We are now just one week away from the 2026 Masters at Augusta National, and the field is almost set. One competitor could still be added this week by winning the Valero Texas Open (see: Rickie Fowler), and we still don’t know if Tiger Woods will play.
However, on Sunday at the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open, five PGA Tour pros not previously qualified for this year’s Masters punched their tickets to Augusta National.
While Gary Woodland did it in emphatic fashion, four other top pros earned their spots a more precarious way: via the final Official World Golf Ranking update ahead of the tournament.
Here’s what you need to know.
5 players who qualified for 2026 Masters on Sunday
Gary Woodland
Woodland is easily the best feel-good story of the 2026 season. Recently, Woodland opened up about his struggles with PTSD following brain surgery that derailed his career a few years back.
He said he hoped the public admission would help him progress in recovery. And did it ever. The 2019 U.S. Open champion dominated the Texas Children’s Houston Open to win his first title since that U.S. Open.
The victory also earned him a spot in the 2026 Masters, where he’ll make his first start since 2024.
Nicolai Hojgaard
Hojgaard made a name for himself by starring on the 2023 European Ryder Cup team, before letting his twin brother Rasmus take his spot in 2025.
Heading into the Houston Open without a spot in the Masters, Hojgaard was hoping to chase down Woodland and earn his invite that way.
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Kevin Cunningham
But he had one other avenue to make it to Augusta: the Official World Golf Ranking. All players ranked within the Top 50 of the OWGR after this year’s Texas Children’s Houston Open earn spots in the 2026 Masters.
At No. 47 to start the week, Hojgaard was at risk of getting knocked out. Though a Sunday 71 left him five shots behind Woodland, Hojgaard finished runner-up, which improved his OWGR ranking to 36th.
As a result, he safely earned his spot in the Masters, where he’ll be making his third-career start. He joins his brother Rasmus in the Masters field. In 2025, they became the first pair of twins to compete in the Masters.
Daniel Berger
Berger is a four-time PGA Tour champion who has played in six Masters. His best finish was a T10 in his Masters debut in 2016. Though he missed the 2023 and 2024 events, he returned to the Masters in 2025 and finished T21.
That wasn’t good enough to qualify him for 2026, but after finishing the Texas Children’s Houston Open at 38th in the OWGR, he earned his tee times at Augusta National in a week’s time.
Jake Knapp
Knapp, 31, has only played in one Masters, doing so after winning the 2024 Mexico Open for his only PGA Tour victory. He made the cut and finished T55.
Knapp didn’t qualify last year, but when he woke up on Monday, his OWGR ranking of 42 officially stamped his place in the 2026 Masters field.
Matt McCarty
The youngest player on the list at 28 years old, McCarty made his Masters debut last year following his maiden Tour victory at the 2024 Black Desert Championship.
He played great as a Masters rookie, eventually finishing an impressive T14. But that wasn’t quite good enough to punch his ticket to the 2026 Masters. No matter. He played his way into the Top 50 in the OWGR with a solid start to the season, finishing last week at 46th. That means he’ll make his second Masters start next week.
