AUGUSTA, Ga. — For the first time in his profession, Rory McIlroy will pressure down Magnolia Lane this week as a Masters champion.
And, for the first time, McIlroy would possibly perchance now not be carrying the burden of getting by no methodology won a green jacket as he prepares for the first fundamental championship of the season at Augusta National Golf Club.
Virtually a 365 days ago, McIlroy made a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th gap to defeat England’s Justin Rose on the first gap of a sudden-loss of life playoff.
With his prolonged-awaited Masters victory, McIlroy changed into most productive the sixth golfer to total the profession Gargantuan Slam.
“No, this is going to be the first time I drive down Magnolia Lane, and it’s all going to be about enjoying my week,” McIlroy said. “You know, enjoying the perks that come along with being a Masters champion: having a parking space in the champions’ car park to using the champions’ locker room. You know, hosting the dinner on Tuesday night.
“The thing is, I do know I win to jog relief to the Masters Match for the relaxation of my lifestyles, and that’s the explanation pretty a freeing feeling.”
Can McIlroy do it again? Will Scottie Scheffler find his groove and slip on a green jacket for the third time in the past five years? Or will a couple of LIV Golf stars, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, come out on top?
Here’s a look at the 91 golfers in the field, from the guys who can win to those who are simply trying to make the cut.
Tier I: The clear favorites
Some folks might have questions about Scheffler’s game heading into the Masters, but he’s already won two green jackets and is still the best golfer in the world. Back problems have put McIlroy’s chances of a repeat in doubt. Collin Morikawa was playing like one of the best golfers in the world before he hurt his back. Can DeChambeau’s success in the LIV Golf League carry over to the majors? Here are the golfers with the best chances to slip on a green jacket Sunday.
The sector No. 1 golfer has been combating his driver in most up-to-date weeks, and he ranks eightieth in strokes won: manner (.080). He hasn’t had a high-10 attain since tying for fourth in the AT&T Pebble Seaside Pro-Am on Feb. 12 — his longest drought in nearly four years (three starts in a row!). He skipped a delivery in Texas because his wife, Meredith, changed into due with their second child. And but, he’s quiet the having a bet current and would turn out to be most productive the ninth golfer to derive three jackets or more. Scheffler is 101-below par in his fundamental championship profession, the largest all time, at the side of 111 below since 2020. He’s forty five strokes better than any varied participant at some stage in that span, per ESPN Examine.
McIlroy’s win had been stable this 365 days till a relief spoil compelled him out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March. He changed into contact-and-jog to tee it up in the Gamers, but bought via 72 holes and tied for 46th at even par. His three-week layoff is tied for the longest of his profession entering the Masters, per ESPN Examine. Final 365 days, he joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Participant, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the largest golfers to derive all four majors at some stage in the Masters period. He’d be the first relief-to-relief winner since Woods in 2001 and 2002. He’ll need to pork up his placing to derive again. He ranks 104th in strokes won: placing (-.148); he changed into ninth in that stat entering the 2025 Masters.
The prolonged-hitting DeChambeau won relief-to-relief events in the LIV Golf League and is taking half in one of the essential most largest golf of his profession. He performed with McIlroy in the final Sunday pairing in final 365 days’s Masters and carded a 3-over 75. He executed tied for fifth at 7 below. He has unfinished business in Augusta. He changed into within the high 10 of the leaderboard at the discontinue of every round prior to now two Masters — Scheffler changed into the largest varied golfer who did it.
The 2-time fundamental winner executed in the high 10 in the Masters in 5 of his past seven starts. He seems to be cherish he’s in the discontinuance recovered from a rib spoil that derailed his 2025 season with a solo third in the Gamers and tie for fourth in the Valspar Championship. Since his 2018 Masters debut, Schauffle is tied for the most high-10 finishes with 5.
Young is going to be a typical decide for the fairway jacket after he won the Gamers for the largest victory of his profession. His tee-to-green game suits Augusta National, the put he already has two high 10s in four starts.
With his return to the PGA Tour coming this autumn, this would possibly also be interesting to appear what more or less welcome the 2018 Masters winner will get in Augusta, the put he performed college golf. Augusta National quiet feels cherish home — he executed in the high 12 in 5 of his past six starts. Did we point out Reed has already won twice on the DP World Tour this 365 days? He’s 39 below in the Masters since 2018, which trails most productive Scheffler (40 below).
Åberg changed into runner-up in the 2024 Masters and changed into solo seventh final 365 days. He’ll need to recover from his late give intention in the Gamers, via which he squandered a 3-stroke lead with nine holes to play. In final 365 days’s Masters, he changed into tied with McIlroy and Rose with two holes to play in the final round. Åberg, 26, executed bogey-triple bogey to attain 5 shots relief.
The 2023 Masters champion picked up his third LIV Golf victory in Hong Kong on March 8. For the total talk about him no longer taking half in ample golf to contend in majors, he executed in the high 10 in 5 of the past nine. Since incomes his first high-10 attain in the Masters in 2018, “Rahmbo” has recorded 5 high 10s in eight starts while recording the most rounds in the 60s (13) of any participant, per ESPN Examine.
The reigning FedEx Cup champion executed in the high 25 in every of his past two Masters starts, tying for third in 2024. Even although Fleetwood executed in the high 10 in three of his four starts in signature events this season, his placing hasn’t been immense. Fleetwood’s eight profession high 10s in majors are the most among avid gamers in this 365 days’s Masters discipline with out a fundamental title to their title, per ESPN Examine.
Tier II: The guys who can derive
Listed below are the genuine contenders varied than the high nine. They beget the games, guts and nerves to address four stress-packed rounds on definitely one of the essential crucial treacherous golf functions on this planet.
The 2022 U.S. Start champion won again at the Valspar Championship on March 22, his first PGA Tour victory in nearly three years. His ballstriking is world-class again and he’s hitting 69% of fairways, which is fourth on tour.
Rose, forty five, will elevate some scars to Augusta National after his painful playoff loss to McIlroy in 2025. Nonetheless it changed into furthermore proof that the English golfer is quiet able to successful a fundamental. He has been a Masters runner-up three instances in 20 starts.
Sure, Spieth hasn’t won since the RBC Heritage in April 2022. Nonetheless the 2015 Masters champion has set aside together a decision of correct rounds this season — and some that knocked him out of competition. He executed in the high 5 in half of his 12 Masters starts. Spieth’s profession scoring moderate (70.98) is the lowest of any participant in Masters ancient past with out a longer no longer up to 25 rounds performed.
Straka won twice on the PGA Tour final season and tied for second in the AT&T Pebble Seaside Pro-Am on Feb. 12. His putter will need to warmth up this week if he will contend for a green jacket.
Koepka’s win has been so-so since he returned to the PGA Tour in January, but few golfers repeat up for the majors cherish “Big-Game Brooks.” The 5-time fundamental winner is a two-time Masters runner-up, most lately in 2023. He ranks third on tour in strokes won: manner (.913), but a hundred and fortieth in strokes won: placing (-.529).
The 2-time fundamental champion would had been among the high 5 favorites to drag on a green jacket Sunday — till a relief spoil knocked him out of plug. Morikawa hoped to return in final week’s Valero Texas Start but wasn’t ready. He executed in the high 10 in the Masters in three of his past four starts. Since 2020, Morikawa has hit the most fairways of any individual (264), while hitting the second-most greens (291), which is most productive in the relief of Scheffler.
Matsuyama’s win wasn’t immense in most up-to-date weeks, but he misplaced in a playoff in Phoenix and tied for eighth at Pebble Seaside earlier this 365 days. He has been combating his driver for a long way of the season. Matsuyama hasn’t executed in the high 10 since changing into the first Eastern golfer to derive a green jacket in 2021.
The aged College of Georgia golfer will win lots of make stronger from the galleries this week. He tied for fourth in 2023, his most productive high-10 attain in nine starts. He’s been definitely one of the essential largest putters on tour and his ballstriking is stable.
Bobby Mac has climbed to 11th in the Legit World Golf Ranking and perfect executed solo fourth in the Gamers. The Scottish golfer will seemingly be making his fourth delivery in Augusta; his biggest attain changed into a tie for 12th in 2021.
Bhatia has already won three instances on tour — and he perfect changed into 24 on Jan. 31. His playoff victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational changed into the largest of his profession. He made the lower in his first two Masters starts. His iron play and placing had been chic.
Hatton’s love-and-disfavor relationship with Augusta National is trending toward the aged. The LIV Golf star tied for ninth in 2024 and for 14th final season.
Hovland has perfect one high-10 attain this season and has fallen to Twenty second on this planet rankings. Restful, he’s able to placing it together this week if he figures out how to hit fairways. Hovland tied for seventh in 2023.
English has scuffled a cramped to delivery the 2026 season — he hasn’t executed outdoors the high 30 in the seven tournaments via which he made the lower, but hasn’t executed within the high 20. He tied for 12th in final 365 days’s Masters, his biggest attain in the fundamental. He changed into runner-up in the 2025 PGA Championship and The Start.
Tier III: If every part goes ethical
Listed below are the sleeper candidates to drag on a green jacket. The list features past champions, rising stars and others whose games had been works in progress this season. Will all of it attain together at Augusta?
Gotterup, 26, has already won twice on tour this season, at the Sony Start in Hawaii and WM Phoenix Start. He hits the ball a mile off the tee (319.9 yards) and ranks seventh in strokes won: tee to green (1.311). This would possibly perchance be his first Masters delivery.
Lowry had a cosmopolitan stretch after shedding a late lead in the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Seashores, lacking the lower in the API and the Gamers. He tied for third in the 2022 Masters.
Bridgeman picked up his first PGA Tour derive by keeping off a loaded discipline in the Genesis Invitation. He didn’t attain outdoors the high 18 in his first eight starts this season. He leads the tour in strokes won: placing (1.339) and is second in strokes won: total (1.933). This would possibly perchance be his first Masters delivery.
Thomas tied for eighth in the Gamers, a favorable signal as he continues his return from relief surgical operation in November. Augusta National hasn’t been his fully contented space, lately. After relief-to-relief overlooked cuts, he tied for thirty sixth in 2025. Since 2023, JT overlooked the lower in seven of his 12 fundamental starts. Essentially the most productive participant with more overlooked cuts in majors at some stage in that span is Nick Taylor (nine), per knowledge from ESPN Examine.
Min Woo Lee
“The Chef” has been heating up in most up-to-date weeks with four high-12 finishes in a 5-tournament stretch. He ranks in the high 10 on tour in strokes won: total (1.693), tee to green (1.236) and off the tee (.675).
Kim had 5 high-25 finishes in his first eight starts this season, tying for second in the Farmers Insurance protection Start and for third in Phoenix. He executed in the high 15 of the Masters as soon as in eight starts.
Højgaard executed second in the Houston Start, which secured his space in the OWGR high 50 and earned him a local in the Masters discipline. He tied for 16th in his first delivery in Augusta in 2024.
The Canadian ballstriking machine has been undone by his placing and work around the greens this season. He executed in the high 10 in four of his past six Masters starts.
True when it seems cherish the 2013 Masters champion’s biggest golf is in the rearview replicate, he finishes solo fourth in the Genesis Invitational and ties for 11th in the API. He ranks fourth on tour in strokes won: manner (.912).
Burns had an up-and-down delivery to the 2026 season, lacking three cuts and tying for sixth at Pebble Seaside and thirteenth in the Gamers. He didn’t attain in the high 25 in every of his first four Masters starts.
Cantlay hasn’t won on tour in bigger than three years and overlooked the lower in three of 4 majors final 365 days (he tied for thirty sixth in the Masters). Or no longer it is time for “Patty Ice” to flip issues around.
After a tough stretch, Day tied for sixth in the Houston Start and grabbed some momentum. His iron play has held him relief to this point this season. He tied for eighth in final 365 days’s Masters.
Knapp is coming off an 8-below 62 in the final round of the Houston Start, which tied for the low ranking at Memorial Park Golf Route. His tie for sixth moved him into the OWGR high 50, securing his second Masters invitation.
Berger nearly executed his improbable comeback from a debilitating relief spoil, shedding to Bhatia on the first gap of a playoff in the API. He tied for 21st in the Masters final 365 days, his first delivery in the fundamental since 2022.
Griffin, who won three instances on tour final season, is combating his swing and overlooked three straight cuts in March. This would possibly perchance be his first delivery at Augusta National.
His victory in the Houston Start — after coming relief from mind surgical operation and fighting PTSD — is definitely one of the essential largest experiences in the sport in a truly very prolonged time. He tied for 14th in the 2023 Masters, his biggest attain in 12 starts.
After successful twice on the DP World Tour final 365 days, Noren is ranked 19th on this planet. He hasn’t executed in the high 10 in a fundamental since 2017 and made the lower at Augusta as soon as, attempting for 62nd in 2019.
The reigning U.S. Start winner has struggled mightily this season with four overlooked cuts in his first seven starts. He changed into 114th in strokes won: total (-.450) and 159th in placing (-.875).
From 2020 to 2024, Smith’s title seemed as if it can perchance be on the Augusta National leaderboard as repeatedly as pollen. He tied for sixth in 2024, but then overlooked the lower in his past 5 majors.
The South Korean golfer executed in the high eight in three of his six Masters starts, tying for fifth final 365 days. An ethical wrist spoil delayed the beginning of his 2026 season, and he’s quiet catching up.
The 2007 Masters champion won his first tournament on the PGA Champions Tour in the James Hardie Pro Soccer Hall of Fame Invitational on March 8. He tied for eighth in final 365 days’s Masters at age 49, carding a 6-below 66 in the third round, his biggest ranking at Augusta National.
Tier IV: Hey, miracles happen
They’re the prolonged shots. This tier entails past champions, a few avid gamers fighting their win and a handful who are looking out to crack the puzzle of Augusta National.
Bradley, Clark, Harman and Johnson are fundamental champions. Bradley quiet seems to be processing the U.S. crew’s loss to Europe in final 365 days’s Ryder Cup and hasn’t performed nicely.
After a unhurried delivery to the season, Harman tied for 11th in the Gamers, but he overlooked the lower in three of his past four starts in the Masters. Johnson, the 2020 Masters champion, overlooked the lower in six of his past nine starts in majors.
McNealy is ranked 27th on this planet, but doesn’t beget a high-10 attain in 12 starts in majors. Gerard, Hall, Jarvis and Novak are all first-timers; Fuzzy Zoeller changed into the final golfer to derive the Masters in his first delivery in 1979.
Tier V: Happy to operate the lower
They’re no longer anticipated to be among the contenders unless something particular occurs. For numerous reasons, perfect being around on the weekend at Augusta National Golf Club would be regarded as a victory.
García, 46, overlooked the lower in six of his seven starts since successful the Masters in 2017 — he tied for twenty third in 2022. He has one high-10 attain in 5 starts in the LIV Golf League this season, tying for eighth in Hong Kong.
McKibbin, who performs on the Legion XIII crew with Rahm, is making his first Masters delivery, alongside with Brennan, Kataoka, Keefer, Neergaard-Petersen, Penge, Reitan, Stevens and Välimäki.
Kataoka changed into ranked 5 hundredth on this planet rankings when he with out be aware won the Japan Start on Oct. 19 to hang invitations to the Masters and The Start at Royal Birkdale in July. He’s now ranked 366th on this planet.
Tier VI: Previous champions
They’re competing this week because they won green jackets and earned the ethical to return relief to play, but their days of competing for one more fundamental championship — barring the fully surprising — are in the relief of them.
It can perchance no longer be horny to appear no longer no longer up to definitely one of the essential past Masters champions set aside together a pair of correct rounds and operate the lower. A pair of of them quiet beget something left in their tanks. Final 365 days, Watson posted a 4-below 68 in the final round and tied for 14th at 3 below.
Phil Mickelson, a 3-time Masters champion, announced on social media Thursday that he would no longer be taking half in as a result of a family health bid. Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods furthermore is now not taking half in after he announced Tuesday that he’s taking an prolonged go and looking out out for medication, following his rollover smash and DUI arrest in Florida on March 27.
Or no longer it is the first time since 1994 that neither Mickelson nor Woods is competing in the Masters.
Tier VII: Amateurs
They’re the unique children in the Crow’s Nest and the most proficient (and most fortunate) amateur avid gamers on this planet. They’re looking out to attain what Ryan Moore (tied for thirteenth in 2005), Matsuyama (27th in 2011) and DeChambeau (21st in 2016) did earlier than turning genuine by making the lower as amateurs.
Jackson Herrington
Brandon Holtz
Mason Howell
Fifa Laopakdee
Mateo Pulcini
Howell, 18, is taking half in in his second fundamental after qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Start with a pair of 63s in qualifying at Piedmont Riding Club in Atlanta. A native of Thomasville, Georgia, he overlooked the lower in the U.S. Start at Oakmont Nation Club.
In August, Howell changed into the third-youngest winner of the U.S. Novice, defeating Herrington 7 and 6 in the final 36-gap match. That victory earned him invitations to the Masters, U.S. Start and Start Championship this 365 days.
Howell performed a apply round with Rose at Augusta National on Wednesday and nearly aced the par-3 fourth.
Holtz, 39, won the U.S. Mid-Novice at Troon Nation Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Sept. 18. It changed into his first delivery in a USGA championship. Holtz changed into a guard on Illinois Impart’s basketball crew and performed on mini-excursions for six years. He regained his amateur screech in 2024.
While you derive yourself having a like up for an everyman golfer to root for this week, Holtz is your guy. The genuine property agent from Bloomington, Illinois, is ranked 3,263rd in the World Novice Golf Ranking.
Fang, 20, won the Novice Championship at Royal St. George’s in England, no longer up to a month after he helped Oklahoma Impart derive an NCAA nationwide title. The Plano, Texas, native changed into named a Ping All-American and Vast 12 Newcomer of the Year.
