Masters Tournament 2026: Predictions

Masters Tournament 2026 is on the horizon. The Masters Tournament begins Thursday at Augusta National. Here is our list of ten players we think will perform well this weekend.

Masters Tournament 2026: Favorites

Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler is the world’s best ball-striker, and Augusta’s demand for precise iron play and controlled distance off the tee fits his game better than almost any course on tour. Beyond that, he won here in both 2022 and 2024, making him the only active two-time champion in the field. For example, no player in this week’s field has demonstrated a more consistent ability to separate himself from the competition at this specific venue.

Rory McIlroy
McIlroy won the 2025 Masters to complete the career Grand Slam, and that breakthrough removes whatever psychological weight Augusta once carried for him. Worth noting: his combination of elite driving and sharp iron play suits a course that punishes positional mistakes from the tee. On the flip side, coming back as the defending champion with that burden finally lifted, McIlroy arrives at Augusta in as strong a position as any player in the field.

Jon Rahm
Rahm won the 2023 Masters and has shown the ability to build momentum around Augusta’s back nine when it matters most. That said, his aggressive style and elite ball-striking allow him to attack the par fives, where the tournament is often decided. At the same time, with a past champion’s knowledge of how to manage this course under pressure, Rahm is difficult to look past heading into the week.

Masters Tournament 2026 Value Plays

Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters and carries one of the strongest course history profiles in the entire field, a combination that makes him a serious threat any time he tees it up at Augusta. That matters because his iron play and touch around the greens have always translated well to this layout, and he remains capable of the kind of sustained precision required to win here.

Jordan Spieth
Spieth’s game is built for Augusta — his creativity around the greens, wedge control, and comfort on fast, undulating surfaces are exactly what this course rewards. However, he won here in 2015 and has one of the most positive Augusta-specific course history adjustments in the field, a signal that his results here consistently outperform expectations.

Justin Rose
Rose carries the strongest positive Augusta history adjustment of any player in this field and his game fits this course well at every level. Also, his ability to manage wind — a key factor with gusts expected Thursday and into Friday — and his precision with mid-irons make him a legitimate threat to climb the leaderboard.

Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood has been one of the most consistent ball-strikers on tour and his patient, course-management-first approach suits the demands Augusta places on a field throughout a full 72-hole test. The weekend forecast calls for calmer winds and warming temperatures, conditions that tend to reward players who can get hot with the irons — a category Fleetwood regularly occupies.

Xander Schauffele
Schauffele has made a habit of finishing near the top of major leaderboards, and his combination of distance control and scrambling ability gives him a clear path to contention at Augusta. The warming trend through the weekend should firm the course up in a way that favors players who can flight the ball accurately into greens, which is one of Schauffele’s clearest strengths.

Longshots

Russell Henley
Henley’s iron game is precise enough to give him a realistic path through the field at Augusta, where approach play and green reading separate the contenders from the also-rans. However, he has quietly built a reputation as a player who elevates his game in major environments, and a calm weekend forecast that rewards sustained execution sets up well for his style.

Maverick McNealy
McNealy is an elite ball-striker with a conservative, mistake-avoidance approach that can be quietly effective at a course that punishes aggression more than it rewards it. Furthermore, if the weekend’s hot conditions and lighter winds allow scores to drop, a player in his mold who stays clean from tee to green can sneak into contention before the field takes notice.

Other Pages You Might Like:
BetTheRent Projections
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The full field and tee times are available at the PGA Tour website. Win probabilities sourced from DataGolf.