unlike any other. <\/p>\n

82. Fifa Laopakdee (a)<\/p>\n

Age: Data Golf Ranking: <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: <\/p>\n

Arizona State junior won the Asia-Pacific Amateur to get into the field and, yes, his nickname is inspired but the soccer organization. It\u2019s easier to pronounce than Pongsapak. He\u2019s 23rd in the World Amateur Ranking and No. 62 in the collegiate rankings. <\/p>\n

81. Ethan Fang (A)<\/p>\n

Age: 20 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

The Oklahoma State junior with a Texas drawl was a first-team All-American his sophomore year, played on the Walker Cup team and won the Amateur Championship at Royal St. George\u2019s to get in the field. He\u2019s a full-time cutsman; you won\u2019t see him hit many, if any, right-to-left shots on purpose. He\u2019ll have to on No. 10. Ranked No. 7 in the world amateur rankings but No. 45 in college golf, which tells you the strength of college golf. <\/p>\n

80. Mason Howell (a)<\/p>\n

Age: 18 Data Golf Ranking: N\/A<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

The reigning U.S. Amateur champion is a Georgia boy who will become a Bulldog in the fall. Looks the part: big, hits it a long way, beautiful action, ranked 52nd in the Data Golf amateur rankings and 83rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Took third in the prestigious Sage Valley Junior Invitational last month. <\/p>\n

79. Brian Campbell<\/p>\n

Age: 33 Data Golf Ranking: 366<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T32, 2025<\/p>\n

Deserves a Nobel prize for winning two PGA TOUR events in a single year with an average ball speed of 162 miles per hour. His win at the John Deere remains his only top 10 finish in his last 25 starts on the PGA TOUR and his last five leading into Valero finished as follows: CUT-CUT-CUT-WD-CUT. <\/p>\n

78. Zach Johnson<\/p>\n

Age: 50 Data Golf Ranking: 157<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2007<\/p>\n

He has moved into the Champions Tour part of his career and he\u2019s off to a flying start, winning his first-ever event on the senior circuit and finishing T3 and T2 in his next few. His T8 at last year\u2019s Masters went completely under the radar, and he played with Justin Rose on Sunday during the Englishman\u2019s inspired back-nine charge. Another piece of trivia: he\u2019s the last player to win the Masters with an over-par final tally. <\/p>\n

77. Davis Riley<\/p>\n

Age: 29 Data Golf Ranking: 360<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T21, 2025<\/p>\n

The good: he\u2019s got an aesthetically gorgeous swing and tied for second out of nowhere at last year\u2019s PGA Championship. The bad: he\u2019s No. 360 on the Data Golf rankings, has missed the cut in five of seven career starts in majors and his best finish on tour this year is a T42 in Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n

76. Danny Willett<\/p>\n

Age: 38 Data Golf Ranking: 448<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2016<\/p>\n

One of the few Masters champions whose game took a downturn almost immediately after putting on the green jacket. He has won some big tournaments since then in Europe but simply has not been able to reach that top-level gear in the states since Jordan Spieth\u2019s trash was his treasure a decade ago. <\/p>\n

75. Charl Schwartzel<\/p>\n

Age: 41 Data Golf Ranking: 159 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2011<\/p>\n

Won his Masters 15 years ago in spectacular fashion. Middle of the pack on LIV Golf in every event so far this year and last top 10 in a major came at the 2022 Masters. <\/p>\n

\"bubba74. Bubba Watson<\/p>\n

Age: 47 Data Golf Ranking: 190<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2010, 2012<\/p>\n

LIV career nearly ended when he finished outside the relegation zone in 2024 only to be offered another contract, because we\u2019re making stuff up as we go a little bit. A T14 at last year\u2019s Masters was his first finish better than T30 in a major since the 2019 Masters. <\/p>\n

73. Michael Brennan<\/p>\n

Age: 24 Data Golf Ranking: 112<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

The Wake Forest grad skyrocketed up the world rankings in the late summer-early fall: he won three times on the PGA TOUR Americas to get a Korn Ferry card, then got a sponsor invite into the Bank of Utah Championship and won it, allowing him to skip the KFT all together and get high enough in the world rankings to get into the Masters. He\u2019s still in the top 50 of the OWGR but is outside the top 100 in Data Golf, which is more a commentary on the state of the Official World Golf Rankings than anything against Brennan. That win in Utah came on a generationally good driving week and he has all the speed in the world but it\u2019s been a struggle this year; in eight PGA TOUR starts his best finish is a T26 in the Puerto Rico Open. <\/p>\n

72. Michael Kim<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 106<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T27, 2025<\/p>\n

Had a really nice season last year\u2014at least a really nice beginning and end. Played beautifully throughout the first half of the year to get into the top 50 and qualify for the Masters, struggled throughout the summer a bit then flew over and won the French Open for his first DP World Tour title. One of the few draw-bias players on tour and he\u2019s proud of it. Played nicely in San Antonio last year. <\/p>\n

71. Sami Valimaki<\/p>\n

Age: 27 Data Golf Ranking: 121<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

One of the coolest things you can do in this game is be the first player from your country to win on the PGA TOUR. Valimaki will forever be the first man from Finland with a win on the Big Tour after a triumph at the RSM Classic. Four missed cuts and just one top-30 finish this year, though it did come at last week\u2019s Valero Texas Open.<\/p>\n

70. Carlos Ortiz<\/p>\n

Age: 34 Data Golf Ranking: 67<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: CUT, 2021<\/p>\n

Spending the chunk of his prime on LIV Golf but qualified for last year\u2019s U.S. Open and picked off a T4 to get into just his second Masters. Has two top 10s in five LIV starts this year and is the lone member of Torque GC in the field as Joaquin Niemann\u2019s game has dropped a level. Can\u2019t wait for the Torque Instagram posts. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2222784941.jpg\"69. Max Greyserman<\/p>\n

Age: 30 Data Golf Ranking: 92<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T32, 2025<\/p>\n

Finished the year inside the top 50 to get into the field for the second straight year. He is outside the top 120 in both strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained approach; it doesn\u2019t matter how well you putt if they\u2019re always for par. He has five runner-up finishes in his career but still chasing that first W. <\/p>\n

68. Haotong Li<\/p>\n

Age: 30 Data Golf Ranking: 96 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T32, 2018<\/p>\n

Back at the Masters for the first time in seven years on the strength of a T4 finish at the Open Championship. Got his PGA TOUR card through the DP World Tour last year and started well with a T8 at the AmEx and T11 at Torrey Pines but has missed the cut in five of his last six starts. Never forget when he simply wouldn\u2019t leave the range at the 2020 PGA Championship. <\/p>\n

67. Cameron Smith<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 98<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T2, 2020<\/p>\n

Dipped to perhaps his lowest level as a professional toward the end of last year but has righted the ship a bit with top 10s at LIV Adelaide and LIV Singapore. Been brutal in the majors recently with six consecutive missed cuts. He was one of the 4 eligible for the Returning Member Program and the one player who pledged his future to LIV Golf with his chest. <\/a><\/p>\n

66. Nicolas Echavarria<\/p>\n

Age: 31 Data Golf Ranking: 81 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: 51st, 2025<\/p>\n

Won his third PGA TOUR event as the beneficiary of Shane Lowry\u2019s collapse at the Cognizant Classic. Still misses his fair share of cuts\u2014sic already in 10 starts this year\u2014so building a bit of a reputation as a feast-or-famine guy and is in the positive in just one of the key strokes gained categories. Made the weekend but only just in his first Masters last year and is yet to poast a top-40 finish in seven career major starts. <\/p>\n

65. Sergio Garcia<\/p>\n

Age: 46 Data Golf Ranking: 132<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2017<\/p>\n

Seems to be shut out from the European Ryder Cup ecosystem and will need to get on his horse if he\u2019s to play any non-Masters majors for the rest of his career. One top 10 in five starts on LIV this year and has missed the cut in six of his seven starts at Augusta since his career-defining win in 2017. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-1287436745.jpg\"64. Dustin Johnson<\/p>\n

Age: 41 Data Golf Ranking: 156<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2020<\/p>\n

His five-year exemption into all the other majors from winning the 2020 Masters is up, so he\u2019s currently only exempt into this one and the U.S. Open for one more year until that 10-year exemption is up, too. Maintains he\u2019s not finished and still highly motivated but he\u2019s currently 26th in the LIV Golf standings (out of 60ish) and hasn\u2019t had a top-20- finish in a major since 2023. <\/p>\n

63. Harry Hall<\/p>\n

Age: 28 Data Golf Ranking: 33<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Made a sneaky run toward a potential Ryder Cup spot last summer though you felt it was always an uphill battle, and it\u2019s hard to argue with anything Luke Donald did in the lead-up to Bethpage. He is one of the best putters on the PGA TOUR and despite being a big, tall lad of 6\u20194\u201d he\u2019s just 89th in driving distance. <\/p>\n

62. Tom McKibbin<\/p>\n

Age: 23 Data Golf Ranking: 102<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

A rising star from Rory\u2019s neck of the woods, he earned his PGA TOUR card through the DP World TOur only to swerve and join Jon Rahm\u2019s Legion XIII on LIV. Proof that you can, in fact play your way into the Masters on LIV Golf\u2026so long as you\u2019re willing to travel\u2014he won the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour to get into the field. Currently 38th in the LIV Standings with one top-20 finish in five. <\/p>\n

61. Wyndham Clark<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 95<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T46, 2025<\/p>\n

Not much good here. A good three-tournament stretch in July of last year is all that\u2019s keeping him somewhat afloat in the world rankings and it has been very much a struggle this year, particularly with the short game. He recently split with longtime caddie John Ellis, who was on his bag when he won his U.S. Open at LACC in 2023. Trying out new putters seemingly every week. <\/p>\n

60. Kurt Kitayama<\/p>\n

Age: 33 Data Golf Ranking: 40<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T35, 2024<\/p>\n

Missed the Masters last year but he\u2019s back after winning the 3M Open in the summer. A T2 in the Genesis Invitational netted him huge FedEx points and a massive payday. \u201cQuadzilla\u201d is one of the very best nicknames on TOUR. <\/p>\n

59. Matt McCarty<\/p>\n

Age: 28 Data Golf Ranking: 70<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T14, 2025<\/p>\n

Squeaked into the field by being in the top 50 in the world, and it must\u2019ve been a nervous wait as he missed the cut at the Players and the Valspar in his last chances to cement his spot. Showed really nicely with a T14 in his Masters debut last year before missing the cut in the final three majors of the year. A T2 at the AmEx is by far his best finish of the season, though that couldn\u2019t possibly be a more different week than this one. <\/p>\n

58. Nick Taylor<\/p>\n

Age: 37 Data Golf Ranking: 43<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T29, 2020<\/p>\n

Made the cut in two of four majors last year which marked significant progress as he\u2019d missed the cut in nine consecutive prior to that. One of the few players who seems to play his best when he gets a sniff of a trophy, and he\u2019s won five, but never been anywhere close to contention in a major. <\/p>\n

57. John Keefer<\/p>\n

Age: 25 Data Golf Ranking: 100<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

I do wonder what the status of \u201cJohnny\u201d is because that\u2019s how he\u2019s listed on the PGA TOUR, but it seems like he RSVP\u2019d to the masters under \u201cJohn\u201d and that\u2019s how he\u2019s listed on the OWGR website, too. Player of the Year on the Korn Ferry Tour last year and crept inside the top 50 in the world rankings with a well-timed T7 at the RSM Classic. A bit of a learning curve thus far this year on the PGA TOUR and he missed the cut last week but a T3 in Houston has him in a decent spot.<\/p>\n

56. Casey Jarvis<\/p>\n

Age: 22 Data Golf Ranking: 62<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

The young South African is destined fo the PGA TOUR after an incredible stretch on his home continent to start the year: a win at the Magical Kenya Open, a win at the Investec South Africa Open Championship and a T2 at the Joburg Open. Kept it going at the Hero Indian Open with a T13. Exciting young prospect but not eligible for the Presidents Cup as he\u2019s not a PGA TOUR member. They should look into changing that rule. The Internationals need all the help they can get. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2266134237.jpg\"55. Max Homa<\/p>\n

Age: 35 Data Golf Ranking: 109<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T3, 2024<\/p>\n

He keeps working hard but it feels like the wheels are spinning in place. Simply hasn\u2019t been the same caliber of player since the latter half of 2024, when he switched coaches and then club manufacturers after reaching the top 10 in the world (and finishing third in the Masters). His only top-10 finishes in his last 25 starts came at the Bank of Utah Championship in the fall and the John Deere Classic. In the field by way of his T12 last year at Augusta, so he clearly feels comfortable around the place. <\/p>\n

54. Rasmus Neergard-Peterson<\/p>\n

Age: 26 Data Golf Ranking: 107<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Oklahoma State grad from Denmark won the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne with a sick up-and-down on the 72nd hole to get into the field. Playing his rookie season on the PGA TOUR and has yet to finish better than a tie for 40th. Tied 12th at Oakmont last year, so there is some major success on the pedigree. <\/p>\n

53. Aldrich Potgieter<\/p>\n

Age: 21 Data Golf Ranking: 210<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: CUT, 2023<\/p>\n

He\u2019s lost significant weight but no distance and he leads the PGA TOUR in ball speed. He fares well on courses where there\u2019s room to miss\u2014he is one of the longest, yes, but also one of the most crooked players on TOUR, and the short game needs work. Still a work in progress at just 21 years old. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2231187409.jpg\"52. Keegan Bradley<\/p>\n

Age: 39 Data Golf Ranking: 45<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T22, 2024<\/p>\n

It has not been a good start to the season. There\u2019s no sugarcoating that. He has been honest in saying he\u2019s still dealing with the emotional fallout from Bethpage Black and that he\u2019ll never forget it the rest of his career. Interestingly he has just five top-10 finishes in 49 career major starts and all five have come in either PGA Championships or U.S. Opens. His best finish in nine Masters starts is tying for 22nd, twice. <\/p>\n

51. Aaron Rai<\/p>\n

Age: 31 Data Golf Ranking: 75<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T27, 2025<\/p>\n

Returned to the DP World Tour, where he began his career, for the fall season and finished T3 at Wentworth and won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to push high up the world rankings. He\u2019s been a consistent performer on the PGA TOUR in recent years but is struggling a bit, languishing outside the top 100 in FedEx Cup points and still searching for his first top-20 finish of the year. <\/p>\n

50. Ryan Fox<\/p>\n

Age: 39 Data Golf Ranking: 66<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T26, 2023<\/p>\n

A Rugby lad (his dad played for the All Blacks) who came to golf late in life and the PGA TOUR deep into his 30s. Won twice last year, including in an epic playoff over Sam Burns in Canada, for the best year of his professional career. Had to withdraw from the Players Championship with kidney stones, which hurts to even type about. Made the cut in both his Masters starts and has plenty of firepower\u2014his swing is homemade-as-hell and fun to watch\u2014but hasn\u2019t posted a major top 10 in 25 tries. Yet. <\/p>\n

49. Andrew Novak<\/p>\n

Age: 30 Data Golf Ranking: 118<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Broke out last year to get all the way to the TOUR Championship and earn his first Masters tee time. Fun underdog story of sorts\u2014you won\u2019t find many tour pros out of Wofford College\u2014and he might know the most about (American) football of any player on tour. One top 10 on the year and no major success to speak of yet. <\/p>\n

48. Ryan Gerard<\/p>\n

Age: 26 Data Golf Ranking: 28<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

How\u2019s this for dedication\u2014he entered the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December as it presented his last chance to move into the top 50 of the world rankings by the end of the year and earn a Masters invite. He lost in a playoff, moved from 57th to 46th and did exactly that. It wouldn\u2019t have mattered as he started the year with runner-ups at both the SOny Open and the American Express. Cooled off a bit sincere then with missed cuts in two of his last three events. Has made nine starts already this year. Nice to be young. <\/p>\n

\"Harman47. Brian Harman<\/p>\n

Age: 39 Data Golf Ranking: 94<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T12, 2021<\/p>\n

Slipping down the world rankings a bit with no top-10 finishes yet in seven starts in 2026. Forever a major winner after that dominant performance a few years ago at Hoylake and has three top-10 finishes in his last four Open Championships. He\u2019s a mudder\u2014when the going gets tough, he makes tons of pars and hangs around. Feels like a lot of golf course for him, though, and he missed three straight cuts at the Masters before a T36 last year. <\/p>\n

46. Kristoffer Reitan<\/p>\n

Age: 28 Data Golf Ranking: 101<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Won the big-money Nedbank Golf Challenge in December but struggling on the PGA TOUR this year. Part of the growing contingent of Scandinavian golfers on the world stage. Wikipedia tells me is \u201ca grandson of Odd Reitan, who formed the Reitan conglomerate and became one of Norway\u2019s wealthiest businessmen.\u201d Every day is a school day. <\/p>\n

45. Rasmus Hojgaard<\/p>\n

Age: 25 Data Golf Ranking: 51 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T32, 2025<\/p>\n

It was he who took his brother\u2019s spot on the latest Ryder Cup team, but it\u2019s his brother who\u2019s had the better season thus far. They aren\u2019t just identical, they have very similar statistical profiles and matching ball speeds. Made the cut in six straight majors but still looking for his first proper breakthrough performance in one. <\/p>\n

44. Sam Stevens<\/p>\n

Age: 29 Data Golf Ranking: 46<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Oklahoma State alum played on that team with Matt Wolff and Viktor Hovland that won the 2018 NCAA Championship. Got in via his world ranking which has steadily ascended. Plays golf virtually every week. <\/p>\n

\"Daniel-Berger-GettyImages-2200036866.jpg\"43. Daniel Berger<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 52<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T10, 2016<\/p>\n

A few significant injuries have derailed his career somewhat\u2014he played his way onto the Presidents Cup team in 2017 and the Ryder Cup in 2021 before a lumbar disc bulge kept him out for 19 months. Next: a broken ring finger in August 2025 that ended his season at the BMW Championship and kept him out for the entire fall. He\u2019s back to full strength and found form in the friendly confines of Florida\u2014born in Plantation, educated in Tallahassee, lives in Jupiter\u2014where he lost in a playoff to Akshay Bhatia at Bay Hill before a so-so Players Championship. His best Masters finish came in his first try before all those injuries, in 2016, and his best in his five starts since is a T21 last year. <\/p>\n

42. Sam Burns<\/p>\n

Age: 29 Data Golf Ranking: 20<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T29, 2023<\/p>\n

Been pretty quiet with one top-10 finish in seven starts thus far this season. Played nicely throughout the summer to earn a pick from Keegan Bradley. That included a soaked quest for the U.S. Open when he got zero breaks down the stretch at Oakmont and wound up finishing T7. Two top 10s in 22 career majors is a less-than-awesome output thus far and the Masters has been his worst of the four with two whatever finishes and two missed cuts in four tries. <\/p>\n

41. Ben Griffin<\/p>\n

Age: 29 Data Golf Ranking: 29<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Fair to call this a sophomore slump? He wasn\u2019t a rookie last year but it was the season he broke out and became a Ryder Cup-level player with a barrage of top 20 finishes. It has regressed in 2026 with three consecutive missed cuts through the Florida swing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players and Valspar. Still plenty of time to turn the season around and perhaps his first-ever Masters start will be the jolt his game needs. Admitted to me that his expectations of himself have changed after last year, and that can be a tough burden to carry. <\/p>\n

40. Maverick McNealy<\/p>\n

Age: 30 Data Golf Ranking: 21<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T32, 2025<\/p>\n

Had a half-chance to make the Ryder Cup team last year but will need to get on his horse to get in the Presidents Cup mix. Six finishes between 10th and 32nd in his eight starts this year and zero top-20 finishes in majors in 12 tries. <\/p>\n

39. Alex Noren<\/p>\n

Age: 43 Data Golf Ranking: 23<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T62, 2019<\/p>\n

A fascinating career: 12 wins on the DP World Tour but none on the PGA TOUR, and he might be the most accomplished current player without a victory. Won two big ones on English soil last summer at the Betfred British Masters then the DP World Tour\u2019s flagship event at Wentworth. There was some talk at that point that he, an assistant captain for the European Ryder Cup team, might\u2019ve been in better form than some of the players on the team. Hard to believe he\u2019s only played four Masters and harder to believe he\u2019s missed the cut in three. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2225563782.jpg\"38. Patrick Cantlay<\/p>\n

Age: 34 Data Golf Ranking: 18<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T9, 2019<\/p>\n

A T7 at the Valspar was his first top 10 of the year, and zooming out, it just feels like he\u2019s been extremely quiet. Missed the cut in three of the four majors last year with his one weekend coming at Augusta (T36). he\u2019s a player with the deep respect of his peers, mainly because of how consistent he\u2019s been throughout the past half-decade, but the game\u2019s not nearly as good as it has been in years past. Perhaps he comes from nowhere?<\/p>\n

37. Marco Penge<\/p>\n

Age: 27 Data Golf Ranking: 85<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

Was the best player not named Rory McIlroy on the DP World Tour last year and there was significant buzz around him leading into his debut season on the PGA TOUR. He has a jaw-droppingly powerful swing and certainly looks the part. Then came moving to America, a he nasty sickness right before the season started and his newborn child spending weeks in the NICU. Missed four of eight cuts stateside this year but in a decent FedEx position thanks to a T16 at Riviera, a T4 at Valspar and a T21 at Valero.<\/p>\n

36. Gary Woodland<\/p>\n

Age: 41 Data Golf Ranking: 71<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T14, 2023<\/p>\n

His heartwarming victory at Valero was a proper palette-cleanser after the previous news cycle in golf, and he\u2019s everything right with the game. A lovely guy who started feeling not himself a few years ago\u2014fearful, anxious\u2014and wound up discovering a growth on his brain that required surgery. Next came recovery which is hardly ever straightforward when it comes to brains, and he shared his ongoing battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder the week of the players. Two weeks later he was back in the winners circle after a dominant week in Houston and let the emotions pour out of him. He\u2019s a proper bomber and Houston caters to bombers, but he\u2019s had limited success in the Masters which demands precision as well. <\/p>\n

35. Corey Conners<\/p>\n

Age: 34 Data Golf Ranking: 39<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T6, 2022<\/p>\n

A very, very sneaky Augusta specialist\u2014he has top 10s in four of the last five years and played in the final group on Saturday of last year\u2019s tournament with Rory McIlroy. That said, he has not won a tournament other than the Valero Texas Open in his career and seems a perennial top-10 guy but very rarely makes a charge for the title. The stats tell a familiar story: 16th in strokes gained approach, 138th in strokes gained putting. <\/p>\n

34. Harris English<\/p>\n

Age: 36 Data Golf Ranking: 27<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T12, 2025<\/p>\n

A Georgia boy through and through who played his way onto the Ryder Cup team with two runner-up finishes in majors last year, at the PGA Championship and the Open. Also included in an excellent 2025 major season was a T12 at the Masters, by far his best finish at Augusta National. He enters in solid if unspectacular form with, I kid you not, seven finishes between T21 and T28 in his eight starts this year. A good bet to make the cut but the man who wins the Masters typically has a few blue-chip finishes in the lead-up. <\/p>\n

33. Sungjae Im<\/p>\n

Age: 28 Data Golf Ranking: 114<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T2, 2020<\/p>\n

Missed the entire west coast swing with a wrist injury, a new challenge for a guy who plays as much golf as anyone. Started his 2026 at Bay Hill and the Players, no easy task, and missed the cut in both. He bounced back to take a 54-hole lead at the Valspar Championship but put forth a feeble effort on Sunday for a T4. That\u2019s a bit of a pattern\u2014he doesn\u2019t win very often. Has a very, very good history at the Masters with four finishes of T16 or better in his six career starts, including a T2 in the Covid 2020 Masters and a T5 last year. Plays his best on firm and fast courses. <\/p>\n

32. Collin Morikawa<\/p>\n

Age: 29 Data Golf Ranking: 13<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T3, 2024<\/p>\n

Big, big injury concerns here. Golf\u2019s a cruel game\u2014he got his first win in two-plus years at Pebble Beach and followed it with a T7 at Riviera and a fifth at Bay Hill only to injure his back during a practice swing on his second hole of the Players Championship. He tried to return for the Valero Texas Open but wound up withdrawing on Tuesday of tournament week. Underrated excellent history at Augusta, with three top 10s and five top 20s in his six starts. <\/p>\n

31. Sepp Straka<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 28<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T16, 2024<\/p>\n

Becoming a mainstay in the European Ryder Cup picture but there\u2019s a lot of Georgia in there, too. Comes in on a nice run of form with top 20s in Phoenix, Pebble (a T2), Bay Hill and the Players. Really struggled in majors last year with three missed cuts, including at the Masters, and a T52 at the Open Championship. Missed the cut at Valero last week. Such is the danger of playing the week before the Masters: if you play well, great vibes. If you miss the cut\u2026<\/p>\n

30. Justin Thomas<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 37<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: 4, 2020<\/p>\n

Part of a concerning number of not-old players who\u2019ve missed time with back injuries. Missed the entirety of the west coast swing then debuted at Bay Hill in pretty eye-opening fashion, shooting +14 for two rounds, only to show very nicely at the Players Championship. This tournament has given him troubles\u2014his best finish in non-Covid years is an eighth, and he\u2019s gone T36-CUT-CUT in his last three tries. <\/a><\/p>\n

29. Si Woo Kim<\/p>\n

Age: 30 Data Golf Ranking: 15<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T12, 2021<\/p>\n

Got off to a flying start on the West Coast swing with four straight finishes of T11 or better, including a T2 at the Farmers and a T3 at the WM Phoenix Open. He\u2019s always been a balls-to-the-wall, fire-at-ever-pin, driver-off-the-deck type player but he\u2019s trying to rein it in a bit this year. Perhaps that hyper aggressive style explains the relatively poor record in majors: his T8 at last year\u2019s PGA Championship was his first top 10 in his 32nd try. One of a few players who might sneak in an Amen Corner cigarette. <\/p>\n

28. Jason Day<\/p>\n

Age: 38 Data Golf Ranking: 38<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T2, 2011<\/p>\n

Made more headlines with his outfits than his golf in recent years, and his golf hasn\u2019t been half-bad. Began the season with a T2 in the desert and putted really nicely en route to a T6 in his last start in Houston. He\u2019s very reliant on the putter to have good finishes these days\u2014his iron play ranks 128th on TOUR, and you simply cannot get away with poor iron play at Augusta National. Nearly won the Masters in his first try way back in 2011 and finished T8 last year. <\/p>\n

27. Tyrrell Hatton<\/p>\n

Age: 34 Data Golf Ranking: 68 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T9, 2024<\/p>\n

One of the very, precious few touring professionals who has been outspoken about not liking Augusta National\u2014it\u2019s unfair and tricky, he says\u2014but he\u2019s figured something out the last few years with a ninth-place finish in 2024 and a T14 in 2025. He\u2019s made a habit of going back home to Europe in the fall after the LIV season, posting some excellent finishes and pushing that world ranking high up there to keep himself in the mix, and he did it again this past year. Hasn\u2019t contended for a LIV event yet this year in five starts which, considering the level of competition, isn\u2019t anything to write home about, and he\u2019s down to 68th in the Data Golf rankings. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2266637371.jpg\"26. Jordan Spieth<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 31<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2015<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to see him play a tournament without producing a screenshot-worthy moment. There\u2019s plenty of good in there and there have been some solid finishes, too\u2014a T12 at Riviera, a T11 at Bay Hill, a T11 at Valspar\u2014but this is Jordan Frickin\u2019 Spieth we\u2019re talking about, and the standards have certainly dropped. Just doesn\u2019t seem to be able to play 72 holes without silly mistakes\u2026but, and it\u2019s a sizable but, he has eight finishes of T14 or better in 12 career Masters starts, and Augusta isn\u2019t as penal off the tee as the Florida courses. You can talk yourself into this one. <\/p>\n

25. Jake Knapp<\/p>\n

Age: 31 Data Golf Ranking: 16<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T55, 2024<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait to watch him this week. Having the best season of his career thus far with seven finishes of T11 or better, including six top 10s, in eight starts. Season hit a speedbump at Bay Hill where he had to pull out with a back tweak, then he missed the cut at the Players, so it was great to see him post a T6 in Houston in his final tune-up. With a swing that\u2019s half John Daly, half Fred Couples it\u2019ll be a joy to watch him shape his ball around this iconic course. Second in strokes gained putting this year, which has been crucial to his success. <\/p>\n

24. Shane Lowry<\/p>\n

Age: 38 Data Golf Ranking: 30 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T3, 2022<\/p>\n

In an alternate universe has has two wins already in 2026, one on both sides of the pond. Unfortunately we don\u2019t live in that universe. Squandered a chance to win the Dubai Invitational by sending a greenside bunker shot into the water to start the year then blew the Cognizant Classic in spectacular fashion, coughing up a four-shot lead with three holes to play with two banana slices at PGA National. He admitted that the pain lingered throughout the rest of the Florida swing where he missed cuts at both Bay Hill and the Players. Making his 32nd consecutive start in a major.<\/p>\n

23. Adam Scott<\/p>\n

Age: 45 Data Golf Ranking: 32<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2013<\/p>\n

Justin Rose is the 45-year-old with more headline-grabbing performances recently but it\u2019s Scott that\u2019s ahead in the Data Golf rankings. Seems to somehow get faster every year and he\u2019s scared 190 mph ball speed on multiple occasions. A solo fourth at the Genesis on a course with some Augusta-like tendencies. Sure feels like his career warrants a second major championship and he had a good chance at last year\u2019s U.S Open. Physically, still very much capable. <\/p>\n

\"min-woo-lee-2026.jpg\"
22. Min Woo Lee<\/p>\n

Age: 27 Data Golf Ranking: 14 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T14, 2022<\/p>\n

The Chef is cooking this year: A T2 at Pebble Beach, a T12 at Riviera, a T6 at Bay Hill and, most recently, a T3 in Houston. Had some interesting comments about dialing back the speed on Signature Event weeks because he\u2019s learned just how vital it is to hit fairways on penal setups. Last year was a lost one in the majors with a 49th in the Masters (which was coming off a victory in Houston) and missed cuts in the final three. He\u2019ll be chomping at the bit to get going and never short on confidence. <\/p>\n

21. Nicolai Hojgaard<\/p>\n

Age: 25 Data Golf Ranking: 24 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T16, 2024<\/p>\n

Enjoying a really nice season stateside with three top-10 finishes, highlighted by a (distant) solo second to Gary Woodland at The Texas Children\u2019s Houston Open. Still just 25 and absolutely mashes the golf ball\u2014he\u2019s fourth in ball speed at just under 188 miles per hour, right behind his twin brother Rasmus. Also ninth gained in strokes overall. Slowly progressing as a professional and with Ryder Cup experience you\u2019d think no moment would be too big for him. <\/p>\n

20. Brooks Koepka<\/p>\n

Age: 35 Data Golf Ranking: 104<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T2, 2019 and 2023<\/p>\n

Back on the PGA TOUR and he was a trendy \u201csleeper\u201d pick after his T9\/T13\/T18 split at the Cognizant, Players and Valspar. (Is it possible for a five-time major winner to be a sleeper? Particularly encouraging to the sharps was his TOUR-leading strokes gained approach but some wind left the sails with a missed cut in Houston. He is a big-game hunter, doesn\u2019t shy away from the moment and has had plenty of good finishes at Augusta in the past\u2026but he hasn\u2019t had a top 10 in a major since he won his fifth at Oak Hill in 2023. Wouldn\u2019t be a surprise if he had a chance on Sunday, wouldn\u2019t be a surprise if he misses the cut. Likely comes down to the putter. <\/p>\n

19. J.J. Spaun<\/p>\n

Age: 35 Data Golf Ranking: 34 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T23, 2022<\/p>\n

All the sudden, a moribund season has produced some big-time momentum heading into the Masters. Transformed himself from TOUR journeyman to major champion and Ryder Cupper last year but had a bit of a post-major swoon 2026 with he has four missed cuts and zero top-20 finishes in his first seven starts…only to win the Valero Texas Open with a classy 67 on Sunday. Just his third Masters appearance. Putter had been particularly uncooperative until last week. <\/p>\n

18. Chris Gotterup<\/p>\n

Age: 26 Data Golf Ranking: 26 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

He\u2019s the highest-ranked rookie at No. 9 in the world and thus, on paper, the player with the best chance to become the first Masters debutant to win since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. He plays with some New Jersey swagger and clearly does not mind the big moment with three wins in the last nine months. He stared down Rory McIlroy to win the Scottish Open, cruised to victory in the season opener at the Sony and held his nerve in the tour\u2019s most chaotic environment at the WM Phoenix Open. Those are three very, very different courses. Picked up his first top 10 since those wins in his last start in Houston on a bomber\u2019s paradise. You\u2019d think he\u2019d make his first Team USA this year with the Presidents Cup, and a solid showing at the Masters would go a long way toward cementing his status as one of the very best players in the world. <\/p>\n

17. Russell Henley<\/p>\n

Age: 36 Data Golf Ranking: 8<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T4, 2023<\/p>\n

Started working with mark Blackburn last year then missed the cut in the first two majors of the year, said wait a minute, stopped working with him and T10\u2019d at both Opens to secure a spot at Bethpage. Very, very consistent player who seems to live inside the top 20\u2014he\u2019s got five top 20s in 6 events this year and remains a top-10 player both in the Data Golf and the Official World Golf Rankings. A guy the advanced analytics love but doesn\u2019t come to mind when you think of threats to win huge tournaments. <\/p>\n

\"hovland-2025-us-open-GettyImages-2220298944.jpg\"16. Viktor Hovland<\/p>\n

Age: 28 Data Golf Ranking: 22<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T7, 2023<\/p>\n

Back-to-back T13 finishes at Bay Hill and The Players pointed toward a turnaround but a missed cut at the Valspar took some air out of the balloon. Jarring to see a player of his pedigree, and his age (right in his prime) fall outside the top 20 in both the OWGR and Data Golf. Constantly in swing purgatory\u2014he\u2019s a big fan of changing coaches and quirky training aids\u2014but that\u2019s not necessarily bad. What is bad: he\u2019s getting slower while everyone else is getting faster. Last year he averaged 173.95 mph ball speed, the year before 174.97\u2026this year, he\u2019s at 170.72. <\/p>\n

15. Jacob Bridgeman<\/p>\n

Age: 26 Data Golf Ranking: 17<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: Rookie<\/p>\n

The breakout star of the season so far\u2014he led the FedEx Cup standings entering Valero on the strength of 8\/8 finishes of T18 or better. Showed serious mettle to win Tiger\u2019s event at Riviera and has just kept plugging along since highlighted by a T5 at the Players. He\u2019s second in strokes gained overall and is having just a lights-out putting campaign so far, gaining 1.339 per round on the field. He\u2019s unlikely to sustain that pace as just one player in the last decade has finished with over a shot gained for a full year (Jason Day in 2016). He\u2019s making his Masters debut but has played the course a few times back in his Clemson days. <\/p>\n

14. Hideki Matsuyama<\/p>\n

Age: 34 Data Golf Ranking: 12<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2021<\/p>\n

Four straight top-11 finishes to start the year before so-so play in Florida has him coming in under the radar, as he always seems to do. His one and only major came at Augusta and he has nine top-20 finishes in his last 11 starts at the Masters. Growing reputation as one of the game\u2019s great short gamers after building one as a ball striker in the front half of his career. Driver can be rather erratic these days. <\/p>\n

13. Akshay Bhatia<\/p>\n

Age: 24 Data Golf Ranking: 19<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T35, 2024<\/p>\n

There\u2019s never been any doubt as to his talent level; he made the Walker Cup team at 17 and took a good deal of flak when he decided to turn pro rather than play college golf, but he\u2019s blossoming into a world-class player this year. Scored the biggest title of his career with a gutsy back-nine 31 at Bay Hill and followed it up with a T13 at the Players. He\u2019s sponsored by Hero, which helps explain why he then got on a plane to India, missing the cut at the Hero Indian Open on a very finicky golf course. Lefties have a long and storied history at Augusta National, and he and Robert MacIntyre are in a battle for the title of Best Lefty playing right now. So-so appearances in both of his Masters appearances so far. <\/p>\n

12. Justin Rose<\/p>\n

Age: 45 Data Golf Ranking: 35<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: 2, 2025<\/p>\n

No one\u2019s been closer to winning the Masters without a green jacket than J-Rose. He has three runner-up finishes and two playoff losses, including last year to Rory McIlroy, and there\u2019s no tournament he wants to win more. Clearly still a threat on weeks where he\u2019s up for it\u2014he dominated at Torrey Pines earlier this year\u2014and no one works more diligently to stay at the top level deep into his 40s. That said, there is not the week-to-week consistency that there was at his world No. 1 best and he has missed the cut in three of six starts on TOUR this year. But if there\u2019s one week where you know he\u2019ll be gassed up, it\u2019s this one. He\u2019d be a true feel-good winner. <\/p>\n

11. Patrick Reed<\/p>\n

Age: 35 Data Golf Ranking: 47<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2018<\/p>\n

What a few months it\u2019s been! Won his first Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, then made some flirty comments about being open to a return to the PGA TOUR, then confirming he\u2019s done with LIV and coming back, then taking T2 in Bahrain and won the Qatar Masters to ensure he\u2019ll have full status in 2027 through the DP World Tour\u2019s pathway. Made just two starts since then, a T29 and a T10 in two events in South Africa; he lacks the top-level starts to really pop on the advanced metrics but he\u2019s full of confidence and returning to a place he loves, with more public support than he\u2019s had in years. An intriguing prospect this week. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2225834576.jpg\"10. Cameron Young<\/p>\n

Age: 28 Data Golf Ranking: 5<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T7, 2023<\/p>\n

Finally delivered on his all-world potential in a huge way at the Players, where he won the biggest title of his career in macho fashion with a massive drive on 18 and a ballsy approach to a back pin. Wasn\u2019t out of nowhere, either\u2014he came into that week with a T7 at Riviera and a T3 at Bay Hill. Plenty of early major success in his career with two top-five finishes in 2022 and surely his triumph at TPC Sawgrass unlocked a newfound confidence. Had back-to-back top 10s in this event before missing the cut last year. Opted for three weeks off after the Players rather than keeping the hot hand going. He\u2019ll be rested. That\u2019s for sure. <\/p>\n

\"tommy-fleetwood-dp-world-tour-2025-GettyImages-2246808701.jpg\"9. Tommy Fleetwood<\/p>\n

Age: 35 Data Golf Ranking: 6<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T3, 2024<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been more curiosity on his sartorial choices than anything else this year, as his Nike era ended with 2025 and he\u2019s yet to sign with an apparel sponsor as of yet. Started the year with two meh weeks in his home in Dubai but has bounced back with four top-10 finishes in his last five starts, including three signature events\u2014and his family were able to travel out of Dubai safely, which is huge. His best-ever finish came with local Augusta National caddie Gray Moore on the bag. He\u2019s now done everything in world golf besides win a major championship. Could it be his time? <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2213380637.jpg\"8. Rory McIlroy<\/p>\n

Age: 36 Data Golf Ranking: 3<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2025<\/p>\n

Finally\u2014fucking finally\u2014achieved golfing immortality in the most dramatic fashion possible twelve months ago. He doubled the first hole, played a brilliant rest of the front nine and led by four after birdieing the 10th, the site of his disaster in 2011. Next came a proper rollercoaster: one of the all-time worst shots in Masters history on 13, a heroic effort on 15\u2026meh, you remember it by now. He entered last year feeling incredible about his game on the heels of winning at both Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass. This year, a totally different story: he was solid on the west coast but had to withdraw from Bay Hill with a back injury then was never a factor at the Players. Interestingly enough he opted against adding another start before what is sure to be an emotional week. Let\u2019s hope he doesn\u2019t get too deep into the fancy ass wine he\u2019s got on deck for the Champions Dinner. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2230303057.jpg\"7. Robert MacIntyre<\/p>\n

Age: 29 Data Golf Ranking: 9<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T12, 2021<\/p>\n

Certainly a contender. Solo fourth at the Players proved there\u2019s no field too big for him and he followed it up with an excellent performance at the Valero Texas Open. Going back further, he picked up a significant win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last fall. Doesn\u2019t shy away when he\u2019s in contention and he\u2019s an excellent, excellent putter, gaining ground on the field in every start he\u2019s made on the PGA TOUR this year. Missed the cut at the Masters last year but gave J.J. Spaun his best shot at the U.S. Open (solo 2nd) and picked up a fifth career major top 10 at Royal Portrush. Can he be the next lefty at Augusta?<\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2229084301.jpg\"6. Xander Schauffele<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 4<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T2, 2019<\/p>\n

Won his last start of 2025 then welcomed his first child and sort of slept-walk through the west coast swing, missing his first cut in over 70 starts at the Farmers Insurance Open. He\u2019s shaken off the rust with a solo third at the Players and a T4 at the Valspar, so all systems seem to be firing heading into the year\u2019s first major. Great history at Augusta with two top-three finishes and top 10s in each of the past three years. There is perhaps no better bet to finish in the top 10, and a win this week would very quietly bring him \u00be of the way to the career Grand Slam. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2230296977.jpg\"5. Ludvig Aberg<\/p>\n

Age: 26 Data Golf Ranking: 11<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: 2nd, 2024<\/p>\n

A rough start to the year\u2014another sickness in California!\u2014was washed away by some excellent play in his adopted home state of Florida and his college home of Florida. Tied for third at Bay Hill before building a big lead through 54 holes at TPC Sawgrass only to properly unravel on the back nine, then another disappointing Sunday that he salvaged with some late birdies to finish T5 at Valero. Has an excellent history at Augusta National\u2014nearly won in his first-ever major appearance in 2024 and found himself with a chance to win the tournament on the chaotic Sunday last year. A major championship is the next step in his career. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2222502575.jpg\"4. Matt Fitzpatrick<\/p>\n

Age: 31 Data Golf Ranking: 7<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T10, 2023<\/p>\n

What a week for the Fitzpatrick family! Older brother Matt won the Valspar with a birdie on 18 for his third PGA TOUR title seven days before younger brother Alex won the Hero Indian Open for his first DP World Tour title. Matt\u2019s win came just a week after he finished solo second at The Players Championship. He is hitting his irons better than he ever has as work with Mark Blackburn has produced an off-speed cut approach that\u2019s new to his game. He\u2019s currently seventh on TOUR in strokes gained approach\u2014his previous best finish in that category is 48th\u2014and has had so much success this year despite his putting, historically a strength, being in the negative for strokes gained. He absolutely adores Augusta and has putted very well there in the past; if he pairs the ball striking of 2026 with the putting of pre-2026, he\u2019s absolutely a threat to win the tournament. <\/p>\n

\"bryson-dechambeau-masters-2025-GettyImages-2209959969.jpg\"3. Bryson DeChambeau<\/p>\n

Age: 32 Data Golf Ranking: 10 <\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: T5, 2025<\/p>\n

Bryson comes in off back-to-back wins on LIV Golf in Hong Kong and South Africa. You can only beat what\u2019s in front of you, and he\u2019s doing that, and he (and Brooks Koepka) have already proven that a LIV Golfer can absolutely win a major championship. He\u2019s had chances to win each of the past two Masters after not threatening at all in his first seven trips down Magnolia Lane; he\u2019s said he\u2019s learned how to approach the course and that he can\u2019t just bludgeon his way to the top. Been a mainstay on major leaderboards the last two years with six top-10 finishes, including three top-two finishes, over his last eight attempts. Got a front-row seat to Rory McIlroy\u2019s coronation last year and surely wants to parade his green jacket all over his YouTube channel. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2152262613.jpg\"2. Jon Rahm<\/p>\n

Age: 31 Data Golf Ranking: 2<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2023<\/p>\n

It sure feels like he has something to prove this week. He\u2019s in an old-fashioned standoff with the DP World Tour\u2014he refused the terms of a peace agreement that many others on LIV accepted, as he\u2019s standing firm on not having to play more just because he\u2019s on LIV Golf. Bounced back from a poor 2024 in the majors with a T14 last year at Augusta and top 10s at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He\u2019s finished outside the top 10 exactly once on LIV Golf, a testament both to his consistency and the state of LIV Golf, and hasn\u2019t finished outside the top 5 in any start this year. Absolutely a threat, especially with a little chip on his shoulder. <\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2209170061.jpg\"1. Scottie Scheffler<\/p>\n

Age: 29 Data Golf Ranking: 1<\/p>\n

Best Masters finish: WIN, 2022, 2024<\/p>\n

The game\u2019s top dog, but he\u2019s coming in off three consecutive finishes outside the top 10 after 18 consecutive finishes inside. Swing looked totally out of sorts in Florida and the sharp eyes of Brandel Chamblee caught some differences from his 2025 action. Withdrew from the Houston event for the birth of his second child so you know the #perspective will be perspective-ing. No one has played this course better over the past half-decade and he can put a rest to any sort of mini-slump talk with a tidy 68 on Thursday. I have no doubt he and Randy Smith will sort out the ball striking and here\u2019s a piece of positivity heading into the week: he has gained strokes putting in each of his last 12 starts. I picked him to start the year, I\u2019m sticking with it. <\/p>\n

\nEditor’s Note: Data Golf Rankings were referenced before the start of the Valero Texas Open. <\/p>\n

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