Photograph per the PGA Tour.
Last year we were treated to one of the most electrifying final rounds in Major Championship history, capped off by Rory McIlroy becoming only the sixth player in golf history to complete the career grand slam.
What at one point looked like a dominant victory after brilliant birdies at holes nine and 10 became an all too familiar story of Major Championship despair after an inexplicable wedge into Rae’s Creek on 13. However, McIlroy battled back, giving us a finish for ages as he finally exercised his Augusta demons by besting Justin Rose with a birdie in a playoff. The storybook script from last year will certainly be hard to top, but if Augusta in 2026 has anything to say we’ll be treated to another classic.
Masters breakdown
The time has come… “a tradition unlike any other,” as Jim Nantz would say. As the patrons eagerly enter the sacred grounds of Augusta National where they are greeted by the smell of pimento cheese and beautiful azaleas, one question echoes through the Georgia pines: who will don the green jacket and be immortalized in golf history?
Receiving an invite to The Masters is no small feat as the field is typically limited to 85-100 players per year. At a place where tradition reigns supreme, Augusta honors the past and future of the game by providing former winners with a lifetime invite to the tournament and six lucky amateurs the chance to play on the biggest stage in golf.
It’s one of the few tournaments where legends and rising stars share the same fairway, making the experience at Augusta truly one-of-a-kind. Only time will tell who will conquer Augusta National and be named this year’s Masters champion.
Recent storylines
Some intriguing storylines await being answered. Collin Morikawa enters this year’s tournament with significant concerns about his health, as a recent back injury has forced him to withdraw from multiple events leading up to The Masters. Recent reports from Collin’s range sessions on Monday and Tuesday show that he is topping out at 270-280 yards with his driver, which indicates he is still clearly limited (typically in the low 300s). While there is no doubt about his skill, lingering concerns remain about his back issues potentially having a major impact on the tournament.
Meanwhile, World No. 1 in Scottie Scheffler remains the favorite to receive the green jacket once again. However, throughout the 2026 season, he has shown he is vulnerable to slow starts, which could leave the door open if he can’t find an early rhythm. He has found himself playing catch-up for the majority of the year, and Augusta is not the place where you want to find yourself in that position.
This course shows no forgiveness, especially to Masters rookies. There is a historical disadvantage for these first-timers, as they rarely are in contention for victory at a course where knowledge and experience are crucial. Only 3 rookies have ever won the Masters, and they are in the midst of a 46-year drought since Fuzzy Zoeller’s win in 1979.
Precision is everything here, and without the prior knowledge and experience that many of the Augusta veterans have, it presents a significant Uphill battle for the rookies. However, one golfer who is looking to flip the narrative is Jacob Bridgeman. Bridgeman, who is currently 1st in the FedEx rankings, has gotten off to a scorching hot start and is looking to build on his momentum this weekend. He has been in contention in every tournament thus far, with not a single placement outside of the top 20. To go along with that, he has 3 top 5s, including a signature win at the Genesis Invitational. It is hard to find a golfer who is hotter right now than Bridgeman, as he is 2nd in total strokes gained, only behind Jake Knapp. He has been an assassin on the greens, leading the tour in strokes gained in putting as he looks to keep the flagstick dialed on these tricky Augusta greens.
One more golfer I want to mention is Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood has found tremendous success throughout his career, but he could never seem to get it done when it mattered. He had recorded 44 top 10 finishes before finally breaking through last season at the Tour Championship with an emotional victory. Now that he finally has a win under his belt, he has a significant weight off his shoulders and is ready to execute when it’s time to close. In normal Fleetwood fashion, he has found himself in the top 10 in 4/7 tournaments he has played in this year.
He has shown he can compete at Augusta, and I expect him to be in the mix and wouldn’t be shocked to see him in the final group Sunday.
