There’s nothing else in the world of sports quite like The Masters. For most, it signals the beginning of spring. The tight shots of the azaleas in bloom, the tree-lined shots of Magnolia Lane leading to the clubhouse, and the piano playing that ditty that we’re so accustomed to as the coverage goes in and out of commercial breaks, Jim Nantz whispering sweet nothings to us as he sends us to Amen Corner for an update.
Full transparency, I’m a sucker for all of it. Like most, I’ve never had the opportunity to attend The Masters, but it’s as close to the top of the bucket list as anything can get for me. By all accounts, time stops when you’re on the grounds at Augusta National. No cell phones. No overpriced vendors. Even the schmucks that yell ‘get in the hole!’ after every tee shot seems to understand that this place is different.
As of this writing, we’re looking at 89 competitors for the 88th edition of the Masters, representing 23 different countries, competing for one green jacket and the lifetime invitation to come back that comes with it. It’s an exclusive club with just 55 members to date, 18 of whom will be taking part in this year’s tournament. And yes, that includes Tiger Woods.
Augusta National Golf Club is a legendary place, and the course presents a daunting challenge to even the most skilled players. The generous fairways are a welcome sight, but they are quickly followed by demanding approach shots and lightning-fast greens with severe slopes.
This combination tests every club in a golfer’s bag while requiring elite levels of mental fortitude on golf’s greatest stage. Success at Augusta National favors players who are in peak form, have a history of playing well here, and possess a well-rounded skillset. Distance off the tee, long-iron accuracy, creativity with their short game, and an ability to score on par-5s are all crucial.
Beyond the specific shot requirements, the course is a masterpiece of design. The elevation changes, hole routing, and risk-reward options contribute to its strategic depth. Amen Corner, a particularly difficult stretch of holes, is legendary for its ability to make or break a golfer’s round.
The green complexes, with their treacherous slopes, are another iconic feature that demands precise shot-making. While Augusta National is a long course by the numbers, the fairways are deliberately mowed in a way that makes it play even longer. Despite the challenge, golfers can employ strategic shot selection to play for par or take on more risk for birdie opportunities on most holes.
I could wax poetic about the “tradition unlike any other,” but let’s get to the goods.
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Below is a list of this year’s participants, along with their Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), notes on their history at Augusta, and a quick nugget regarding their recent form.
The “Last 5 Masters Finishes” show the most recent first (2023-2019), but if a golfer hasn’t played in every recent event but played previously, their past appearances are listed in order.
Ludvig Åberg
Current OWGR: 9th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes (2023-2019): debutant
Ludvig Åberg arrives at Augusta National for his Masters debut, marking his first appearance in a major championship. It’s rare for someone to rank inside the top 10 in the OWGR’s before appearing in their first major, but the 24-year-old Swede is a rare talent.
In September, Åberg notched his first DP World Tour victory in Switzerland at the Omega European Masters. He then played a pivotal role in the European Ryder Cup team’s victory over the United States in Italy. Capping off a whirlwind year, Åberg secured his first PGA Tour win on American soil at the RSM Classic in November.
An eighth-place finish at The PLAYERS marked his fifth-straight T25 or better finish. His driver is such a weapon, and his iron play has been consistently strong as Åberg has gained strokes on approach (SG: APP) in 12 of his past 13 measured events. Navigating this track for the first time is a daunting task, but it’ll shock no one if Åberg is competitive out of the gate.
Byeong Hun An
Current OWGR: 42nd
Best Finish At The Masters: T33 (2017)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: -, MC, 33, MC, MC
It’s crazy to think that Ben An made his first start at Augusta National as a teenager back in 2010. This is his fifth Masters start, his first trip to Augusta National since the November 2020 edition, and he’s only found the weekend in one of his four previous starts.
A poor 2021 pushed Ben An to the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2022 season, but he earned his way back onto the PGA Tour and has finished inside the top 20 in 12 of his 39 starts over the past two seasons. He’s still looking for his first PGA Tour win, though he’s been in the mix a handful of times, including a playoff loss at this year’s Sony Open in January. He has a game well-suited to compete here if all systems are firing together, with plus distance and an adept short game on and around the green. I don’t see a winner coming from down the board like this, but his first T20 finish at this event is clearly in play, given his form.
Akshay Bhatia
Current OWGR: 34th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Akshay Bhatia survived a back-9 28 from Denny McCarthy and a fist-pump-induced dislocated shoulder on the 72nd hole, taking down the Valero Texas Open and punching his ticket to this year’s Masters. Bhatia is just 22 years old, and he’ll be making his Masters debut, but as you’ve likely heard, this is not the first time he’s competed on the ANGC property. Back in 2014, Akshay competed in the Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals, held annually at Augusta, and he’s the first competitor to earn their way back into the Masters field.
As is the case with any young golfer, Bhatia’s week-to-week performance remains a bit volatile. The Valero win was his 10th start this season, and he’s finished T17 or better in six of the 10 starts. The other four starts, Bhatia’s failed to see the weekend.
I expect Bhatia to play well again. He’s led the field in greens in regulation % in each of his past two starts, finishing second in SG: APP last week in Houston, and he led the field in San Antonio. He’s among the top 10 in the field in total driving, with a strong mix of distance and accuracy. His bag is deep; he can work the ball both ways and his short game is much improved. He’s a sneaky look in the top debutant market.
Keegan Bradley
Current OWGR: 18th
Best Finish At The Masters: T22 (2015)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 23, 43, 52, 22, MC
Keegan Bradley hasn’t qualified for back-to-back Masters since 2015-2016. Overall, this is his eighth start, and he’s still looking for the first top-20 finish, though he was close last year.
From a tee-to-green standpoint, Bradley has been pretty consistent year-in-and-year-out since turning professional back in 2011. The success that he experienced last season, winning twice and finishing T20 or better in nine of his 25 starts, was mostly driven by his sudden success on the greens. He gained 0.47 strokes per round on the greens last season, the best mark of his career, turning a massive liability into a strength. He’s stuck with the aim point strategy that led to his 2023 success, but the results haven’t followed.
Through eight starts in 2024, Bradley is losing 0.46 strokes per round on the greens, and it’s been even worse of late, leading to three missed cuts in four starts heading into this week. The rest of his game is there, and Betsperts Golf subscribers know I’m not afraid to click Keegan, but I’m not sure I can do it this week.
Sam Burns
Current OWGR: 21st
Best Finish At The Masters: T29 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 29, MC, -, -, –
A win at last year’s WGC Match Play was a great lead-up result for Sam Burns, who made the weekend for the first time at Augusta National and finished T29. Sam Burns has had similar major championship ‘success’ as Max Homa, but for some reason, Burns avoids the scrutiny and caveats that are placed next to Homa’s name when discussing this.
Burns faltered late on Sunday at PGA West, falling outside the top five despite leading after 69 holes. However, he bounced back so well, finishing among the top 10 against strong fields in the following three starts (Pebble, Phoenix, Riviera), which was quite impressive.
Burns is one of the best putters on Tour, and he’s driving the ball better than ever before, adding distance and accuracy compared to his previous yearly results. His approach numbers are back in range of his breakout 2022 season when he won three times and finished inside the top five in seven of his 25 starts. I like Burns to have his best Masters finish to date this year, but I’m not sure that means he’ll actually be in contention on Sunday afternoon.
Patrick Cantlay
Current OWGR: 7th
Best Finish At The Masters: 9 (2019)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 14, 39, MC, 17, 9
It’s been a pretty uneventful start to 2024 for Patrick Cantlay. He’s held a share of the first-round lead in multiple events but has yet to truly contend in any event this season. He has just one top-ten finish (T4 at the Genesis), but he posted a final-round 72 and finished four strokes behind the eventual champ, Hideki Matsuyama. Winning golf tournaments is difficult, and Cantlay is approaching 30 starts without a win.
The challenge heading into this week is that his current form is so outside of his standard performance. He’s lost strokes on approach in four of his seven 2024 starts and is averaging -0.18 SG: APP on the season. He’s also losing more than a half-stroke per round off the tee compared to last season, with both his distance and accuracy significantly below his typical standards.
The last feather in Cantlay’s cap, if he’s wearing one this week, is his struggles on Augusta National’s greens. Typically one of the best putters on Tour, Cantlay hasn’t found the success that he’d like in his previous Masters starts due to his inability to navigate these green complexes. In fact, he’s lost at least 0.89 strokes per round putting in his past three Masters appearances. Cantlay is better than this and will eventually turn it around because form is fickle, but there’s no indication that he’ll turn it around this week.
Wyndham Clark
Current OWGR: 4th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
As Wyndham Clark tees off at Augusta National for the first time, his recent U.S. Open victory and overall momentum make him a player to watch. His ability to perform under pressure and contend in high-stakes tournaments positions him as a serious threat to don the coveted green jacket.
Clark proved early in 2024 that his 2023 run was no fluke, kicking things off with a victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, etching his name in the record books with a scorching 60 at Pebble Beach Golf Links. This win was followed by back-to-back runner-up finishes to Scottie Scheffler at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship. Getting close and not winning is tough, but it solidified Clark’s position as one of the hottest players on Tour.
Clark’s game is well-suited for Augusta. He’s long off the tee, his irons are completely dialed in, and his on-and-around-the-green game is as good as anyone in the world. His recent play has steamed his outright price into a difficult-to-back range, considering he’s never played here before, but I think he’ll find his way onto my betting card in either a matchup or finishing position bet. I’m not concerned with the back tightness that impacted his Houston Open appearance last time out.
Eric Cole
Current OWGR: 38th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
The mini-tour grinder turned 2023 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Eric Cole, will make his Masters debut in 2024. Cole has knocked on the door often over the past 14 months but has yet to take home the hardware in any PGA Tour start. Cole made 18 straight cuts from June’s Memorial Tournament to February’s Farmers Insurance Open, with eight of those 18 made cuts being top 20 finishes.
The start of 2024 hasn’t been as kind to Eric Cole, who’s rotated missed cuts with decent showings but has yet to contend. He’s teeing it up at this week’s Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, and it’d be nice to see him string together four consistent rounds before backing him in any way at Augusta National.
Corey Conners
Current OWGR: 48th
Best Finish At The Masters: 6 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 6, 8, 10, 46
Corey Conners has sneaky-great course history here, with three consecutive top-10 finishes before last year’s surprising missed cut.
Conners’ 2024 statistical profile is in line with his career marks to date. He’s a certified flusher, one of the Tour’s most consistent ball-strikers, but his short game often leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, that matters a lot at Augusta, with these firm and fast greens extremely difficult to hold unless you land your approach in the right quadrant for that day’s pin placement.
His approach game is as strong as ever, gaining over a stroke per round in four straight events leading up to the start of the Valero Texas Open, an event where he’s the defending champ. I’m not betting on another top-10 finish, but it wouldn’t surprise me, especially if he plays well at TPC San Antonio again.
Fred Couples
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (1992)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 50, MC, MC, MC, MC
There was a five-year stretch in the early 2010s where Fred Couples showed he could still compete even though he was 20+ years removed from his 1992 Masters win. It appears that the window is fully closed, though Couples ended a run of three straight Thursday-Friday trips to Augusta with a T50 at last year’s event.
“Freddie Boom Boom” is a tremendous ambassador for the game and has lots of useful nuggets to share with the new faces making their way around here for the first time, but that’s likely where the good news ends.
Cameron Davis
Current OWGR: 58th
Best Finish At The Masters: 46th
Last 4 Masters Finishes: -, 46, -, -, –
Cam Davis punched his ticket to Augusta with a final-round 65 at Oak Hill in May’s PGA Championship, good enough for a T4 finish. Davis made the cut in his Masters debut back in 2022, but he’s struggled so far this season to regain the form that he had at the end of 2023.
Davis played well in Houston last time out, finishing T21 and gaining strokes across the board, albeit ever so slightly. He has a ton of upside, but his lack of consistency and minimal experience at Augusta National makes it difficult to back him this week.
Jason Day
Current OWGR: 22nd
Best Finish At The Masters: T2 (2011)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 39, MC, MC, 5, 20
Jason Day finished inside the top 20 in all seven of his 2023 lead-in starts prior to last year’s Masters and eventually returned to the winner’s circle with a win at May’s Byron Nelson. This year’s lead-in form is far less appealing, particularly of late.
Day’s failed to finish inside the top 30 in his past three starts, missing the cut on the number last time out at Memorial Park in Houston, a track that perfectly suits his game. There’s still a lot to like here in terms of what Day does well and what it takes to compete at this event. He can get white-hot with the putter, his ability to scramble remains elite, and he’s flashed last year’s ball-striking rates at times, just not often pieced together in the same event.
I don’t expect Day to be a popular click early in the week, and perhaps a finishing position play will look more appealing if he drifts down the odds board leading into Thursday’s opening round.
Bryson DeChambeau
Current OWGR: 208th (lol)
Best Finish At The Masters: 21 (2016)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, MC, 46, 34, 29
Bryson DeChambeau has struggled in his seven trips to Augusta National, missing the cut in his past two appearances and gaining strokes in just 37.5% of his rounds played at the Masters. He entered last year’s event in poor form, but he’s played well on the LIV Golf circuit over the past few months and flashed at last year’s PGA Championship, finishing T4 at Oak Hill.
DeChambeau won two late-season LIV Golf events to close out 2023 and has finished T9 or better in his past three starts this season. We can argue about the validity of T9 finishes in a 54-hole, small-field event, but the takeaway should be more about DeChambeau regaining some of the form that made him a must-watch talent on the PGA Tour.
LIV tees it up at Doral on April 5th as a Masters warm-up, so it’ll be an important event to watch to see if DeChambeau’s recent form continues.
Santiago de la Fuente (A)
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
University of Houston senior Santiago de la Fuente makes his Masters debut after a standout collegiate career. He secured his spot in Augusta with a dramatic two-shot victory at the Latin America Amateur Championship in January, becoming the second Mexican champion (joining Alvaro Ortiz in 2019).
De la Fuente also earned invitations to the U.S. Open and The Open, impressed as the low amateur at the Mexico Open (T46 finish), and garnered All-America honors while representing Mexico and the International team in prestigious amateur events.
Nick Dunlap
Current OWGR: 69th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Nick Dunlap arrives at Augusta National for his Masters debut after etching his name in history as the first amateur PGA Tour winner since Phil Mickelson in 1991. His scorching victory at January’s American Express propelled him over 4,000 spots in the rankings to No. 69, and before turning professional, he briefly held the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Dunlap’s meteoric rise follows his triumph at the U.S. Amateur last August, joining Tiger Woods as the only player to win both the U.S. Junior and Amateur titles.
Dunlap has struggled since turning pro, and expectations are low for his debut appearance at Augusta National, but the recently turned 20-year-old is an exciting prospect to track over the next decade. It was great to see him contend in Houston with a T11 finish, his first strong showing since his win at PGA West in January.
Austin Eckroat
Current OWGR: 50th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
I bet on Austin Eckroat about a dozen times last summer, so I was a bit frustrated to not have a ticket on him when he won the Cognizant Classic at PGA National in early March. Eckroat’s irons are dialed in right now, but his short game needs to be more consistent to expect to succeed around here on your first time through.
His overall skill profile isn’t a great fit for Augusta National unless he adds length and tightens up his short game, which is very possible over time but unlikely between now and this year’s event. I’m buying Eckroat stock in the long term, though.
Harris English
Current OWGR: 40th
Best Finish At The Masters: T21 (2021)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 43, 21, 42, MC, –
Harris English will tee it up at Augusta for the fifth time in 2024, and it’s the first time in his career that he’s played this event in back-to-back years. He was just rounding into form last year at this time after missing most of 2022 with a back injury. He made the cut at last year’s Masters despite some truly abysmal iron play, but he scrambled his face off on the way to a T43 finish.
He enters this year’s event in sneaky good form. He’s finished T21 or better in four straight starts and six of eight to start 2024. His distance is up, and his +4.5 adjusted yards above the Tour average is his best mark since 2019. Inconsistent iron play is his bugaboo, but he’s gained an average of 0.72 strokes per round on approach over his past three starts. He’s as high as 180/1 at some shops to win this event. I can’t get there, but that price will certainly make his finishing position numbers appealing.
Tony Finau
Current OWGR: 26th
Best Finish At The Masters: 5 (2019)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 26, 35, 10, 38, 5
This is what I wrote to open Tony Finau’s note in the 2023 preview:
Tony Finau entered last year’s event (the 2022 Masters) ranked 147th out of the top 150 in strokes-gained putting over the six months leading up to the event. Over the past year, Finau ranks 15th in this field in SG: P, a remarkable turnaround on the greens, which has translated into three tournament wins since his last trip to Augusta, a place that suits his game well and where he’s flashed upside in previous stops.
It looks like the old Tony is back. Finau ranks 137th out of the top 150 in strokes-gained putting over the past six months. He finished T2 at last week’s Houston Open despite losing 0.86 strokes per round on the greens. Every other part of his game is in tip-top form. His carry distance, club head speed, and ball speed are all up over last year, and he’s done so without sacrificing control and accuracy off the tee.
I wish we were getting a bigger discount in betting markets because I’d consider a Finau play, but I’ll be watching his price closely as we approach the start of Round 1.
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Current OWGR: 11th
Best Finish At The Masters: 7 (2016)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 10, 14, 34, 46, 21
This new version of Matthew Fitzpatrick, the one who continues to add distance to his game at the expense of nothing, is a great fit for Augusta National, and we’ve seen that play out over the past two Masters. Fitzpatrick famously transitioned from a short-hitting fairway finder into one of the longer hitters on Tour, and he’s still above average in terms of accuracy versus the field. His short game remains one of the best on Tour as well.
From an approach standpoint, he has the ceiling of most of the other top players on Tour, but it’s far less consistent week to week. When he puts it all together, like he did last year at Harbour Town or back in Brookline at the 2022 U.S. Open, he can win any tournament against any field. He’s teeing it up at TPC San Antonio the week before Augusta on the back of his solo fifth-place finish last time out at The PLAYERS, his best finish of 2024.
He’s hovering around 40/1 in early Masters markets, but I’m more likely to back him to finish inside the top 20 for the third straight year.
Tommy Fleetwood
Current OWGR: 12th
Best Finish At The Masters: 14 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 33, 14, 46, 19, 36
I don’t have the Tommy Fleetwood affliction that so many of my close friends seem to suffer with, but I understand why they do. Don’t get me wrong, I have my own list of golfers who rarely win that I love to throw money at, but Fleetwood’s inability to seal the deal stateside is quite remarkable, given how many times he’s been in contention over the past seven seasons on the PGA Tour.
Tommy Lad has won multiple times overseas, including the Dubai Invitational back in January, and he doesn’t have a noteworthy weakness in his game. Outside of those four rounds in Dubai, his approach game has faltered a bit this season, losing strokes on approach in three of his past four events heading into this week’s Valero Texas Open.
If he struggles again, I’ll be looking to find matchups to take against him at Augusta. If he gets back in line with his career marks, I’ll likely just leave him alone.
Rickie Fowler
Current OWGR: 34th
Best Finish At The Masters: 2nd (2018)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 29, 9, 2, 11, MC
Rickie Fowler is returning to Augusta National for the first time since 2020. He’s finished T12 or better in five of his ten career Masters starts, but more importantly, Fowler feels miles away from the player who won July’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and nearly won June’s U.S. Open at L.A.C.C.
Every aspect of his game is down from his 2022 season. Not 2023, where he finished inside the top 20 in 17 of 27 starts, but 2022, where he finished inside the top 20 just once in 22 starts. Out of eight starts in 2024, Fowler’s best finish is a T35 at Riviera back in February. The only strokes-gained metric where he’s better than the Tour average is around the green, and it’s by the skin of his teeth at +0.06, which is 0.22 strokes worse than his 2023 rates.
Rickie is another matchup target for me, and I’m hopeful that the name brand will bring us some advantageous prices on Thursday and Friday.
Ryan Fox
Current OWGR: 49th
Best Finish At The Masters: T26 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 26, -, –
Ryan Fox is back for his second Masters after a T26 finish in his debut last season. Fox made the cut in all four majors in 2023 but didn’t threaten the top of the board in any of them. He’s an extremely volatile player, routinely stringing together either top-20 finishes or missed cuts.
We’re currently in a run of the former, with three missed cuts in his past five starts and a T78 in his last start in Houston. Fox has the distance to compete at Augusta, but even at his best, his short-game chops aren’t up to par to navigate the fast, slopy greens and runoffs that make Augusta National so unique.
Sergio Garcia
Current OWGR: 500+
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2017)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 23, MC, -, MC
Sergio’s T23 here in 2022 was his first made cut since winning here in 2017. He got back on the missed-cut wagon last year, his fourth in five years.
When you remove the 2017 victory and look at his career at Augusta before and after winning the green jacket, 2017 feels more like an outlier than an inevitable culmination of someone who’s dominated this event. He’s missed the cut in six of his 16 Masters, with just three top-10 finishes, including the year he won. A playoff loss to Joaquin Niemann at LIV Golf’s Mayakoba event showed Garcia still has signs of life, but don’t be blinded by his outlier 2017 win.
Lucas Glover
Current OWGR: 35th
Best Finish At The Masters: T20 (2007)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 30, MC, 42, 49, MC
Lucas Glover is back at Augusta National for the first time since 2022 after blacking out for a two-month stretch in July and August. Glover flirted with titles at the Rocket Mortgage (T4), John Deere (T6), and Barbasol (5th) before back-to-back wins at Wyndham and the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs at the St. Jude Championship.
He’s been a non-factor in 2024. He’s one of the most consistent iron players on Tour, but his lack of distance will likely be a factor here. His putting has regressed quite a bit, making last year’s “Hot Glover Summer” feel more and more fluky with each passing start.
Emiliano Grillo
Current OWGR: 36th
Best Finish At The Masters: T17 (2016)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: -, -, 62, 51, 17
Emiliano Grillo is returning to Augusta for the first time since 2019. His game has changed quite a bit since his last walk around these grounds. Grillo was a ‘Team No Putt’ all-star, but he’s maintained his consistent iron play while making massive strides with putter in hand.
Back in 2019, the last year Grillo qualified for this event, he gained strokes putting (SG: P) in just three of the 17 measured events that he played in. These days, he’s still flushing his irons, but he’s gained strokes putting in 16 of his past 22 measure events. He’s a better fit on shorter, positional tracks that require accuracy off the tee, but he’s going to keep the ball in play and give himself a chance every week. He’s made the cut in all nine of his 2024 starts with five T25 or better finishes.
Adam Hadwin
Current OWGR: 46th
Best Finish At The Masters: T24 (2018)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: -, -, MC, 24, 36
Adam Hadwin is making his fourth trip to Augusta National and his first since the fall of 2020. He’s had an interesting 12-month run since last year’s Masters. The 36-year-old Canuck hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since the 2017 Valspar, and the thing he’s known best for right now is getting tackled while attempting to celebrate with Nick Taylor at last year’s Canadian Open.
Be that as it may, Hadwin is still competitive and has three T6 or better finishes in 2024, including last time (again, at the Valspar). Even though he hasn’t won in ages, he’s playing the best golf of his career right now. He’s gaining 1.16 strokes per round, up from 0.78 last season and ahead of his career-best mark of +0.90 back in 2017. He’s added distance this season, with an adjusted driving distance 3.4 yards above the Tour average and 8.6 yards better than his 2023 rates. He’s not winning this event, but he has sneaky upside in the finishing position market.
Stewart Hagestad (A)
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: 36 (2017)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: -, MC, -, -, –
Veteran amateur Stewart Hagestad returns to Augusta National for his third Masters appearance, aiming to recapture the magic of his 2017 debut where he tied for 36th and became the first reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion to claim Low Amateur honors since 1988. Hagestad cemented his legendary amateur status last year with a record-tying third U.S. Mid-Amateur title and played a key role in securing the United States’ fourth consecutive Walker Cup victory just days prior.
His unique experience of playing this course multiple times gives him a leg up against his fellow amateurs this week.
Brian Harman
Current OWGR: 8th
Best Finish At The Masters: 12 (2021)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, MC, 12, T44, MC
I’m 6’2″, so I’m not caping up for Brian Harman as a fellow shorty, but I find the ‘Brian Harman Proves That He Can Hang With The Big Boys’ headlines so condescending. It happens every time that he’s in contention now. This is the current Championship Golfer of the Year, who boat-raced the field by six shots at Royal Liverpool last summer.
The low-hanging fruit pun ties his diminutive stature into a discussion about his lack of distance, I suppose, and that’ll continue to be an issue for him as it’s been during his previous five trips to Augusta. He’s failed to make the weekend the past two years after a surprise T12 finish back in 2021. Augusta has historically been kind to southpaws, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Harman be more competitive this year, given his recent form, including a T2 at The PLAYERS back in mid-March.
Tyrrell Hatton
Current OWGR: 16th
Best Finish At The Masters: 18 (2021)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 34, 52, 18, MC, 56
Tyrrell Hatton has been vocal about his frustrations with the setup and course over the years. Shocking, I know.
I’ve always felt that Hatton’s game is well-suited for success at Augusta, but he’s yet to threaten the top of the board on a Sunday in four LIV Golf starts. The same can be said about his previous seven Masters starts, so I’ll pass on all Tyrrell forms this week.
Russell Henley
Current OWGR: 23rd
Best Finish At The Masters: T4 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 4, 30, T15, T11, 21
Russell Henley surprised us all at last year’s Masters, but perhaps he shouldn’t have, considering he’s held his own here, finishing T30 or better in five straight appearances.
Henley rarely plays himself out of tournaments, and his results reflect that, with 15 T20s in his past 23 starts. His lack of distance is concerning, but he’s one of the best wedge players in the world, and turning the Par 5s into three-shot holes has served short hitters like Zach Johnson well in the past and appears to be the recipe for success for Henley as well.
He’s going to keep the ball in play off the tee, and his scrambling ability becomes paramount, particularly on the long Par 4s here. His irons haven’t been quite as crisp so far in 2024 compared to years past, but I’ll be watching his performance at TPC San Antonio closely.
Ryo Hisatsune
Current OWGR: 86th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Stepping onto Augusta National for the first time, Ryo Hisatsune readies himself for his major championship debut. The 21-year-old Japanese phenom enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, securing PGA Tour membership through the DP World Tour and etching his name in history as the first Japanese recipient of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award.
His best finish on Tour to date was his T11 finish at La Quinta’s American Express in January, and his fall run on the DP World Tour this past fall, including a win in France, showed why he’s one of the more exciting prospects in the game. It’s not surprising that a 21-year-old would struggle in his first year on the PGA Tour, but Hisatune’s inconsistency makes him hard to trust as he navigates this track for the first time.
Lee Hodges
Current OWGR: 72nd
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Lee Hodges punched his ticket to the Masters after a dominant wire-to-wire win at July’s 3M Open. It took him another 12 starts (last month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational) for Hodges to find his way back into the top 20. Hodges’ short game and driving distance are below Tour average, which is not a great recipe for success at Augusta, especially not for a debutant. He’s finished T35 or better in four of his past five starts, but a lot of the results are driven by strong putting performances rather than bankable ball-striking skills.
Nicolai Hojgaard
Current OWGR: 37th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
The just-turned-23-year-old Dane profiles as a contender for years to come at Augusta National. He flashed massive upside late last season and through the fall, with multiple top-5 finishes on the DP World Tour, including a November win at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. He played well for Team Europe during their Ryder Cup victory in September, likely the first of many Ryder Cup appearances for Hojgaard.
A solo second-place finish at Torrey Pines kicked off his PGA Tour season with a bang, but he’s scuffled since. He profiles well for Augusta National, with plus distance, high apex height, and the ability to shape shots both ways. Still, my expectations aren’t exceptionally high for his maiden voyage given his current form. If he plays well at TPC San Antonio leading into the week, he might be worth a look as a longshot in the top debutant market.
Max Homa
Current OWGR: 10th
Best Finish At The Masters: T43 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 43, 48, MC, MC, –
Max finally bagged his first top 10 in a major at last year’s Open Championship. It’s far from a ‘hang the banner’ performance that he’s looking for, but I don’t believe for a second that Max Homa can’t contend or win a major despite his struggles to date. He’s won at Quail Hollow, Torrey Pines, Riviera, and TPC Potomac, among others. Those are legit tracks, and those wins have come against top-level competition, so miss me with any narrative that says he can’t do it on the biggest stage.
Now, “can’t do it” and “hasn’t done it” are two different beasts. The fact of the matter is, he hasn’t done it yet, but it’s only a matter of time. His past results at Augusta specifically are quite uninspiring, and his lead-in form is fairly pedestrian as well, at least when held up next to the standards that he’s set for himself over the past two seasons.
He has one top-ten finish (Arnold Palmer Invitational) in seven 2024 starts, and out of the 66 golfers in the Masters field who’ve played at least 16 rounds on Tour over the past nine months, Homa ranks just 24th in SG: ball-striking. I’ll be rooting for him to quiet his critics, but I’ll be doing it without a ticket in hand.
Viktor Hovland
Current OWGR: 6th
Best Finish At The Masters: T7 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 7, 27, 21, -, 32
Running around Olympia Fields during Sunday’s final round, watching Viktor Hovland’s 61 in person (he was my only outright bet on the week) was an intoxicating experience. Doubling down the following week as he secured the 2023 Tour Championship? Well, now I’m hooked for life.
What seemed to be Hovland’s next step into rarified air among the top of professional golf has stalled mightily in 2024. He appeared to solve the last remaining hindrance to his ascension last summer when his around-the-green game turned into a plus skill instead of the reason he didn’t win three to four times every season. It showed up at the PGA (T2), Memorial (Win), U.S. Open (19th), and again in the back-to-back playoff wins. But shortly before the 2024 season, Hovland and his short-game coach parted ways. It was curious at the time, considering how impactful the 2023 changes were, but I was drinking the Kool-Aid, so I brushed it off as a nothing story and couldn’t wait to watch this kid cook in 2024. I’m still waiting.
The good news is that Hovland’s made the cut in all five of his PGA Tour starts in 2024, but he hasn’t contended yet, and his chipping has been abysmal. He’s lost strokes around the green in all five starts, including -1.6 strokes lost per round the last time we saw him at The PLAYERS. He’s skipped the Texas swing, opting for practice over competitive tournament golf, and I’ll be fascinated to see how he fares at this year’s event. I have a 42/1 ticket on him, something I’ve been holding since last year’s Open Championship, and man, did I feel good about that one all winter long.
Sungjae Im
Current OWGR: 39th
Best Finish At The Masters: 2 (2020)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 16, 8, MC, 2, –
The 2024 season has been the worst of Sungjae Im’s stellar career to date. Im has been a model of consistency, playing an extraordinary number of events each year while being competitive in most, routinely finishing in the top 20 in 50+% of his starts since turning pro in 2019.
Through ten 2024 starts, Im has two T20 finishes, has missed three cuts, and is performing significantly worse in every meaningful metric compared to years past. He’s down year-over-year in every strokes-gained metric and is down over a full stroke overall compared to last year (+0.40 compared to +1.44 in 2023).
There’s not a single element to his game that can carry him through this downturn, at least as it pertains to getting right and capturing another strong showing at Augusta. Im is someone worth targeting in matchups this week.
Stephan Jaeger
Current OWGR: 46th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Stephan Jaeger deserves to be in this year’s Masters field but didn’t officially punch his ticket until winning last week’s Houston Open, holding off world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler down the stretch.
That Houston win was the first of Jaeger’s career, but it was the third time that he was in contention on a Sunday this season after he finished T3 at both Torrey Pines and Mexico’s Vidanta Vallarta. He plays with a ton of poise and confidence and he swings from his toes, which has led to him playing his best on the longest tracks so far this season. That distance advantage should help him this week as he makes his Masters debut, and if he can avoid a disastrous putting week, I think we’ll see him on the weekend.
Dustin Johnson
Current OWGR: 327th (or so)
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2020)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 48, 12, MC, 1, 2
I still believe Dustin Johnson has what it takes to show up and take this home. He was dominant in his COVID-Delayed victory here back in the fall of 2020, and while it’s difficult to argue that the course played significantly differently than it does each spring, he finished inside the top ten in four straight appearances leading up to the 2020 victory.
He contended at last year’s U.S. Open at L.A.C.C., a course with some similarities to Augusta National, finishing T10. He got off to a good start on the LIV Golf circuit this season with a T5 finish in Mayakoba to kick off the year, followed by a win at LIV Golf Las Vegas. Over the past five years (18 rounds), DJ has gained 4 or more strokes in 27.78% of his rounds at Augusta National, which is the most of anyone who’s played at least 10 rounds over that time frame.
Zach Johnson
Current OWGR: 244th
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2007)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 34, MC, MC, 51, 58
Zach Johnson’s T34 finish last year was a bit surprising, but it speaks to the sticky nature of course history at Augusta National. But let’s be real; you’re not betting on Zach Johnson to do much this week. He has one T20 finish in his past 36 starts, and his 2024 strokes gained approach numbers are the worst of his career. The much-maligned U.S. Ryder Cup captain might make the weekend, but I wouldn’t expect much more.
Si Woo Kim
Current OWGR: 45th
Best Finish At The Masters: 12 (2021)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 29, 39, 12, 34, 21
It feels like Si Woo Kim has been around forever, as this is his eighth Masters appearance, but he’s still just 28 years old. Somewhere over the past year or so, Kim has become incredibly consistent, which is a far cry from how I would’ve described him 18 months ago. He’s made the cut in all nine starts in 2024, finishing T25 or better in six of the nine, with his best finish coming at The PLAYERS (6th) just a few weeks ago.
He’s gained strokes on approach and off the tee in every start. He’s leaning more and more on accuracy off the tee rather than distance, hitting it shorter and shorter each year. Based on his results, that can work around here and has worked for him in the past. If his irons are dialed in and he’s not losing a million strokes on the greens, which is still the weakest part of his game, another top-40 finish feels probable. We have limited strokes-gained data from Augusta, but Kim has gained strokes putting in each of the past three seasons.
Tom Kim
Current OWGR: 21st
Best Finish At The Masters: T16 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 16, -, –
Tom Kim is still looking for his first PM tee time of 2024. He’s made the cut in six of his seven starts, with his best finish a T17 at TPC Scottsdale. He’s worked on his club head speed, and it’s paying off, but he’s still just field average in terms of distance off the tee. His accuracy is still above average, but it’s fallen 6% versus 2023 and 9% versus his 2022 rate.
The issue is that his elite skill, approach play, has also slipped. Kim gained, on average, 0.72 strokes per round on approach last season. That’s down to 0.31 this season, and he’s down 0.63 strokes per round on the greens as well. He’s still flashed spiked putting weeks, but he’s far less consistent than in years past. Tom Kim is still just 21 years old, and he’s easy to root for. I just don’t see a reason to bet on him this week.
Chris Kirk
Current OWGR: 33rd
Best Finish At The Masters: T20 (2014)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 23, MC, T33, T20
Chris Kirk’s surprising win at the season-opening Sentry was a harbinger of things to come in 2024, the year of the longshot winners. Kirk’s game is steady, and his attempt to add club head speed is paying off so far this season. He’s gaining 0.68 strokes per round off the tee, up from 0.05 last season, and he’s above field average in driving distance for the first time since 2014.
This is Kirk’s fifth trip to Augusta and his first back-to-back start at the Masters since 2016. I think if he flirts with the top 20 again like he did last year, that’d have to be considered a win, but it’s nothing that I want to back with my wallet this week.
Kurt Kitayama
Current OWGR: 41st
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, -, –
Kurt Kitayama was a surprising addition to last year’s field after taking down a loaded field at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational just prior to last year’s Masters. He earned his way back after a T4 at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill in May. Kitayama didn’t finish inside the top 20 again until a T16 at the ZOZO Championship during the swing season in October, but he’s put together a decent string of golf to kick off 2024.
Kitayama hasn’t contended at all, but he’s made the cut in seven of eight starts, with three T24 or better finishes, including a T19 at The PLAYERS. He’s gained strokes off the tee in every start and on approach in seven of eight starts as well. Ball-striking like that is usually good enough to get you to the weekend. We’ll see if that can continue this week, though I wouldn’t expect much more than a made cut.
Jake Knapp
Current OWGR: 48th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Jake Knapp punched his ticket to Augusta with a win in Mexico back in February, and he’s knocked on the door a couple of other times as well, with T5 finishes at Torrey Pines (T3) and PGA National (T4). The PGA Tour rookie has struggled a bit since, which tempers my expectations for him in his first walk around Augusta National.
On paper, Knapp’s game profiles well for what it takes to succeed around these parts, but anything more than a made cut would be a bonus. He missed the cut last time out in Houston, where he struggled on the greens for the first time all season long.
Brooks Koepka
Current OWGR: 31st
Best Finish At The Masters: 2 (2019 and 2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 2, MC, MC, 7, 2
Brooks Koepka won LIV Golf Orlando the week before last year’s Masters and carried that momentum into last year’s highly anticipated start for both Brooks himself and his LIV Golf cohorts. Koepka did not disappoint, leading for much of the week before falling to Jon Rahm on Sunday. Koepka responded by winning the next major, the PGA Championship, quieting all doubters about his form and ability to maintain his dominant major championship golf performances when healthy.
The LIV Golf crew tees it up in Miami at Doral the week before this year’s Masters, but I’m not concerned with Brooks Koepka’s results. If he wins, his price will plummet, but either way, don’t fool yourself into thinking he’s not a threat to win. He missed the cut in 2021 and 2022 when he was less than 100% but has been a runner-up here twice in the past five events.
Christo Lamprecht (A)
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Christo Lamprecht looks more like a starting forward for the Georgia Tech basketball team than the top-ranked amateur in the world. The 6’8″ South African made a splash during major season in 2023 after being the first-round leader and Low Amateur at The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. By all accounts, he’s a name we need to know for the future, but it’s unlikely that the future starts at this year’s event.
In terms of the low amateur market though, Lamprecht should be considered the favorite.
Min Woo Lee
Current OWGR: 32nd
Best Finish At The Masters: T14 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 14, -, -, –
Min Woo Lee changed our expectations for his 2024 season after a torrid end to his 2023. It started with a T18 finish in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, followed by a T5 at L.A.C.C’s U.S. Open. The 15-event swing from Oak Hill through December saw Min Woo finish inside the top 10 seven times, with wins on the Asian Tour (SJM Macao Open) and DP World Tour (Australian PGA).
He’s yet to recapture that form in 2024, with his T2 at PGA National his lone T20 in seven starts. Min Woo Lee has the upside necessary to succeed and win any tournament he tees it up at, but the great ones separate themselves over time with their week-over-week consistency, which he’s lacking at this stage of his career. Few, if any, hit it further than Min Woo Lee, but without more consistency on approach, I think he’s still prone to blowup rounds at any time. He could be the first-round leader after Thursday, and I wouldn’t be surprised. I’d be more surprised if he managed to hold on and finish inside the top 10.
Luke List
Current OWGR: 65th
Best Finish At The Masters: 33 (2005)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: -, MC, -, -, –
When Luke List made his Masters debut in 2005 as a 20-year-old amateur, finishing T33, he probably didn’t think he’d have to wait 17 years to return. List, making his third career start at Augusta National, returned in 2022 for the first time since 2005, missing the cut at +8.
List has been the captain of “Team No Putt” for most of his career. An elite ball-striker who routinely gives it all back on the greens, but he’s figured something out this season. Through his first nine starts of 2024, List is gaining 0.01 strokes putting per round. Now, “figured something out” is a relative term, and while +0.01 is nothing to get excited about, it is in relation to List’s career baseline numbers. This is unlikely to translate into a strong finish for List at this year’s Masters, but he could challenge his T33 from 2005 if his short game isn’t abysmal this time out.
Shane Lowry
Current OWGR: 33rd
Best Finish At The Masters: 3 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 16, 3, 21, 25, MC
Shane Lowry’s making his ninth career Masters start and looking to extend his streak of four straight T25 or better finishes with a fifth this week. Lowry and fellow Euro Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood have a lot in common when you look at their run stateside over the past handful of years. Both contend often, but finding the winner’s circle has mostly eluded them.
Lowry’s form is excellent at the moment. He loves playing golf in Florida, and this year was no different, with back-to-back strong showings at PGA National (T4) and Bay Hill (solo third). His distance is way down this season, but he’s painting fairways every week. That path to success around Augusta National can work, but it forces you to be nearly perfect with your wedges and short game.
Peter Malnati
Current OWGR: 67th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
After posting two T10 finishes in 31 starts, Peter Malnati broke through at the Valspar Championship with his first PGA Tour win since 2015’s Sanderson Farms. At the time, the Sanderson Farm’s win didn’t earn you a spot in the Masters field, so the 36-year-old Malnati will be making his Masters debut this season.
Malnati’s lack of distance is a real issue in terms of his ability to contend or make the cut, but perhaps he can carry his current form into some weekend golf. He’d have to consider that a win.
Hideki Matsuyama
Current OWGR: 14th
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2021)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 16, 14, 1, 13, 32
The 2021 Masters champ comes into this year’s event in excellent form, with three straight T12 or better finishes, including a dominant Sunday performance against a signature event field at Riviera to take home The Genesis Invitational. Strong showings followed at Bay Hill (T12) and Sawgrass (T6), with Matsuyama’s world-class ball-striking on full display.
I’m encouraged by the increase in distance for Matsuyama, who’s back up to his 2021 range after it had dipped for three straight years and fell below Tour average last season. He’s still the most likely golfer on Tour to break your heart with a last-minute withdrawal, but the distance spike is a sign that he’s back to full strength.
He’s finished T16 or better in four straight Masters appearances, making him a solid T20 look this week. His outright odds were cut in half after his performance at Riviera, but he’s a viable option in the 30/1 range.
Denny McCarthy
Current OWGR: 51st
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
This is going to read meaner than I intend it to, but Denny McCarthy is sort of a one-trick pony, and that one trick, putting, isn’t nearly as elite as people think it is. Now, McCarthy tried to shove that down my throat on Sunday at the Valero Texas Open with a back-9 28, showing the ceiling that he’s capable of on the greens. Generally, McCarthy is a fairly average ball-striker who lacks distance and rarely gains strokes tee-to-green (T2G). In fact, over the past 12 months, Denny McCarthy has gained 1+ strokes T2G in just 17.86% of his rounds, the second-lowest rate on Tour (min. 24 rounds played).
In terms of putting, McCarthy has been SG+ in 64.29% of his rounds over the past calendar year. That ranks 15th in this week’s field, so solid but far from elite. He’s shown to be a streaky player over the past few years, so perhaps he can carry that Valero performance over in his Masters debut, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Rory McIlroy
Current OWGR: 2nd
Best Finish At The Masters: 2 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 2, MC, 5, 21
You may have heard this before, but a Masters win is the final piece of the career Grand Slam for Rory McIlroy. I know! I was stunned to learn this, too.
This year’s Masters will have a different feel to it for Rory. Last year’s event was the first time that the LIV Golf crew was merging back with their PGA Tour cohorts, and as we know, McIlroy shouldered an unnecessarily large burden during that time, carrying water for Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour. The landscape and McIlroy’s feelings about all things LIV Golf have clearly shifted in the 12 months since last year’s event, hopefully freeing him up in a way that wasn’t possible last year.
Now we can just talk about the golf aspect of things. McIlroy won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January before making his 2024 PGA Tour debut, but he’s scuffled a bit in his five starts to date. He’s in the field in San Antonio, so he’ll get one more crack in a lead-in event, but so far, McIlroy’s best finish was his T19 at last month’s PLAYERS. His irons haven’t been as consistent, though it is a small sample size and probably not worth overreacting to.
Using the Floor/Ceiling view in the Rabbit Hole, you can get a better sense of McIlroy’s struggles, which is a relative term given that McIlroy remains one of the best golfers on the planet. Over the past nine months, 65 golfers in the Masters field have played at least 16 rounds. McIlroy has gained 1 or more strokes on approach in just 23% of his 39 measured rounds, which ranks 55th out of 65 in the sample. Overall, he’s gaining an average of 0.37 strokes per round on approach, which is about half of what he’s done for most of the past decade.
Personally, I’d love to see him close this loop and get over the hump, but given his middling form heading into the event, especially when compared to the other top options in this year’s field, it’s tough to back Rory due to anything data-driven.
Adrian Meronk
Current OWGR: 55th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, -, –
Adrian Meronk was set to join the PGA Tour full-time in 2024 after capturing the DP World Tour Player of the Year honors last season. Shortly before teeing it up at Torrey Pines in January, Meronk announced a change of plans, taking his talents to LIV Golf instead.
He’s bagged two T10 finishes in four LIV Golf starts and is at his best when he can grip and rip it off the tee. Multiple strong showings on the DP World Tour preceded his move to LIV Golf, but he really struggled here in his debut last season. He’s a stay-away for me.
Phil Mickelson
Current OWGR: 161st
Best Finish At The Masters: 1st (2004, 2006, 2010)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 2, 21, 55, 18, 36
A final-round 65 propelled “Lefty” to a shocking second-place finish at last year’s Masters, recording both the lowest round and highest finish by a player 50 and older in the event’s history.
Mickelson entered last year’s event with little to no form to speak of, and his recent T6 at LIV Golf’s Jeddah event was better than anything he posted in the lead-up to last year’s Masters appearance. This is Mickelson’s 31st career Masters, and he clearly knows his way around this track. A win would surprise me, but perhaps it shouldn’t after his out-of-nowhere PGA Championship win at Kiawah Island back in 2022.
Taylor Moore
Current OWGR: 53rd
Best Finish At The Masters: T39 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 39, -, –
Taylor Moore’s win at the 2023 Valspar Championship punched his ticket to last year’s Masters, and a strong showing at the FedEx St. Jude, the first leg of the 2023 playoffs, ensured his 2024 return. It was a well-timed, strong showing for Moore.
Since last year’s Masters, Moore has just five T20 finishes in 24 starts. He’s made the cut in every 2024 start and is playing well at the right time, with back-to-back strong showings at this year’s Valspar (T12) and in Houston (T2). His Houston performance was a bit of smoke and mirrors, gaining big time on and around the greens while losing strokes on approach. That tempers any expectations or excitement that I’d have for Moore heading into this week, though another made-cut feels likely.
Collin Morikawa
Current OWGR: 16th
Best Finish At The Masters: 5 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 10, 5, 18, 44, –
It’s been a pretty uneventful start to the 2024 season for Collin Morikawa. He’s gaining a half-stroke less on approach through six starts (+0.56) than in 2023 (+1.06), bringing his greatest edge back toward the field. He’s lost strokes on approach in back-to-back starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (MC) and The PLAYERS (T45).
I don’t want to overreact to a small sample struggle, but Morikawa doesn’t have the distance or short-game chops of the other elites on Tour, so he needs to be dominant with his irons to contend. He’s in the field at the Valero Texas Open, and I’ll be interested to see how he fares.
His previous Masters success is encouraging, though. He’s gained strokes in every strokes gained metric in three straight appearances, all of which have been inside the top 20. A Morikawa outright bet is a difficult sell right now, given his form versus others at the top of the board, but if you wanted to take a shot at another strong finish with a T20 bet, I’d understand it.
Grayson Murray
Current OWGR: 54th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 4 Masters Finishes: debutant
Grayson Murray’s stunning win at January’s Sony Open feels more and more like an outlier the further away we get from that Sunday playoff finish. Kudos to him for getting his life back on track after getting sober and playing well on the Korn Ferry Tour last season, and while his current form isn’t going to get it done at Augusta, he still gets to tee it up at this week’s Masters!
Since his Sony Open win, he’s missed the cut in three of the six events, but given his inconsistent Iron play and below-average short game, my expectations of seeing Murray on the weekend are fairly low.
Want a good chuckle? Grayson Murray is 54th in the OWGR, and the next guy on the list, Joaquin Niemann, is 91st.
Joaquin Niemann
Current OWGR: 91st
Best Finish At The Masters: 16 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 16, 35, 40, -, –
“The hottest player in the world, not named Scottie Scheffler,” is a moniker currently owned by Joaquin Niemann, and Augusta has always felt like a place well-suited to the young Chilean’s game. Because of his ball-striking prowess and volatile short game, I’ve always thought of Niemann as sort of a poor man’s Viktor Hovland, though that might be unintentionally disrespectful given the current form of each.
He played three DP World Tour events prior to the start of LIV Golf’s season. He finished T5 or better in all of them, including a win at the Australian Open. He then won the LIV season opener, his first of two LIV wins this season, and mixed in a couple of other T5 finishes on the Asian Tour and again on LIV. Now, these are not PGA Tour fields, so it’s a bit difficult to put this run into proper context, but I don’t want to diminish Niemann’s accomplishments, either.
He’s still just 25 years old, even though it feels like he’s been around forever. Since turning pro at 19, this type of run felt like it was in the range of outcomes for Niemann, and here we are. DataGolf ranks Niemann as the 9th best golfer in the world, and he’s around 10-12 on the odds board for this year’s Masters, depending on your Sportsbook. I can’t get there at current prices, but kudos to you if you moved early on him during this run.
Jose Maria Olazabal
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (1994 & 1999)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, MC, 50, MC, MC
The two-time Masters champion out of Spain has been kicking it around on the Champions Tour a bit, but not well. His T50 here in 2021 was his first made cut at the event since 2014, and I’m willing to bet his new missed cut streak lasts for quite a while.
Thorbjorn Olesen
Current OWGR: 71st
Best Finish At The Masters: T6 (2013)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: T21, T44, T6
Thorbjorn Olesen is making his fourth Masters appearance but first since 2019. He’s made the cut in all three previous stops but has yet to recall the magic that led him to a T6 finish as a 23-year-old back in 2013. Olesen, who’s played almost exclusively on the DP World Tour for the past decade, earned his PGA Tour card last season after a strong season in Europe, including a win at January’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the United Arab Emirates.
The Denmark native has struggled to find his footing stateside, debuting with a T46 in a weak field in Mexico before missing the cut at the Cognizant Classic, Valspar, and Houston Open. He had a pretty massive dip in distance off the tee since his last visit to Augusta, and pairing that with his current form makes him an easy fade for me this week.
Matthieu Pavon
Current OWGR: 24th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
This is Matthieu Pavon’s fifth major start but first at Augusta National. He’s clearly figured something out with his game this season because a look at his career performances prior to this season’s run, which includes a surprise win at Torrey Pine’s Farmers Insurance Open, shows a very different golfer.
Over the past seven years, Pavon’s made around 27 starts a year on the DP World Tour. He has one career win and never had a season with more than two T5 or better finishes. In 2024, Pavon has made eight starts and has three T5 or better finishes, including the win at Torrey Pines. His approach play is massively improved, and he’s been putting like he’s peak Brad Faxon, so that’ll likely tail off at some point. I’ve felt like this has been a bit of smoke and mirrors to this point, and I could be wrong, but I won’t be jumping on the Frenchman’s bandwagon for his first walk around Augusta National.
J.T. Poston
Current OWGR: 44th
Best Finish At The Masters: T34 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 34, MC, -, -, –
J.T. Poston has finally cooled off. His best finish over his past three starts was a T45 at The PLAYERS, but a 15-start stretch from last year’s John Deere Classic to this year’s Genesis Invitational saw Poston hang 12 T25 or better finishes, eight of which were top 10s. He couldn’t seal the deal in any of them, proving that winning golf tournaments is indeed difficult.
He appears to be shifting against the tides, opting for more accuracy off the tee in place of distance, something that won’t serve him well at Augusta. He’s a consistently strong iron player and one of the Tour’s best putters, but I’m not sure that’s enough to threaten the weekend leaderboard in the season’s first major.
Jon Rahm
Current OWGR: 3rd
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 1, 27, 5, 7, 9
Jon Rahm spotted the field two strokes on the first hole last year and still won his first green jacket by four strokes. The defending Masters champion will be making his eighth start at Augusta, having posted T9 or better finishes in five of his past six appearances. He’s yet to win a LIV Golf event, which is a bit surprising, but he’s been in contention every time, with seven straight T9 or better finishes between LIV Golf and DP World Tour events this season.
It’s tough to not get swept up in the moment when Scottie Scheffler is playing as well as he is right now, but let’s not pretend that Rahm isn’t in the same league or every bit the contender that Scheffler is heading into this year’s event. The current betting odds don’t reflect that.
Scheffler’s odds are hovering around +450, while an outright ticket on Jon Rahm can be had at 13/1 as of this writing. If Rahm wins LIV Golf Miami leading up to the Masters, he’ll be back under 10/1, which is likely where he belongs.
Patrick Reed
Current OWGR: 107th
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2018)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 4, 35, 8, 10, 36
“Golf But Louder” isn’t going particularly well for Patrick Reed these days, but he’s fared better when he’s teed it up on the Asian Tour, including a T4 last time out in Macau. This is an important event for Reed, who’s currently on the outside looking in for the other three 2024 majors. A strong finish is required, and this is his best shot, in a small field at a track he knows well.
The local product’s success around Augusta is difficult to ignore, including a somewhat surprising T4 at last year’s event. He’s typically a form golfer, parlaying multiple strong performances in a row once he gets going. If he shows up and goes low at LIV Golf’s Miami event at Doral leading up to Augusta, I’ll likely have a Patty finishing position bet on the card.
Justin Rose
Current OWGR: 56th
Best Finish At The Masters: 2 (2017)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 16, MC, 7, 23, MC
Justin Rose comes to his 19th Masters in poor form, with just one T20 or better finish in seven 2024 starts. He’s missed the cut in his past two starts (Arnold Palmer and The PLAYERS), and he’s really scuffling with his irons right now.
Leading up to last year’s event, Rose gained strokes on approach in six straight events and did so again on the way to his T16 finish in 2023. So far, in seven 2024 starts, Rose has gained strokes on approach just twice. In both instances, the Farmers (+0.08) and Arnold Palmer (+0.16) he was basically field average.
This is the crux of his 2024 struggles, and while he’s played well at Augusta throughout his career, finishing T25 or better in 14 of 18 starts, he’s not on my radar this week, given his current form.
Xander Schauffele
Current OWGR: 5th
Best Finish At The Masters: 2 (2019)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 10, MC, 3, 17, 2
Xander Schauffele is one of the most consistent golfers on the planet. He’s a top-20 machine, and he finishes inside the top five at the same rate that other above-average golfers on the Tour finish inside the top 20. He’s played 36 events since his last win at the 2022 Scottish Open, finishing inside the top 10 in 20 of his 36 starts, 13 of which were T5 or better. That level of consistency is incredibly impressive.
Schauffele’s driver has been a weapon this season. He’s gained a half-stroke more per round off the tee than in 2023, adding distance and improving his accuracy. It doesn’t appear to be by accident, either.
He’s always in the mix regardless of the event or field strength, and his course history here is strong, with three T10 or better finishes in the past five years. Can he finally break through and win a major?
Scottie Scheffler
Current OWGR: 1
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 10, 1, 18, 19, –
I genuinely don’t know where to start. The best golfer in the world continues to get better, and a recent equipment change, moving from a blade to a longer mallet-style putter, appears to have solved, or at least improved, his only hiccup.
He’s separating from his peers, even if you only consider his peers to be the other top 20 golfers on the planet. For conversation’s sake, let’s just consider his peer group to be the other two “Big 3” golfers, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Since the start of 2023, McIlroy and Rahm have each gained strokes tee-to-green (T2G) in roughly 75% of their rounds. McIlroy ranks second behind Scheffler, gaining 1+ strokes T2G in 62.16% of his measured rounds, while Rahm has done the same 56.25% of the time.
Since the start of 2023, Scottie Scheffler has gained strokes T2G in 93.14% of his rounds and has gained 1+ 84.31% of the time. In fact, Scheffler has gained 2+ strokes T2G at a 64.71% clip, which tops McIlroy’s rate of gaining 1+ strokes. Read that again!!
He’s the best golfer on the planet, and he’s playing at a level that we haven’t seen in about 20 years. Yeah, like You Know Who. He’s been inside the top 10 in 10 of his past 11 starts, with three wins, and he’s looking for his second green jacket.
Adam Schenk
Current OWGR: 59th
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
Adam Schenk earned his first Masters appearance after a T9 finish at the Tour Championship in 2023. He knocked on the door multiple times last season but topped out with solo second-place finishes at the 2023 Valspar and Charles Schwab. Schenk had 12 T20 or better finishes over 89 starts from 2020 to 2022 and nearly matched that mark in 2023 with 11 T20 finishes, the best season of his career.
So far, 2024 hasn’t been as kind. Schenk’s plus distance will help him navigate Augusta National, but he has lost strokes on approach in six of his nine measured events this season, and that’s not going to get it done around here.
Charl Schwartzel
Current OWGR: 382nd
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2011)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 50, 10, 26, 25, MC
We were all caught off guard by Charl Schwartzel’s T10 finish here in 2022, but that speaks to the nature of sticky course history at Augusta National. Schwartzel’s LIV Golf record is fairly uninspiring, though he finished T2 in Jeddah two starts ago and bagged a solo second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the DP World Tour in early December.
In my opinion, backing him in any way, shape, or form is a bet on course history alone, and that’s never enough for me.
Adam Scott
Current OWGR: 52nd
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2013)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 39, 48, 54, 34, 18
Adam Scott finally cooled off after seven straight T20 or better finishes from November to February, five of which were T10s. An ice-cold putter sent him home from Bay Hill on Friday afternoon, and poor iron play led to a T45 the following week at The PLAYERS.
Scott hasn’t missed the cut at Augusta since 2009, but he has just one T10 since his 2013 win, which was all the way back in 2017. Based on his six-month rolling form and solid history here, I wouldn’t be surprised if he popped this week.
Neal Shipley (A)
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
The Ohio St product finished runner-up to Nick Dunlap at the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills last season, punching his ticket to this year’s Masters and U.S. Open. He’s built like Harry Higgs but with significantly better lettuce.
Vijay Singh
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2000)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, MC, MC, WD, MC
Only the boomers remember, but Vijay Singh was a problem back in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Singh has been playing a lot more on the Champions Tour these days and has sprinkled in some solid finishes, including a win at August’s Alley Challenge, his first win since 2018. Even so, I don’t expect his string of Friday exits to end this week.
Cameron Smith
Current OWGR: 62nd
Best Finish At The Masters: 2 (2020 & 2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 34, 3, 10, 2, 51
Cam Smith admitted to not being as prepared as he would’ve liked for last year’s Masters, which resulted in a disappointing T34 finish, his first outside the top 10 here since 2019.
He’ll enter this year’s event in significantly better form and showed at last year’s U.S. Open (solo 4th) that he’s still among the top-tier golfers in the world. He comes into the 2024 Masters a bit under the radar compared to years past, but another top-10 showing is strongly within his range of outcomes.
Jordan Spieth
Current OWGR: 19th
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2015)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 4, MC, 3, 46, 21
There’s no place on earth where strokes-gained-magic-beans is more useful than the rolling terrain of Augusta National, and it’s no accident that Jordan Spieth loves playing golf here. After starting his Masters career T2-Win-T2, it feels like a bit of a letdown that he hasn’t won again, but he’s had three other T5 finishes, including two in the past three years.
He entered last year’s event in significantly better form than he will this year, though he could correct that with a win in San Antonio at the Valero this week. Spieth has missed the cut in his past two starts at The PLAYERS and Valspar, losing strokes on approach in both starts.
I backed Spieth to win last year, and while I don’t think any of us would be shocked to see him in the mix again on Sunday, it’s tough to back him in the betting markets because you’re paying a tax based on course history that doesn’t line up with his current form.
Sepp Straka
Current OWGR: 29th
Best Finish At The Masters: 30 (2022)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 46, 30, -, -, –
The Georgia Bulldog is making his third straight Masters start, making the cut in each of the previous two ventures.
Straka is rarely a bet for me just due to the streaky nature of his game. You’ll likely miss the start of his hot streak because there’s no telling when it’ll start, but he usually pieces together a string of strong showings. He followed up on his win at last year’s John Deere by finishing T2 at The Open Championship in his next start. His swing season was excellent, with five straight T22 finishes, but he’s missed the cut in four of his eight 2024 starts and missed the cut last time out at the Valspar.
He doesn’t have a bankable skill set that’s appealing for this venue, and he’s not in the midst of one of his white-hot runs.
Jasper Stubbs (A)
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: debutant
The 22-year-old Aussie won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne last October, which earned him an invite to this year’s Masters and Open Championship. He posted four solid rounds at the Australian Open back in December, an event featuring all the top Aussies, finishing T21 and earning low amateur honors in front of the home crowd.
Nick Taylor
Current OWGR: 25th
Best Finish At The Masters: T29 (2020)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: -,-,-,-, 29
Nick Taylor has won twice in his past 20 starts on Tour, with his ironic Canadian Open win in a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood punching his ticket to this year’s event. That 72-foot putt will live on forever north of the border, and rightfully so.
Taylor’s win at this year’s WM Phoenix Open was even more impressive, as he held off a stronger field, including a run from world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Taylor’s game is fairly consistent, with above-average approach play leading the way. He’s an above-average putter, capable of blacking out and making everything in sight for a round or two, but his lack of distance caps his upside at this sprawling track.
Sahith Theegala
Current OWGR: 15th
Best Finish At The Masters: 9 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 9, -, –
Sahith Theegala is probably one of my favorite golfers to watch, but he rarely finds his way onto my betting card. That’s going to change this week.
He’s still just 26 years old and immensely talented, but his game has lacked consistency up until his recent run. There’s a ton of upside in his game, and he’ll flash it on the greens, on approach, and off the tee, but rarely ever at the same time.
Theegala is definitely in the midst of his best run since turning pro, with four T9 or better finishes this season, three of which have come in Signature Events against the best fields on the PGA Tour. This is just his second appearance at Augusta, but I expect him to play well this week. I’ll look to back him in the finishing position market, and I’m hoping to see his outright price drift a bit, but around 60/1 is a worthwhile look.
Justin Thomas
Current OWGR: 28th
Best Finish At The Masters: 4 (2020)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 8, 21, 4, 12
Justin Thomas has been vocal about his disappointing execution during past Masters, and last year’s missed cut broke his spirit, leading to Thomas’ worst season to date as a professional. Prior to last year, Thomas had posted six straight top-22 or better performances at Augusta, and while he’s not coming here for T20s, it’s a solid track record and opens the door for future success.
His elite ball-striking skills have come back around after last summer’s debacle, but he’s still yet to find the winner’s circle since his PGA Championship win at Southern Hills back in May of 2022. His putter has been at the heart of his 2024 struggles. He’s lost strokes putting in four of his past six events, and not by a little bit. He lost 0.96 strokes per round at Pebble Beach, 1.03 strokes per round at Riviera, 1.59 strokes per round at TPC Sawgrass, and 1.24 strokes per round at Innisbrook, including a 79 on Saturday, where he needed 38 putts.
Still priced shorter than 30/1, we’re not getting much of a discount on Thomas right now. I don’t expect that we’ll see him miss the cut again this season, but I don’t think he’s appealing right now, given his prices in the market.
Erik van Rooyen
Current OWGR: 61st
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, WD, -, -, –
Erik van Rooyen’s back-nine 28 on Sunday at El Cardonal led to his first win since 2021, sending him to Augusta for the third time. EVR has yet to play a weekend round at the Masters, withdrawing after the first round in 2020, and he missed the cut after a second-round 79 last season.
He had gained strokes on approach in seven straight starts prior to his missed cut last time out at The PLAYERS, and he finished T2 at PGA National just three starts ago. His first made cut should be the goal, and it feels like a viable option considering how he’s played over the past six months. He struggles around the green, which could be his downfall this week, but if the ball-striking is on, it may not matter quite as much.
Camilo Villegas
Current OWGR: 162nd
Best Finish At The Masters: T13 (2009)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 49, T38, T13, MC
Camilo Villegas is returning to Augusta for the seventh time, but the first time since 2015, and just his second time since 2011.
Villegas’ game is miles away from ready, especially for this type of test. He won November’s Butterfield Bermuda swing season event but has made the cut in just three of his eight PGA Tour starts in 2024, with a T50 in the Sentry’s 59-man field as his best showing to date. I’d be stunned if he sees the weekend.
Bubba Watson
Current OWGR: A Lot
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2012 & 2014)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 39, 26, 57, 12
The two-time Masters champion missed the cut last season after coming to Augusta with very few competitive rounds in pocket prior to teeing it up. He’s played more in the lead-in to this year’s event, but the Range Goat’s captain has been treading water since joining LIV Golf. Watson has made 17 starts in LIV’s limited-field events, finishing inside the top 10 just once (T8 in Tulsa).
What we do know is he loves this place, he’s thrived here, and his shot-making skills and ability to move the ball both ways are nearly unmatched. It hasn’t been all azaleas and green jackets, though. When he’s not winning, he’s routinely finished outside of the top 25, which feels likely again, given his limited recent reps.
Mike Weir
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2003)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, MC, MC, 51, MC
Weir, the left-handed Canuck and 2003 champion, has missed 11 of the last 13 cuts here. Weir’s not even landing top-10s on the Champions Tour, with just one in his past 19 starts, so it’s difficult to see a path to him making the cut this week, which is his ceiling.
Danny Willett
Current OWGR: 245th
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (2016)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: MC, 12, MC, 25, MC
We haven’t seen Danny Willet tee it up in a while, so I’m not sure that he’s coming this season, but he’s on the official list for now so he gets a writeup.
The stunning 2016 Masters champion stunned us again in 2022 with a competitive four rounds and a T12 finish despite entering with zero form and one top-ten finish in the past calendar year. His form leading up to this year’s event is no different.
Willet has played in just 13 events since last season’s Masters, making the weekend in just five of them. His best finish was a T54 in June’s Memorial. He’s rotated missed cuts with strong finishes over the past few years, but it feels like this is the start of a string of missed cuts.
Gary Woodland
Current OWGR: 134th
Best Finish At The Masters: T14 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 14, MC, 40, MC, 32
Gary Woodland teeing it up at this year’s Masters should be celebrated, regardless of his performance. A September surgery to remove a lesion from his brain nearly cost him a lot more than a missed cut would.
Woodland’s T14 at last year’s event and his opening round 68 were his best Augusta performances to date. Expectations are pretty low for a repeat of 2023, as Woodland has struggled mightily in eight 2024 starts, making the cut just three times. He did lead the field in Houston in SG: APP, so perhaps he’s turning a corner, but ball-striking is rarely the issue. Woodland is easy to root for yet impossible to bet on right now.
Tiger Woods
Current OWGR: He Was No. 1 Once, I Promise
Best Finish At The Masters: 1 (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: WD, 47, -, 38, 1
I don’t know what to expect at this point, but I’m just hoping to see Tiger Woods make it through two rounds intact. It’s crazy that Tiger’s only made 24 starts since his 2019 Masters win. He’s been forced to withdraw from three of the past six, and a made cut would have to be considered a win at this point, though he’d never admit that.
Cameron Young
Current OWGR: 13th
Best Finish At The Masters: T7 (2023)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: 7, MC, – , – , –
Cameron Young is off to a tremendous start to the year, but he continues to stall out just short of the winner’s circle. Young’s made nine starts in 2024, finishing T4 or better in three of them, including last time out at the Valspar. He’s gained strokes ball-striking in ten consecutive starts, and he’s up 0.41 strokes per round versus last year.
His putter is still wildly inconsistent, but he gained strokes putting here last season (+1.24 per round) on his way to a T7 finish despite losing strokes on the greens in four of his six starts leading up to last year’s event. He feels so close to getting his first professional win, but I need longer odds than 40/1 if you’re selling me on that first coming at Augusta.
Will Zalatoris
Current OWGR: 30th
Best Finish At The Masters: 2 (2021)
Last 5 Masters Finishes: -, 6, 2, -, –
A second-place finish in your Masters debut is a hell of a way to make an entrance. Following it up with a T6 the following year is equally impressive. Unfortunately, a back injury left Will Zalatoris out of last year’s event and most of the season, but I’m interested to see if the big game hunter is ready to contend at another major.
Willy Z’s electric ball-striking appears to have picked up right where he left off, which is impressive considering that he was away from competitive golf for nine months. He’s gained strokes on approach in six straight starts, and the switch to a broomstick putter has brought mixed results, though I’d call it a win overall despite his struggles last time out in Houston.
He finished T2 at Riviera and likely wins it if not for Hideki Matsuyama’s record-setting day. He followed that up with a strong showing at Bay Hill in his next start, finishing T4 while flashing his standard ball-striking prowess. There were some big Zalatoris numbers in the market back in the fall when we didn’t know his 2024 status, but those are long gone after the way he’s played in 2024. I’ll be interested to see if his poor putting performance in Houston causes his outright number to drift ever so slightly, but overall, I expect him to be competitive again this week.