MASTERS '26: Capsules of notable players at Augusta National
MASTERS '26: Capsules of notable players at Augusta National
DOUG FERGUSON Fri, April 3, 2026 at 1:36 PM UTC
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FILE - This combo of file photos show the top golfers for the 2026 Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. Top row, from left, Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Bottom row, from left, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth. (AP Photo/File) ()
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A capsule look at notable players in the Masters, which starts Thursday at Augusta National (listed in predicted order of finish):
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 29.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 1.
Worldwide wins: 23.
Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025), British Open (2025).
Masters appearances: 6.
Best finish: Won in 2022 and 2024.
Masters highlight: Walking up to the 18th green Sunday with a five-shot lead in 2022 and a four-shot lead in 2024.
Masters lowlight: Four-putting the 18th green in winning his first Masters.
Tap-ins: Scheffler is still the player to beat in every major, but he is lacking momentum for the second straight year heading to the Masters. He was coming off a hand injury in 2025. He goes to Augusta National off a rare three-week break because of the birth of his second child.
Bryson DeChambeau
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 24.
Worldwide wins: 15.
Majors: U.S. Open (2020, 2024).
Masters appearances: 9.
Best finish: Tie for fifth in 2025.
Masters highlight: Playing well enough to get in the last group with Rory McIlroy on Sunday in 2025.
Masters lowlight: Complaining to the media after the final round in 2025 that McIlroy wouldn’t talk to him.
Tap-ins: The Masters will determine if he is the hottest player in golf. He won in back-to-back weeks on LIV Golf with its short field, both times with clutch moments. Leading briefly on Sunday last year should inspire him. But he has never broken 70 in the final round at Augusta National.
Rory McIlroy
Age: 36.
Country: Northern Ireland.
World ranking: 2.
Worldwide wins: 41.
Majors: Masters (2025), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).
Masters appearances: 17.
Best finish: Won in 2025.
Masters highlight: Dropping to his knees after his 3-foot birdie putt to win the playoff last year and complete the career Grand Slam.
Masters lowlight: Covering his eyes with the crook of his elbow on his way to an 80 in the final round in 2011 to lose a four-shot lead.
Tap-ins: McIlroy will try to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only repeat Masters champions. The burden is clearly lifted having finally won the green jacket. His last win was the Irish Open last September.
Xander Schauffele
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 6.
Worldwide wins: 12.
Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).
Masters appearances: 8.
Best finish: Runner-up in 2019.
Masters highlight: Getting what he calls a “full Masters experience” in 2019 as a runner-up by contending down the stretch while listening to all the roars for Tiger Woods.
Masters lowlight: Closing to within two shots of Hideki Matsuyama in 2021 until hitting a flush 8-iron into the water left of the par-3 16th and making triple bogey.
Tap-ins: Schauffele lost momentum from his double major year in 2024 with a rib injury and now is slowly and quietly hitting his stride. He won in Japan last year and goes into the Masters coming off a pair of top 5s.
Jon Rahm
Age: 31.
Country: Spain.
World ranking: 29.
Worldwide wins: 23.
Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).
Masters appearances: 9.
Best finish: Won in 2023.
Masters highlight: Winning the green jacket on what would have been the birthday of his golf idol, Seve Ballesteros.
Masters lowlight: Starting with a four-putt double bogey in 2023.
Tap-ins: Playing a major will be the best measure how well Rahm is playing. He won on LIV in Hong Kong for his first win in more than a year. He has a win and three runner-up finishes in five events. But he is coming off a year in the majors when he fell apart at the PGA Championship and didn’t contend in the others.
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Brooks Koepka
Age: 35.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 165.
Worldwide wins: 17.
Majors: PGA Championship (2018, 2019, 2023), U.S. Open (2017, 2018).
Masters appearances: 10.
Best finish: Runner-up in 2019 and 2023.
Masters highlight: Starting 65-67 in 2023, his first Masters since he joined LIV Golf.
Masters lowlight: Losing a two-shot lead to Jon Rahm in the final round in 2023.
Tap-ins: Koepka has been working his way back to the old normal in his return to the PGA Tour. He has posted a series of good finishes which would indicate he’s trending. He also is coming off a year in which he missed the cut in three of the four majors.
Jordan Spieth
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 63.
Worldwide wins: 16.
Majors: Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015), British Open (2017).
Masters appearances: 12.
Best finish: Won in 2015.
Masters highlight: Never letting anyone within three shots of him over the last 54 holes when he went wire-to-wire to win in 2015.
Masters lowlight: Losing a five-shot lead on the back nine Sunday in his bid to win back-to-back.
Tap-ins: Spieth is still trying to rediscover some of his magic, but he is always worth watching at Augusta National, where he was in serious contention in the final hour four of his first five years. It’s a big week for him to help secure a spot in the U.S. Open.
Justin Rose
Age: 45.
Country: England.
World ranking: 7.
Worldwide wins: 25.
Majors: U.S. Open (2013).
Masters appearances: 20.
Best finish: Runner-up in 2017 and 2025.
Masters highlight: Making a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 66 that forced a playoff in 2025.
Masters lowlight: Becoming the only player to twice lose a Masters playoff without ever having won a green jacket.
Tap-ins: Rose talked about an “Indian summer” that does not appear to be ending. He won earlier this year in convincing fashion at Torrey Pines. And he remains one of the great drivers of the golf ball. His hopes depend on a good putting week. But he has reason to hope.
Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 35.
Country: England.
World ranking: 4.
Worldwide wins: 9.
Majors: None.
Masters appearances: 9.
Best finish: Tie for third in 2024.
Masters highlight: Making five straight birdies on the back nine on Saturday in 2018 for a 66.
Masters lowlight: Posting only one top 10 in nine trips the Masters.
Tap-ins: The FedEx Cup champion is coming off his best year in golf and produced top 10s against three of the strongest fields this year. He has stepped up his game in every major except this one.
Patrick Reed
Age: 35.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 23.
Worldwide wins: 13.
Majors: Masters (2018).
Masters appearances: 12.
Best finish: Won in 2018.
Masters highlight: Going head-to-head with Rory McIlroy in the final group and winning the green jacket in 2018.
Masters lowlight: Making eight bogeys in the second round for a 77 to miss the cut in 2017.
Tap-ins: Reed won only one time on LIV Golf since joining in 2022. But he won back-to-back weeks in the Middle East this year, and joins Chris Gotterup and Casey Jarvis as multiple winners in 2026 of those in the field at the Masters. He loves a big stage.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
