MASTERS PREVIEW

There really is no other week like Masters Week. All over the world clubs, golfing groups and fans are getting ready for the four days of golf that will dominate the golfing landscape. Downunder, it means early alarms, ‘Masters Mondays’ breakfasts to watch the finishing holes and shotguns starts to follow. Whilst not everyone’s favourite Major, The Masters dominates airwaves and print space like no other golf tournament.

Last year delivered one of the great modern storylines, with Rory McIlroy completing the career Grand Slam in dramatic fashion, including a gripping final nine and playoff against Justin Rose. Will 2026 be able to top that? We doubt McIlroy will rise to the occasion this year and it is unlikely but there will quite the same dramatic end as 2025 but there will still be plenty of stories and drama at the famous Augusta National.

World number one, Scottie Scheffler arrives with more questions than usual. By his standards, recent results of T12, T24 and T22 are underwhelming and he withdrew from the Texas Houston Open, which may have been connected to the impending birth of his second child. Still, Scheffler’s Augusta record and elite ball-striking make him simply too good to ignore when weighing up potential winners.

Of the top ten ranked players (Data Ranking) Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Bryson DeChambeau have shown the best form over the last month. Fitzpatrick was second at The Players and followed up the next week with a win at Valspar. DeChambeau won LIV Singapore and South Africa and Rahm has finished 2, 2, 1, 5, 2 in his five outings this year.

The Englishmen, Justin Rose who won at Farmers Insurance in February, and Tommy Fleetwood have not been setting the world on fire in recent weeks. Their countrymen Tyrell Hatton has been quite out of touch recently but Augusta rewards creativity and shot making- both strengths of Hatton. He has all the tools required to win at Augusta and perhaps the only thing that can hinder him in his quest for a green jacket is his infamous on course demeanour if things start going not quite to plan. He is a quality player who will want to show the world he is still a contender.

For the Ozzies, Jason Day has the experience around Augusta and has been in good form in the lead up. Typically Day gets to Augusta on the Saturday before the tournament and takes to the fairways as the ANWA is finishing. Min Woo Lee has all the skills but the question mark remains about his patience and ability to holster the big guns if they are not firing. Of course the perennial Ozzie favourite is 2013 winner Adam Scott who has been in good form recently. The whole of the Ozzie golfing nation would rejoice if Scott could make conjure up four days of magic and turn his one green jacket into two.

So who else might be worth a watch next week at the hallowed turf of Augusta. Ludwig Aberg has been coming into form with a third at API and 5th at The Players although his weekend at the Texas was disappointing. However, no one is going to be surprised to see him at the top of the leader board come Sunday afternoon. The tall swede has the length, the game, and the mindset to get the job done.

And there is the list of USA players like Keegan Bradley, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Russel Henley, and Harris English et al who all have the talent needed to win this week, but who do not ignite the same passion and interest as others. Patrick Reed was in scintillating form early season on the DP World Tour and JJ Spaun is coming in hot after his win in Texas. These players winning are US stories worth telling.

As always, it is set to be a wonderful week of intrigue and excitement at Augusta National. Form matters – but history tells us that at the Masters, it is never the full story.