AUGUSTA, Ga. – Once you drive down Magnolia Lane, Scottie Scheffler says, everything else melts away.
Except, of course, trying to stay focused on winning the biggest championship in men’s professional golf.
The Masters is upon us once again – the 90th edition of the championship – and this year is the widest open of editions in recent memory.
There are always, it seems, maybe a half-a-dozen true contenders that could be donning a green jacket come Sunday. This year a strong argument could be made that there are at least twice that many. There are also 22 players who are making their Masters debuts in 2026 – including a two-time winner already this season on the PGA Tour, Chris Gotterup.
The forecast is also set to be idyllic, with not a drop of rain set to fall over the coming four days of competition. Per Andy Johnson, authoritative golf-course architecture expert and founder of The Fried Egg, Augusta National often “delivers supreme cinema under these conditions because it makes the golf course extremely exacting.”
While the Masters is always such an anticipated event on the golfing calendar – maybe even the most anticipated after a long winter – the 2026 edition has all the makings of an all-timer.
With the first round on tap Thursday, here are four key questions in need of answering.
How is Scottie Scheffler?
Although Scottie Scheffler won his first start of the season (and followed that up with two top-five finishes in a row) there’s been some more Scheffler uncertainty in his recent efforts – at least as compared to his past successes. Scheffler also hasn’t played in almost a month as he and his wife welcomed their second son, Remy, about two weeks ago.
He admitted it was “tough” to answer a question about the state of his game right now.
“I try not to look too far in the past; I try not to look too far in the future. For me to think about that, that would take a little bit of work, which I don’t want to do right now,” Scheffler said.
This is the first time in a half-decade that we don’t really know what to expect from Scheffler. But he is, of course, the world No. 1 and a two-time Masters winner. Doubt him at your peril.
What will Rory’s return look like?
Is Rory McIlroy, as a competitor, underrated this year?
That was a take making its way around social media earlier this week. And perhaps not unfounded as almost all the conversation around the defending champion has been everything that happened last year.
A documentary, a lengthy YouTube video, network specials, the Champions Dinner and more – all culminating in McIlroy wearing his green jacket to his press conference Tuesday, something no one could remember happening in recent years.
As McIlroy not only won the Masters but also the career grand slam last year, the 30-plus questions in his Tuesday availability were wrapped in legacy and looking back. But there was not one about the state of his game right now. The last time we saw McIlroy tee it up on the PGA Tour was The Players Championship, where he finished tied for 46th. Prior to that, he withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a back injury.
There seemed to be no issue with his back at TPC Sawgrass, and he’s had four days of practice already (including a casual game alongside his father on Sunday). McIlroy will look to become just the fourth golfer in history to go back-to-back at Augusta National and he’s long said he doesn’t want to have to give the green jacket back.
“It’s incredible. I really tried to embrace and enjoy every part of it. I’ve got one more thing to try to embrace (the Champions Dinner) and then I’ll be able to turn my full attention to getting ready for the golf tournament,” McIlroy said.
Who will have a major breakthrough?
Each of the last 14 Masters winners has entered the tournament ranking inside the top 25 in the world and of the current ranking, 14 haven’t yet won a major.
But only one is looking to continue a recent trend of golfers winning The Players Championship and then going on to win the green jacket in the same season – Cameron Young.
Young, who defeated Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff to win The Players, is ranked No. 3 in the world behind the other two men who have accomplished the recent feat – Scheffler (2024) and McIlroy (2025). Form and experience are also incredibly paramount at Augusta National and Young has both.
Eleven of the last 13 Masters winners were sitting at +1.7 in strokes gained: tee to green in the three months leading into the Masters. Young is one of 11 golfers to fit that bill, as he is at +1.8. Young is also coming into the Masters on the back of three straight top-seven results – including his win at TPC Sawgrass – and has two top-10s at the Masters.
Not only that, but he comes into this year’s Masters after being the breakout star of the American Ryder Cup team last September. While Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood should also deserve plenty of top billing for players who could this week make the 2026 Masters their first major title, both the data and the eye test point towards Young having a breakthrough week.
Is someone set to turn back the clock?
Just as Justin Rose, at 44, found himself very firmly in the mix at Augusta National last year – eventually losing in a playoff to McIlroy – this is the one course, and one tournament, where experience is paramount. Don’t be surprised, then, that Adam Scott (who is the same age as Rose) would be the one to make some noise over the weekend.
Scott, the 2013 Masters winner, has had an incredibly steady 2026 campaign highlighted by a solo fourth at the Genesis Invitational. He missed the cut last year but that was his first early exit in more than a decade-and-a-half and this year will mark his 25th Masters.
That said, Rose should also be considered a threat once again this year.
Rose has kept his steady play up over the last 12 months and currently sits at No. 9 in the world ranking. He also won the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year and skipped the Valero Texas Open last week in favour of getting a week of extra rest, which he said was a positive change from the last few years.
“Feeling good about things. I feel like I have clearly found my game. I’ve played very well. Farmers is a good example of that. Kind of more evidence that I’m still able to find my best, which is great to know,” said Rose, who has actually lost two playoffs at the Masters in his career. “I feel like I’ve pretty much done what it takes to win. I just haven’t kind of walked over the line.”
Scottie Scheffler (+600): The betting favourite despite the big questions as noted above, but you would be silly to bet against Scheffler this week. Four top-10s in a row and no finish worse than a T19 at the Masters in his career. This is the fifth Masters in a row Scheffler has entered the Masters ranked No. 1 in the world, tying Tiger Woods’ record.
Xander Schauffele (+1400): The two-time major winner has returned to form of late after missing a good chunk of time in 2025 due to injury. Schauffele comes to the Masters with two top-five finishes in a row and three top 10s in his last four starts. Over the last 20 years, the winner, on average, was competing in his ninth Masters. This is the ninth for Schauffele.
Akshay Bhatia (+5500): Twenty-five per cent of Masters winners since 2000 (including Mike Weir in 2003) have been left-handed and Bhatia is, currently, the best of the bunch. Bhatia won the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this year and has finished inside the top 20 in each of his last five starts on the PGA Tour. He also sits eighth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach to green and 10th in putting – a tidy combo.
Harris English (+10000): Quick – Who finished runner up at not one but two majors last year? It Harris English, who comes into this year’s Masters after his best result at Augusta National, a T12 last year. English has notched top-30 finishes in nine of his 10 starts so far in 2026, is 12th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting, and 20th on Tour in approaches from 150-200 yards – a key distance at Augusta National.
