{"id":17318,"date":"2026-04-06T05:18:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T05:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/?post_type=article&#038;p=17318"},"modified":"2026-04-06T20:30:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T20:30:55","slug":"2026-masters-picks-rankings-course-preview-fantasy-golf-picks","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/article\/2026-masters-picks-rankings-course-preview-fantasy-golf-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"Pat Mayo&#8217;s 2026 Masters Picks, Rankings, Course Preview | Fantasy Golf Picks | Betsperts Golf"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 data-pm-slice=\"0 0 []\">2026 Masters Picks<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Field: 91 Players<\/li>\n<li>Cut: Top 50 and Ties after 36 Holes<\/li>\n<li>First Tee: Thursday April 9<\/li>\n<li>Defending Champion: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rory McIlroy<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow ugc noopener\">SUB TO FREE PME NEWSLETTER TO GET ALL ARTICLES AND CHEATSHEETS EARLY + EXTRA INFO &amp; BREAKING NEWS<\/a><\/h4>\n<p>Whether you\u2019ve been grinding golf since there was ice on your window and Hawaii on TV or scrambling last second to find info for Masters pool picks. I got you.<\/p>\n<p>The Masters is the comfort food even hipsters haven\u2019t turned on. And, if you\u2019re feeling alone, no need to worry, Jim Nantz is on the call at Augusta, which means you have at least one friend. The year\u2019s first Major is finalized at 91 players.<\/p>\n<p>Signature Events have taken some of the shine off seeing the PGA\u2019s best get together and duke it out since it happens every almost every three weeks at this point. That\u2019s fun and everything (kinda), but The Masters carries even more significance now. Didn\u2019t think that was possible. Whether you hate LIV or simply forget it exists; since LIV\u2019ss inception, it\u2019s really provided extra juice for all the Majors. It\u2019s undeniable. We\u2019ve seen the PGA\u2019s best square off six times already this year, but inject their mirror universe counterparts and now there\u2019s heightened intrigue. Granted, with <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/brooks-koepka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/brooks-koepka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brooks Koepka<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Reed<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> leaving LIV, it\u2019s less intrigue than past years since those were two of LIV\u2019s actual contenders. Koepka is still in the field and has three Top 20 finishes in his past four starts on the PGA TOUR. Reed has played six times on the DP World Tour in 2026 with two wins and a runner-up.<\/p>\n<p>All former Masters champs are in the Augusta field for life. Like the nWo. It\u2019s why LIV signed so many of those guys. Guaranteed access. Other Major winners have a 5-year exemption along with top finishers in Majors a year ago too.<\/p>\n<p>There are 10 LIV members in this year\u2019s Masters. Down from 12 last year: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bryson-dechambeau\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bryson-dechambeau\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bryson DeChambeau<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jon Rahm<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, Cam Smith, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/dustin-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/dustin-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dustin Johnson<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bubba-watson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bubba-watson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bubba Watson<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sergio-garcia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sergio-garcia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sergio Garcia<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tyrrell-hatton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tyrrell-hatton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tyrrell Hatton<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/charl-schwartzel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/charl-schwartzel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charl Schwartzel<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tom-mckibbin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tom-mckibbin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tom McKibbin<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/carlos-ortiz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/carlos-ortiz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Carlos Ortiz<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> \u2014 13% of the field.<\/p>\n<p>This is the first Masters since 1994 neither <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tiger-woods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tiger-woods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tiger Woods<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> or <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/phil-mickelson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/phil-mickelson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phil Mickelson<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> will be competing. Phil has missed most of the LIV events this year with a personal health matter so it\u2019s not unexpected he\u2019ll be taking a pass at Augusta. Tiger is also dealing with a \u201cpersonal health matter\u201d. Let\u2019s go with that.<\/p>\n<p>Despite competitiveness with the PGA vs LIV blood feud seemingly diminished, 2026 has the most intrigue in some time because of the lack of a dominant presence on the PGA TOUR. I don\u2019t say \u201cgolf\u201d as Bryson and Rahm are dominating LIV right now. Since you likely haven\u2019t paid any attention, LIV has played five events in 2026: Bryson has won the past two events, Rahm has a win, three seconds, and a fifth.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> remains the world\u2019s best player, but something is clearly off. Which is pretty hilarious to say about a player who already has a win in the year and is second in SG: TOTAL of all players on TOUR. If Scheffler wasn\u2019t putting like prime <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/brad-faxon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/brad-faxon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brad Faxon<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> we\u2019d be talking more about his issues. Mainly, his approach play. Scheffler\u2019s irons are his superpower when combined with the rest of his game. Take those away and he\u2019s very beatable. For the year, he\u2019s gaining just +0.08 SG:APP\/round. Tied for 43rd in this field with Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. Scheffler is 1.24 strokes worse PER ROUND on approach in 2026 than in 2025.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/betspertsgolf.com\/mayo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">25% OFF Stats, Tools &amp; Customizable Data powered by Rabbit Hole at BetspertsGolf.com<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!ByY2!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a3ea30f-0d8e-4b40-a381-aaacc382bb85_1736x784.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"658\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/4a3ea30f-0d8e-4b40-a381-aaacc382bb85_1736x784.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:658,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:162743,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/i\/193290600?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4a3ea30f-0d8e-4b40-a381-aaacc382bb85_1736x784.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" \/><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Scheffler pulled out of the Houston Open, expecting his second child. Being notoriously private, there was no news about this for almost two weeks, which put Scottie&#8217;s Masters in some doubt. There is no doubt he\u2019s playing. Turns out, the baby is almost two weeks old now, and just didn\u2019t make it publicly known over the weekend before The Masters.<\/p>\n<p>A ton of the other top names have wonky backs. Defending champion <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rory McIlroy<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has been playing less in the early season than usual. He did play a lot on TGL, then he hurt his back at Bay Hill, only to return a week later at The PLAYERS and underwhelm. Despite the poor result, none of it was back-related. He was second with his driver for the week, and his ball speed remained unchanged from pre-injury. He just couldn\u2019t putt. His -5.37 SG: PUTT was his worst putting performance since the 2024 St. Jude Classic. Of note, the last player to win The Masters without notching at least one win coming in was Hideki in 2021. Also, no one has gone back-to-back at Augusta since Tiger in 2001\/2002.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-thomas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-thomas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Thomas<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> didn\u2019t play an event until March because of off-season back surgery. He spiked at The PLAYERS (T8), but that\u2019s been it in his three starts. Then there\u2019s <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/collin-morikawa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/collin-morikawa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Collin Morikawa<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>. He won at Pebble Beach and was THEE pick of the public at The PLAYERS Championship. The two-time Major winner started becoming the early trendy Masters picks, too. He played one hole at Sawgrass and quit with a back injury. He tried giving it a go at Valero last week and pulled out two days before the event started. There have been no updates on his status since. Maybe he\u2019s fine? Doesn\u2019t seem like it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/xander-schauffele\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/xander-schauffele\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Xander Schauffele<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tommy Fleetwood<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> have been playing the best of the annual top-tier players. Xander enters with three Top 10s in his last four starts, while Fleetwood has been Top 10 in three of five PGA TOUR starts in 2026. <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/ludvig-aberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/ludvig-aberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ludvig Aberg<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> should have multiple wins, but keeps folding on Sundays. 2025 US Open runner-up <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/robert-macintyre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/robert-macintyre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Robert MacIntyre<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has quietly started getting himself in contention each week as his irons have started to warm up to match his driver and putter.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/hideki-matsuyama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/hideki-matsuyama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hideki Matsuyama<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/viktor-hovland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/viktor-hovland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Viktor Hovland<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-cantlay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-cantlay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Cantlay<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jordan-spieth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jordan-spieth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jordan Spieth<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/shane-lowry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/shane-lowry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shane Lowry<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sam-burns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sam-burns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sam Burns<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jason-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jason-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jason Day<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/russell-henley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/russell-henley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Russell Henley<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/corey-conners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/corey-conners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Corey Conners<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> have flashed a few times this year, but overall have all been underwhelming. Last year\u2019s playoff loser, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-rose\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-rose\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Rose<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, won at Torrey Pines yet hasn\u2019t done much since. <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/adam-scott\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/adam-scott\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adam Scott<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has been one of the best ball strikers in the world this year, but hasn\u2019t been chipping or putting. <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tyrrell-hatton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tyrrell-hatton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tyrrell Hatton<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has been brutal on LIV, while <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/keegan-bradley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/keegan-bradley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keegan Bradley<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has been outright awful. <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/j.j.-spaun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/j.j.-spaun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">J.J. Spaun<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has started to get his act together, but still has a loose putter.<\/p>\n<p>The season has been dominated by the young guard with little Major experience: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/chris-gotterup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/chris-gotterup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chris Gotterup<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has won twice, and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jacob-bridgeman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jacob-bridgeman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jacob Bridgeman<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> took down a signature event at Riviera (along with a Top 20 finish in all eight of his starts). Neither has played at Augusta before. <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/akshay-bhatia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/akshay-bhatia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Akshay Bhatia<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> won at Bay Hill and has three other Top 15s in his past five starts. Akshay&#8217;s best finish in a Major is T16 at the 2024 US Open. No player has been better on a per-round basis than <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jake-knapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jake-knapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jake Knapp<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> in 2026. He was T55 at the 2024 Masters. Which is his best Major result; he\u2019s been cut in his three other starts.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/min-woo-lee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/min-woo-lee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Min Woo Lee<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/si-woo-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/si-woo-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Si Woo Kim<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/nicolai-hojgaard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/nicolai-hojgaard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nicolai Hojgaard<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> have all played excellently but have yet to break through in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>That leaves <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/cameron-young\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/cameron-young\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cameron Young<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/matt-fitzpatrick\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/matt-fitzpatrick\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt Fitzpatrick<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> as the two playing the best golf with real Major credibility. Former US Open winner Fitzpatrick finally staged a comeback win at the Valspar Championship after multiple near-misses, including a loss to Young the week prior at The PLAYERS Championship. Young hit the best shot of his career on the 72nd hole at Sawgrass to inch past Fitzpatrick. Young hasn\u2019t finished outside the Top 10 since Pebble Beach in mid-February. He\u2019s played all 16 Majors over the last four years, posting six Top 10s in those 16 appearances. He did miss the cut at last year\u2019s Masters. <a href=\"https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/p\/using-masters-trends-from-the-last\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">And no winner has done that since <\/a><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Reed<\/a><\/a> in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>The 2026 Masters is WIDE OPEN.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>2026 Masters Content<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/CI9rWkJduxM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Masters Picks, Research, Winner Trends, Betting Sleepers, Course Preview<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/rxL0SiIkCFg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><strong>Using Masters Trends and Data to Pick the Masters Winner | 2026 Fantasy Golf Picks<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/g3wnF2tJZTA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Augusta National Course Breakdown &amp; Strategy with <\/strong><\/a><strong><a href=\"\/golfer\/michael-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/michael-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Kim<\/a><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cI39og1Z4dc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><strong>Masters Pool Picks, Tiers, Play in Contest | LIV Players in the Masters Catchup<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fanball.com\/contests\/ZGHWE9O\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><strong>Play In PME $20 Masters Pool | $1500 to 1st Place<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>This is where I\u2019m required to tell you no debutants have donned sports&#8217; highest sartorial honor since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. That\u2019s 47 years if your subtraction skills are rusty. This isn\u2019t to say all debutants will fail. We\u2019ve witnessed some close calls in recent years. Aberg was runner-up a year ago, while <a href=\"\/golfer\/jordan-spieth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jordan-spieth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jordan Spieth<\/a><\/a>, <a href=\"\/golfer\/will-zalatoris\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/will-zalatoris\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Will Zalatoris<\/a><\/a>, and <a href=\"\/golfer\/sungjae-im\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sungjae-im\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sungjae Im<\/a><\/a> all claimed second-place finishes in their debuts.<\/p>\n<p>22 players in the field this week have never played a competitive round at Augusta. As mentioned, Gotterup and Bridgeman are first-timers. <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/ben-griffin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/ben-griffin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ben Griffin<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/chris-gotterup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/chris-gotterup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chris Gotterup<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/kristoffer-reitan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/kristoffer-reitan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kristoffer Reitan<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sami-valimaki\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sami-valimaki\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sami Valimaki<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/harry-hall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/harry-hall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harry Hall<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, among others, get to stroll up Magnolia Lane for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s far from a secret that experience is a massive edge. Augusta is a unique course with its massive elevation changes, and there is generally a learning curve for first-time players who need to figure out the weird breaks and angles on the fly. A lack of green books for players and caddies makes that ingrained knowledge a clear advantage.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the outlier that was <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Reed<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> in 2018, the past 25 champions have not only played in the event the previous year but also made the cut.\u00a0<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box;\">After Reed, a fresh-faced kid\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/4P5_Ld07sMA?t=2h53m59s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">who looked like he was wearing his dad\u2019s shirt<\/a>, named <a href=\"\/golfer\/tiger-woods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tiger-woods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tiger Woods<\/a><\/a>, was the last winner to miss the cut, he then achieved immortality 12 months later.<\/span>\u00a0That was in 1997.<\/p>\n<p>As much as we want to invest in long shots, the Masters is almost always won by one of the elite players \u2014 still won\u2019t stop me, but I thought you should know. Since 2012, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bubba-watson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bubba-watson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bubba Watson<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> has been the lowest-ranked player to claim victory. Bubba was No. 18 in the world rankings when <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/charl-schwartzel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/charl-schwartzel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charl Schwartzel<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> helped slip him into the Green Jacket. Many think of <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/danny-willett\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/danny-willett\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Danny Willett<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> as the ultimate long-shot since he wasn\u2019t well-known to Americans at the time and cashed triple-digit outright win bets for a lot of us bettors, but it\u2019s worth noting the Brit was the 12th-ranked player in the world when he hit his first drive in 2016. Willett didn\u2019t just come out of nowhere, either; he was just an unknown to the general public.<\/p>\n<h3>2026 Masters DRAFTKINGS\/FANTASY GOLF<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s important to spend a lot of time parsing through the top end of the 2026 Masters board, as the winner is almost certainly going to come from that group. If you want to win your bets, <a href=\"https:\/\/play.underdogfantasy.com\/p-pat-mayo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">an Underdog Draft\/Pick\u2019Em Entry<\/a> or a DraftKings tournament, spoiler, you\u2019re going to need to pick the winner. Only immeasurable insights here.<\/p>\n<p>The field of invitees is currently at 91 players, and the Top 50 players will make the cut. COVID wiped out the \u201call players within 10 strokes of the lead\u201d provision at the November Masters in 2020, and they decided that was a rule that should stick. It\u2019s just the Top 50 and ties after 36 holes now. So, over 50% of players are going to make the cut; just because you squeeze all six players in your DFS lineup through the cut line doesn\u2019t really mean much if you don\u2019t have a squad of golfers competing for a novelty check. In years previous, a \u201cTo Make The Cut\u201d parlay was an incredibly +EV wager. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ThePME\/status\/1778936494440223146\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">As evidence by us hitting an 84\/1 winner in this market in 2024<\/a>. But with more players in the Masters this year, now, along with the sportsbooks getting wise to these wagers, it will be more difficult to capitalize.<\/p>\n<p>All this to say, of past champions and amateurs at the very bottom of the pricing is a trap. It shouldn\u2019t take Admiral Ackbar to clue you into that information. But every year, I see people jamming in <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/fred-couples\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/fred-couples\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fred Couples<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> to construct a super team with their other five roster spots on DraftKings. Avoid the temptation of those savory savings. There\u2019s simply not enough upside for them to lead your team to victory in one of the large-field DFS contests. Specifically, the million-dollar top prize tournaments.<\/p>\n<p>Every now and again, a <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bernhard-langer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/bernhard-langer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernhard Langer<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> or Couples will play pretty well, but it\u2019s not as often as you probably remember. And the results are certainly not as good as what exists in your mind&#8217;s movies. The reality would likely make your eyes rain. Langer lurking on the leaderboard actually happened in 2016. Not a few years ago. It\u2019s been almost a decade. AND he ended up finishing T24 that year. Langer was T29 in the 2020 Masters but still finished outside of the Top 30 in DraftKings scoring. The past champions are far less likely to generate the necessary birdie streaks and eagles to rise up the DraftKings leaderboard. Couples finished T50 in 2023 and had missed the cut the previous four seasons.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to compete for the very top prizes on DraftKings this week, you\u2019ll likely need the winner, another two players in the Top 5, another two inside the Top 10, and an outlier player who outscores their finishing position.<\/p>\n<h3>2026 Masters Key Stats<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Strokes Gained: Approach<\/li>\n<li>Course History<\/li>\n<li>Strokes Gained: Off The Tee<\/li>\n<li>Strokes Gained: Short Game<\/li>\n<li>Par 5 Scoring<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/betspertsgolf.com\/Mayo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Mayo\u2019s Key Stat Rankings Powered by the Rabbit Hole at Betsperts Golf<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!RZ8T!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F068d8adb-5c25-4a55-b2d5-6876f4000247_642x992.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"642\" height=\"992\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/068d8adb-5c25-4a55-b2d5-6876f4000247_642x992.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:992,&quot;width&quot;:642,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:100769,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/i\/193290600?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F068d8adb-5c25-4a55-b2d5-6876f4000247_642x992.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" \/><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3>2026 Masters Course<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Course: Augusta National<\/li>\n<li>Yardage: 7,555<\/li>\n<li>Par: 72<\/li>\n<li>Greens: Bentgrass<\/li>\n<li>Average Green Size: 6,486 sq. ft.<\/li>\n<li>Acres of Fairway: 79<\/li>\n<li>Acres of Second Cut: 35<\/li>\n<li>Number of Sand Bunkers: 44<\/li>\n<li>Number of Holes Water is in Play: 5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Par 3\u2019s (4): Average Distance &#8211; 187 yards<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All four have a bogey rate of at least 17%, and three come with a sub-12% birdie rate<\/li>\n<li>McIlroy: Survive and advance. 15 pars and 1 birdie for the week on Par 3\u2019s<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Par 4\u2019s (10): Average Distance &#8211; 451 yards<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The fourth toughest holes on property are Par 4\u2019s, and three come on the back nine<\/li>\n<li>McIlroy: 11 birdies on Par 4\u2019s for the week, five came on two holes (Holes 3 and 9)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Par 5\u2019s (4): Average Distance &#8211; 547 yards<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The four easiest holes on the course (the only holes that play under par), three of which have an eagle rate north of 1.8%.<\/li>\n<li>McIlroy: Carded four double bogeys for the week, and two came on back-9 Par 5\u2019s. But he made up for it with three Par 5 eagles for the week (two of which came on the back nine)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2026 Masters Past Winners<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>2025: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rory McIlroy<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -11<\/li>\n<li>2024: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -11<\/li>\n<li>2023: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jon Rahm<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -12<\/li>\n<li>2022: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -10<\/li>\n<li>2021: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/hideki-matsuyama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/hideki-matsuyama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hideki Matsuyama<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -10<\/li>\n<li>2020 (November): <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/dustin-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/dustin-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dustin Johnson<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -20<\/li>\n<li>2019: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tiger-woods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tiger-woods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tiger Woods<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -13<\/li>\n<li>2018: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Reed<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -15<\/li>\n<li>2017: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sergio-garcia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/sergio-garcia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sergio Garcia<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -9<\/li>\n<li>2016: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/danny-willett\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/danny-willett\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Danny Willett<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -5<\/li>\n<li>2015: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jordan-spieth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jordan-spieth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jordan Spieth<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -18<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>PAST WINNER DETAIL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>2025: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rory McIlroy<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> (+750, 2nd favorite) playoff win over <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-rose\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-rose\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Rose<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rory and Rose were 5+ shots different than one another in all four rounds (Rory: 72-66-66-73, Rose: 65-71-75-66)<\/p>\n<p>Rory was the only top 13 finisher to lose strokes putting (he was #1 in APP and #2 OTT)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Past Masters\u2019 finishers: T22, MC, 2nd, CUT, T5<\/li>\n<li>Recent Form Entering Event, finishes: 5th (Houston), Win (THE PLAYERS), 15th (<span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arnold Palmer<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Recent Form Entering Event, Stats:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SG: PUTT: Positive in four of five starts, averaged almost +4 per start.<\/li>\n<li>SG: OTT: Gained in all five events, averaged almost +4 per start.<\/li>\n<li>SG: APP: Positive in four of five starts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2024: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> (-11, +500)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During The Win: Bogey-free Thursday, good vibes (was under par through his first three holes in all four rounds), bogeyed holes 3 and 11 in both weekend rounds.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Past Masters\u2019 finishers: 10<sup>th<\/sup>, Win, 18<sup>th<\/sup>, 19<sup>th<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>Recent Form Entering Event, Finishes: 2<sup>nd<\/sup> (Houston), Win (THE PLAYERS), Win (<span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arnold Palmer<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Recent Form Entering Event, Stats:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SG: APP had improved in three straight events<\/li>\n<li>SG:P positive in three straight (and five of six)<\/li>\n<li>SG: OTT of 2+ in five straight and in eight of nine)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2023: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jon Rahm<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> (-12, +900)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During The Win: Double bogey on #1 in Round 1 \u2013 after that, he played the front-9 -9 for the week, played the Par 3\u2019s at +2 over the weekend, played #8 at -5 for the week (eagle on Thursday)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Past Masters\u2019 finishers: 27<sup>th<\/sup>, 5<sup>th<\/sup>, 7th<\/li>\n<li>Recent Form Entering Event, finishes: T31 (Match Play), 39<sup>th<\/sup> (<span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arnold Palmer<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>), Win (Genesis)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Recent Form Entering Event, stats<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SG:P over +3.5 in three straight<\/li>\n<li>SG: OTT the event prior was -6.8, his worst measured round on the PGA TOUR<\/li>\n<li>SG: APP two events prior was +11.9, his best, measured round on the PGA TOUR<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2022: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> (-10, +1600)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During The Win: Was -8 for the week on the front 9 (11 birdies and 3 bogeys), played #18 at +4 for the week (two bogeys and a Sunday double), birdied at least one Par 3 in each of the first three rounds<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Past Masters\u2019 finishers: 18<sup>th<\/sup>, 19<sup>th<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>Recent Form Entering Event, finishes: 1st (Match Play), 55<sup>th<\/sup> (THE PLAYERS), 1<sup>st<\/sup> (<span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/arnold-palmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arnold Palmer<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Recent Form Entering Event, stats<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SG:P over +1.5 in four straight<\/li>\n<li>SG: OTT was +\/- 1.0 strokes in three straight (and six of seven)<\/li>\n<li>SG: APP was all or nothing (gained over 5.5 or lost over 1.5 in five straight)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2021: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/hideki-matsuyama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/hideki-matsuyama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hideki Matsuyama<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> (-10, +4600)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During The Win: Had an eagle in each of the first three rounds (all on a different Par 5), 7 of his 9 bogeys came on the back-9, one bogey on his first 29 weekend holes<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Past Masters\u2019 finishers: 13<sup>th<\/sup>, 22<sup>nd<\/sup>, 19th<\/li>\n<li>Recent Form Entering Event, finishes: 30<sup>th<\/sup> (Valero), 42nd (Match Play), MC (THE PLAYERS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Recent Form Entering Event, stats<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SG:P negative in seven of nine<\/li>\n<li>SG: OTT negative in three of four<\/li>\n<li>SG: APP of +2 or better in four straight<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>PAST WINNER FORM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>2025: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rory McIlroy<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -11<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Season prior: 1 win, 7 top 10\u2019s<\/li>\n<li>Events Prior: Gained over 1.2 strokes BS in four of five events prior<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>In his 4 tournaments prior, he earned $5,457,558. He shot +4 at the 2024 Masters. (<span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/akshay-bhatia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/akshay-bhatia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Akshay Bhatia<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>\u2019s past 4 tournaments: $5,418,028 &#8230; he shot +4 at the 2025 Masters)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>2024: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -11<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Season prior: 2 wins, 14 top 10\u2019s<\/li>\n<li>Events Prior: Gained over 2 strokes\/round Ball Striking in each of the three events prior, going T2\/Win\/Win.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2023: <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/jon-rahm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jon Rahm<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> -12<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Season prior: 1 win, 8 top 10\u2019s<\/li>\n<li>Events Prior: T31 Match Play, W\/D at THE PLAYERS (won at Genesis, American Express, and Sentry)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Each of the past 3 Winners had at least 1 PGA win and 7 top 10\u2019s in the season prior. Who checks those boxes as far as pedigree goes this time around?<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/scottie-scheffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/rory-mcilroy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rory McIlroy<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tommy Fleetwood<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li>Cam Young<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/ben-griffin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/ben-griffin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ben Griffin<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/russell-henley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/russell-henley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Russell Henley<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-thomas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/justin-thomas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Thomas<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li>JJ Spaun<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2026 Masters Notes<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s no need for an in-depth breakdown of Augusta National. If you\u2019d made the leap to read an article on The Masters and scrolled this far down, the chances of you knowing the course, even the weird nooks and crannies, are above 96.8%.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>If you want more detail, <\/em><\/strong><strong><em><a href=\"\/golfer\/michael-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/michael-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Kim<\/a><\/a> joined me to walk through every hole and the strategy for each from the tee box to the green<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In case you\u2019re living the movie <em>Blast From the Past<\/em>, but for real life, Augusta National is a Par 72, which plays longer than its 7,555 yards due to the incredible amount of elevation shifts across the course. As there is essentially no penal rough on the grounds, it gives a lean to those who have slightly extra distance on the field. It\u2019s not essential to have the ability to contend in a long-drive contest; however, history has proven otherwise, but it certainly makes the path to eagles and birdies on the Par 5s less resistant.<\/p>\n<p>For 2026, the only change is the front of the tee on hole No. 17 being reduced by 12 yards. There\u2019s also a new Player Services Building located behind the tournament practice area. It features a locker room, dining areas, lounges, physio, and fitness facilities. Sounds nice.<\/p>\n<p>There have been changes to three of the holes over the past few years. The difficult No. 11 scraped most of the trees from the right-hand side of the hole, but they\u2019ll still prove to be a nuisance. The Par 5 15th was lengthened by 20 yards, which led to fewer players going for the green in two. The easiest hole on the course has previously been lengthened by 35 yards from years past. No. 13, the bead on the rosary of Amen Corner, will now have a far more difficult second shot. Most of the field, with a good drive (hell, even with a bad one), was able to attack the green in two, generating eagle opportunities. Eagles have been at more of a premium since.<\/p>\n<p>Again, while distance is a massive advantage, it\u2019s not everything. Gaining strokes with the driver is, though. Scheffler and Rahm were second in the field in SG: OTT each of the past two years. Rory was 10th, as was Scottie, in his first win. Dustin led all players with the driver in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Even someone like <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/patrick-reed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick Reed<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, not especially known for his driving prowess, was well above his usual baseline at Augusta in 2018. Reed gained +3.35 strokes off the tee. He\u2019d only gained more than that in two starts in the previous two years before the victory (2017 Travelers; 2017 Memorial). Tiger didn\u2019t gain a ton the year he won (+1.51 SG: OTT), neither did Hideki (+1.8 SG: OTT), but that was enough leverage on the field to make the rest of their games matter.<\/p>\n<p>If you decide to back one of the non-elite drivers, their irons and short game better be electric all four days. Which isn\u2019t as repeatable as the driver.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past two Masters, Bryson, Cam Young, Aberg, Rory, Scheffler, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/si-woo-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/si-woo-kim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Si Woo Kim<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tyrrell-hatton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tyrrell-hatton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tyrrell Hatton<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>, JJ Spaun, and <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tommy Fleetwood<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span> are the only players averaging over +0.60 SG: OTT\/Round.<\/p>\n<p>Difficulty at Augusta tends to vary every year based on the conditions. The impact of damp conditions has lessened over the years because of the filtration system. A lot of courses have a SubAir system under the greens to suck out the water and allow the grounds crew to make the putting surfaces as fast or slow as they want. Augusta has those on each green\u2026 and under every fairway, so even if it does rain, don\u2019t expect a long period of time with receptive course conditions. Although there\u2019s little to be done if it simply never stops raining. Like in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Although it\u2019s still days away, fingers crossed, the conditions look a bit nippy in the early morning, but dry and calm as of now.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.windfinder.com\/forecast\/augusta_daniel_field\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">WIND TOWER: Daniel Field Airport<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!qMpj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92a0493f-6db0-49ab-88d4-9576fef0741b_1886x470.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"363\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/92a0493f-6db0-49ab-88d4-9576fef0741b_1886x470.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:363,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:156238,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/i\/193290600?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92a0493f-6db0-49ab-88d4-9576fef0741b_1886x470.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" \/><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!FbAv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d8590e9-ca46-4133-b05e-5ffba9212711_1886x506.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"391\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/7d8590e9-ca46-4133-b05e-5ffba9212711_1886x506.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:391,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:158809,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/i\/193290600?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7d8590e9-ca46-4133-b05e-5ffba9212711_1886x506.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" \/><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>There are 41 bunkers, six water hazards, and a whole lotta pine straw scattered across the grounds. Unless there\u2019s an untimely tree in the way, the pine straw isn\u2019t the end of the world.<\/p>\n<p>The bentgrass greens are around Tour average in size; the major difference is the wild undulations. These are some of the hilliest and fastest putting surfaces the players will encounter all year.<\/p>\n<p><em>Putting leaders from Augusta over the last three years<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/betspertsgolf.com\/mayo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">25% OFF Stats, Tools &amp; Customizable Data powered by Rabbit Hole at BetspertsGolf.com<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!u9_1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2a54c8ef-4c0a-4bc0-a1a2-4163dfeb289e_1878x1014.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"786\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/2a54c8ef-4c0a-4bc0-a1a2-4163dfeb289e_1878x1014.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:786,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:264675,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/i\/193290600?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2a54c8ef-4c0a-4bc0-a1a2-4163dfeb289e_1878x1014.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" \/><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Course history plays a more significant factor at Augusta than at any other course. That\u2019s not anecdotal either. Course history on a week-to-week basis holds very little predictive value at most events, despite the prevailing narrative, but The Masters is an outlier in that regard.<\/p>\n<p><em>Strokes Gained: TOTAL leaders at Augusta the past three years\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/betspertsgolf.com\/mayo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">25% OFF Stats, Tools &amp; Customizable Data powered by Rabbit Hole at BetspertsGolf.com<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"sizing-normal aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!0O-d!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62df7fcf-c134-4b9b-ae54-9d6e925bf360_1882x1012.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"783\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/62df7fcf-c134-4b9b-ae54-9d6e925bf360_1882x1012.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:783,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:261818,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/i\/193290600?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62df7fcf-c134-4b9b-ae54-9d6e925bf360_1882x1012.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<h3 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">2026 MASTERS GIVEAWAYS!!!!!<\/h3>\n<p>As is tradition for PME and Masters week, I\u2019VE GOT GIVEAWAYS!!!!!!!<\/p>\n<p>Helix Mattresses have stepped up and given me a mattress to give to one lucky person. Not a lot of work to win a $2,000 mattress tbh. Plus, there are other prizes: cash, golf balls, etc. All you need to do is get in the draw.<\/p>\n<p>All of the ballots help support the show, so you can win something and help support the business. Heroes, every one of you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to get Ballots in FREE HELIX MATTRESS GIVEAWAY DRAW<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>(250 Ballots) Sub to Rabbit Hole <a href=\"https:\/\/betspertsgolf.com\/mayo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/betspertsgolf.com\/mayo<\/a><\/li>\n<li>(20 Ballots) Sub, Rate 5-Stars, Review PME on Apple Podcasts <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/PMEiTunes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/bit.ly\/PMEiTunes<\/a><\/li>\n<li>(20 Ballots) Sub, Rate 5-Stars, Review PME on Spotify Podcasts <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/VboemH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/goo.gl\/VboemH<\/a><\/li>\n<li>(15 Ballots) Sub to FREE MMN Newsletter (<a href=\"https:\/\/mayomedia.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>SUB TO FREE PME NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>(15 Ballots) Sub to MMN YouTube <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/YTMMN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/YTMMN<\/a><\/li>\n<li>(10 Ballots) Each Social Media Share of PME Video, Podcast &amp; Article<\/li>\n<li>(1 Ballot) Each Share Post on PME X\/Insta\/FB\/TT<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3>2026 Masters PICKS<\/h3>\n<p><strong><em><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/xander-schauffele\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/xander-schauffele\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Xander Schauffele<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 A winner in Japan during the Fall Season, Xander is currently suffering a case of the <span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tommy Fleetwood<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>s, which has kept him from hoisting a novelty check in 2026, despite some close calls. What are the \u2018<span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/tommy-fleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tommy Fleetwood<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span>s,\u2019 you ask? That would be playing amazingly for three rounds and awful for one to fall just short of winning. That said, Xander\u2019s gained over six strokes T2G in three of his past four starts, all Top 10s, while averaging +6.5 SG: APP in his last two appearances. That\u2019s to go along with three consecutive Top 10s at The Masters.<\/p>\n<p><em style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><a href=\"\/golfer\/akshay-bhatia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/akshay-bhatia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Akshay Bhatia<\/a><\/a><\/strong><\/em><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> \u2014 It\u2019s worrisome that he used his time between The PLAYERS and the Masters, traveling to India, to miss the cut at the Hero Indian Open two weeks ago.<\/span> Hopefully, he\u2019s a good plane sleeper. Beyond that, few have been better in 2026. In his past five starts, Bhatia has won a signature event, posted three Top 10s, and had no finish worse than T16. While most will remember his awful driving performance en route to victory at Bay Hill, that was actually the only event where he&#8217;s dropped strokes to the field during that run. Over the past 20 rounds entering Augusta, he\u2019s third in approach, seventh T2G, and third in putting. He\u2019s taken his lumps in his first two Masters starts, but has made the cut both times (T42\/T35) and has only lost strokes putting to the field in one of eight rounds.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><span class=\"unlink-player\"><span class=\"unlink-player\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/nicolai-hojgaard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><a href=\"\/golfer\/nicolai-hojgaard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nicolai Hojgaard<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 A Green Jacket may be unlikely, based on history, but Nicolai is the only player in this year\u2019s Masters who ranks inside the Top 30 in driving, approach, chipping, and putting. He\u2019s fresh off a runner-up in Houston and has actually had a flash at Augusta in his limited appearances. Hojgaard was in contention well into the third round in 2024 as a debutant before completely collapsing coming home, struggling on Sunday, finishing with a T14. He was brutal a year ago, missing the cut, but he was pretty bad all of 2025. One positive, in his six Augusta rounds, he\u2019s only dropped strokes to the field once with the driver and has gained over a stroke chipping in four of six rounds.<\/p>\n<h3>2026 MASTERS GLOSSARY<\/h3>\n<p>If you are new to the Masters, there are a few terms you need to familiarize yourself with to speak the language with those who have been watching for five decades:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Amen Corner \u2013 <\/strong>First coined by Herbert Warren Wind in 1958, Amen Corner spans from the second shot at the 11th through the drive at 13. It\u2019s the most famous stretch of holes on the course (in all of golf, really) and its risk\/reward potential can create massive fluctuations atop the leaderboard.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Butler\u2019s Cabin <\/strong>\u2013 The most noteworthy of the 10 cabins scattered across the grounds of Augusta National. Constructed in 1964, Butler\u2019s Cabin is home to the Green Jacket presentation, where the year\u2019s previous champion bestows the new champion with golf\u2019s highest sartorial honor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First Nine, Second Nine<\/strong> \u2013 At most courses, it\u2019s acceptable to refer to the holes going out as the \u201cfront nine\u201d and those coming in as the \u201cback nine\u201d, but at Augusta National it\u2019s a faux pas. Why? Because they\u2019re superior to us mortals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Friends<\/strong> \u2013 All of us, to Jim Nantz.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Green Jacket<\/strong> \u2013 The ultimate prize. Winners are presented with the Green Jacket on the 18th green after victory, then again in Butler\u2019s Cabin in a separate presentation. It\u2019s so nice, you get to wear it twice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Magnolia Lane <\/strong>\u2013 After passing through the gates, you\u2019ll find yourself heading toward the course, traveling down Magnolia Lane. It\u2019s known for, DUH, a plethora of magnolia trees on both sides of the road that converge to create an exalted vista, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PGATOUR\/status\/453307351823826944\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">producing an ambiance<\/a> matched only by its wintertime companion: The <a href=\"http:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/xeS8MNPocBw\/0.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">drive up to the creepy house<\/a> in <em>Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. <\/em>However, that drive is only recommended for the achromatic enthusiasts among us.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Patrons <\/strong>\u2013 Don\u2019t think of using the terms \u201ccrowd,\u201d \u201cgallery\u201d or \u201cfans\u201d on the grounds at Augusta. They are patrons, and they shall be on their best behavior.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tributary <\/strong>\u2013 A term usually exclusively reserved for seventh-grade geography classes and maps of inland Scandinavia, there is a tributary that runs off Rae\u2019s Creek by the green on 13.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":14750,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"bs_types":[14,15],"bs_tags":[29,73,106],"class_list":["post-17318","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","bs_type-betting","bs_type-fantasy","bs_tag-golf-betting","bs_tag-golf-dfs","bs_tag-the-masters"],"acf":false,"featured_image":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gettyimages-2210125399-612x612-1.jpg","tags_list":[{"id":29,"name":"Golf Betting","slug":"golf-betting"},{"id":73,"name":"Golf DFS","slug":"golf-dfs"},{"id":106,"name":"The Masters","slug":"the-masters"}],"types_list":[{"id":14,"name":"Betting"},{"id":15,"name":"Fantasy"}],"bs_author":{"name":"Pat Mayo","profile_image":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-17-163255-150x150.png"},"bs_term_name":null,"is_paid":"false","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/17318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"bs_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bs_types?post=17318"},{"taxonomy":"bs_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bs_tags?post=17318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}