Below are my top 25 power rankings for the 90th edition of the Masters. As is the case every year, excitement is a vast understatement for my feelings toward the week ahead right now. The weather forecast specifically has me extra excited and eager too.
1. Jon Rahm
Choosing my number one ranked player was rather difficult for this year’s edition. The last few years, it was rather obvious on paper who the number one player was coming in, and in fact they have all ended up winning. But this year, a lot of those typical players have some question marks surrounding them.
However, LIV’s top two players, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, have both been firing on all cylinders as of late. I ended up choosing the guy who has won here before for the number one spot, even with the recent poor play in majors.
Rahm, the 2023 Champion and two time major champion, for the most part has been a disappointment in majors since his move to LIV Golf in 2024. He truly only contended last year at the PGA before blowing up down the stretch and removing himself from the picture.
However, Rahm continues to pile up consistent high finishes on LIV and recently got the monkey off his back, snapping his year long winless streak.
It will be intriguing to see what version of Rahm shows up to Augusta.
2. Scottie Scheffler
It feels odd to say, given his recent track record and performance in big tournaments over the last few years, but is there a question mark and a bit of uncertainty when it comes to Scheffler this week?
I certainly think there is a case for it, given how his last few starts on tour went, and now adding in the fact that he just welcomed baby number two into the world. Presumably, there is a lot going on in Scottie’s world right now that is not golf related. Am I questioning his desire to compete and win this week? Definitely not, that would be silly. But it is definitely the least certain I have been about his game coming into Augusta in a few years.
You have to remind yourself sometimes, though, that he is Scottie Scheffler. He loves Augusta, and compared to most, the results and stats have still been fantastic. I would be shocked to see him outside the top ten this week and will most likely be contending late Sunday.
3. Bryson Dechambeau
He had a fantastic shot to don the Green Jacket last year but ultimately came up short, mainly due to his inconsistent distance control and approach play.
Fast forward to present day and he is one, if not the hottest player coming into Augusta, winning both of his last two starts on LIV.
He continues to show up in majors, recording six top tens in his last eight starts, with the majority of those being T5 or better. Funny enough, he has started to resemble the old Brooks Koepka in majors. It feels like a given that Bryson will be in the mix at some point on Sunday at any major he tees it up in right now.
Can he add a non US Open to the mantle? He seems primed to break through at another sooner rather than later, and he has been building on his performances over the last couple of years at the Masters.
4. Ludvig Aberg
To say this is a big week for Ludvig is an understatement. He has had a chance to win the Masters on the second nine on Sunday in both of his trips to Augusta so far, and he comes into Augusta with three straight top five finishes on tour. It sounds silly to say, but those results have actually been rather disappointing compared to what could have been, specifically in the last two starts.
He was outright leading on Sunday at both The Players and the Valero Texas Open, but by day’s end in both, he was just trying to scrap his way to a T5 finish. It appears that until he proves otherwise, he may have a closing problem on Sundays. Unfortunately, we have seen this trend far too much now to say otherwise.
I would love nothing more than for Ludvig to put an end to that narrative in a big moment this week. He definitely has the physical game and tools to do it, but does he have the mental game?
I would not be shocked in the slightest to see Rory slipping the Green Jacket on his shoulders by week’s end.
5. Cam Young
The last time we saw Cam Young, he was winning the biggest tournament of his career at The Players.
An interesting nugget is that the last two golfers to win The Players also won the Masters in the same year. Will we see that trend continue? Seems possible.
Ever since finally picking up that first win last summer at the Wyndham, and following it up shortly after by being Team USA’s best player at the Ryder Cup, Cam Young has been a different player. He’s on a completely different level now… And that previous version of him was already one who had racked up six major top tens, including two at the Masters, and three major top fives, including one runner up at the 2022 Open. Scary how high the ceiling could be…
Simply put he’s played well here in the past, but I think he’s now added the actual threat of winning the green jacket to his arsenal.
6. Xander Schauffele
Schauffele is a weird case right now. I have no clue what to exactly make of him and his game. He is obviously trending back into much better form than what we saw last year, which was headlined by injury and poor play.
But what we have seen from him this year at the Genesis and The Players, while in contention on the weekend, has not been very convincing. It feels a lot like pre major Xander.
With that said, just take a look at Xander’s recent starts and pair that with his results in his major career, because it is insanely impressive, with 17 major top tens and 26 top twenties in 34 starts. I think it is safe to say we should be pretty confident in Schauffele contending this week, but the big question is, will he close it out?
7. Rory Mcilroy
It feels wrong to put him this low on the list, but with him coming off the emotions of last year, being the defending champion, and having question marks surrounding his current form, it feels like this could be one of those weeks where Rory takes a bit more of a backseat.
On the contrary, he has now had three weeks since his last start to enjoy some downtime, work on his game, and let any potential nagging back problems that forced him to withdraw from the API a month ago heal up. Before the API, he was playing some great golf with a T14 at Pebble and a runner up at the Genesis Invitational.
It’s just hard to defend any tournament let alone the Masters.
8. Matt Fitzpatrick
Another player heading into Augusta in excellent form, coming off a win, and someone I would be shocked not to see on the first page of the leaderboard at some point over the weekend.
Fitz has not been unreal throughout his career at Augusta, with only two top tens in eleven starts, but he has only missed the cut once, all the way back in 2014, and is currently in the middle of the best approach and iron play of his career, which is the main separator between players at Augusta.
The putter, which historically has been a strength for him, has been his only hindrance this year, and it still was during his win at Valspar. That will be the big question mark as we wait for Thursday morning to come around but it feels inevitable he’s due to have a good showing at the Masters
9. Akshay Bhatia
The first player who does not have the past major performances and results to back up this high of a ranking, but that will all change after this week.
When Bhatia won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March, it was the biggest win of his career, but I would not be completely shocked if it soon becomes the second biggest.
He is just 24 years old and has now had two full seasons of playing in all the majors. His best result is a T16, but he comes into this major season in the best form and consistency of his career. He is on a run of T3, T6, T16, Win, T13. I am not reading much into his latest start at the Hero World Indian Open. The ball striking and approach play have been excellent, which is crucial when it comes to success at Augusta.
Everything points to this being a great opportunity for a breakout major performance.
10. Tommy Fleetwood
Now 35 years old and fourth in the world, Fleetwood comes into the Masters with the highest world ranking he has ever had entering a major championship. However, that ranking is more a reflection of his stellar play to end his 2025 campaign versus what he has done to this point in 2026. Not to say his 2026 has been poor, as he has four top tens in five starts, but he just has not really been in the thick of it late on a Sunday yet.
Surprisingly, for a guy who has seven major top five finishes on his resume, only one has come at the Masters, a T3 in 2024, which is also his only top ten finish there. For the elite iron player that Fleetwood is, it seems shocking he has not found more high finishes at a place that requires some of the most precise iron play out there.
The only thing disappointing about Fleetwood’s 2025 was his results in the four majors. It is time for him to contend again.
The big question which is a theme for many, if he does have the lead on the back nine come Sunday can he close it out? History leads towards no.
11. Collin Morikawa
Where is the back at?
The last time we saw Collin, he withdrew after one hole at The Players Championship after appearing to injure his back on a practice swing. That was 21 days ago. He was originally in the field this past week at the Valero but withdrew before it started.
Was that because the back was still causing problems, or because he took a look at the weather forecast and said no thanks? Reports coming out of Augusta suggest he is still dealing with back issues, unfortunately. With that question mark, he has been bumped down a few spots but still remains relatively high.
Prior to that practice swing, Morikawa was more than rounding into form, he was starting to look dangerous, highlighted by his win at Pebble Beach.
Collin has played well at Augusta in the past, and the recent numbers in the weeks before the injury speak for themselves. Hopefully, for his sake, the injury doesn’t affect him too much this week.
12. Jason Day
There are some guys where it just feels like Augusta suits their game, and before play begins on Thursday, you would not be shocked to see them in the weekend mix. Jordan Spieth comes to mind, Aberg seems to be on that path, and another player who falls into that category for me is Day.
Over the years, he has finished second, third, fifth, eighth, and tenth, but has never been able to slip on that beloved and desired Green Jacket. Day’s career falls into the lens of “What if?” or “What could have been?” as he dealt with numerous injuries and setbacks during the prime of his time at the top of golf.
It would feel so right come Sunday to see Rory slipping the Green Jacket on Day. Does he still have the game to win in a big spot? I think so. He just needs one of those weeks where everything magically syncs up. There is too much talent there for him to finish his career with only one major.
13. Robert MacIntyre
I do not think it would shock anyone to fast forward to the end of MacIntyre’s career and hear that he became a major champion. Could that statement come true this week?
It definitely feels realistic based on his play in his last couple of starts, finishing fourth at The Players and runner up last week at the Valero. He is still relatively new, experience wise, to Augusta, with this being only his fourth start, and he is still looking for a finish higher than T12, but it feels like a place he could figure out sooner rather than later.
The iron play has been far better recently, but if he brings the approach numbers we saw for a stretch at the beginning of the season, he will not be anywhere near this high up come Sunday.
14. Justin Rose
Zero for two in playoffs now to win the Green Jacket and tied for the most runner up finishes at Augusta by anyone, with three. Can 45 year old Justin Rose finally pull it off? I am pretty sure the whole golf world would be on board with that storyline and outcome, especially after last year.
Father Time is not on his side, and historical trends are not either. If we are being honest, he only has a few legitimate years left to win another major. He has been inconsistent this year, a similar trend to entering last year, but he does have a win at Torrey Pines and is coming off a T13 at The Players.
Does he have another hot opening round in him? We will see. Like Day it feels wrong for his career to only have 1 major and no green jacket.
15. Patrick Reed
The 2018 champion has seen a career resurgence since the start of 2026, winning twice and sandwiching a runner up in between on the DP World Tour since his departure from LIV Golf.
Reed, like I mentioned with Day, is one of those players who simply plays well and produces results at the Masters, especially consistently since 2020. His last six appearances have resulted in finishes of T10, T8, T35, T4, T12, and third.
He has not been playing much golf over the past two months, with only three starts since February 8th, but assuming he has not lost too much of his red hot form, Reed’s name will appear at some point on Sunday. He is probably too low on this ranking, to be honest.
16. Viktor Hovland
He is going to win a major at some point in his career. In my mind, it is not a question of if but when. He is too talented and has had too many close calls for four straight years now.
But does he ever win a Green Jacket? That is a different question. His elite approach play would suggest so, but his inconsistent chipping ability and overall game around the greens lead you to believe that may be a bit more far fetched. He is definitely better suited to win the other three, and his results reflect that, as he has had a great chance on Sunday to win all of the majors except the Masters.
His best finish here came in 2023 with a T7, where he was co-leader after round one. He has the ability, like all elite players, to post a low score on this course on any given day, but does he currently have the ability to sustain a high level of play through four rounds without any major mistakes? It does not feel like it.
If he is going to be in the mix on Sunday, it feels crucial for him to get off to a hot start on Thursday to build confidence. His play has been inconsistent this year, as it has been since 2024, but his best finishes have come on firmer, crisper courses, which is how Augusta should play this week.
17. Brooks Koepka
Koepka has had a lot of early season storylines surrounding him with his sudden departure from LIV Golf and reinstatement on the PGA Tour.
A big storyline to follow this week is whether Brooks can start to show up in these majors like he did so often during his prime. The stretch of results in majors from the 2015 Open Championship to the 2021 Open was seriously impressive, as shown below:
T10, T5, T21, T13, T4, T11, Win, T6, T13, Win, T39, Win, T2, Win, T2, T4, T29, T7, CUT, T2, T4, T6.
There were a few poor performances in that stretch, but for the most part, if it was a major, he was finishing in the top ten. He had another mini resurgence in 2023 when he finished T2 at the Masters and followed it up by winning major number five at the PGA, along with a T17 at the US Open.
Since then, in moments that once defined who he was as a player, the results have been extremely poor, with finishes of T64, T45, T26, T26, T43, CUT, CUT, T12, CUT. That is not what he or fans have become accustomed to during major weeks.
The approach play, excluding his latest start, has been dialed in this year and has been some of the best on tour. The putting, however, has been another story and something that has plagued him in recent years. There were signs of improvement in that area prior to his last start. He will need to be better there if he wants to contend and win major number six this week.
Before his latest start, I was feeling really confident this week could be a big one for Koepka, but after seeing what he did at the Houston Open, that confidence has dropped quite a bit. We will see.
18. Min Woo Lee
Min Woo is playing the best golf of his career right now. It is the most complete his game has looked and the most consistent it has been over a couple of months on the PGA Tour.
He has delivered strong results in vastly different conditions, finishing runner up at the rain soaked AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and finishing T6 at the firm and crisper Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Min Woo is an extremely popular player with a ton of talent, but the inconsistencies and limitations he showed in the past led me to believe it would be unlikely to see him in contention on Sunday at a major. The results have backed that up, with just one top ten in seventeen starts, a T5 at the 2023 US Open.
But now, at almost 28 years old and up to a career high 25th in the world rankings, he has plenty of experience in majors and has recently shown a much more well rounded and developed game.
Will he win this week? Probably not, but sign me up for a breakthrough major performance that gives real confidence he can win one of these one day.
19. Russell Henley
The Georgia man himself, Russell Henley. Do I think he has the ability to win this week? No, but he very well could have a high finish, and that should shock no one.
His play over the last couple of years, specifically in the majors, has been miles better than earlier in his career, and he is simply a more well rounded and more elite player now.
The one caveat is that even though he has four major top tens in the last two years, he has struggled at Augusta, missing the cut last year and finishing T38 in 2024. He did finish T4 in 2023, so there has been some previous success.
20. Hideki Matsuyama
I am not exactly sure what to make of Hideki entering this week. Would it shock me to see him contend? No, but it also would not be shocking if he has an early tee time on Sunday and finishes around T32.
Since his win at the Masters in 2021, he has not recorded a finish higher than T14 and has not really been in the mix at many other majors either. He has only two top tens across all majors since 2021, which is quite surprising for a player of his caliber.
If I had to choose, I am taking a T25 type finish this week over him contending. With that said, you still have to respect the talent he has and the fact that he could very well win by the end of the week.
21. Corey Conners
Corey Conners is another golfer who falls into the category of could I see him winning this week? No, but slot him in for a T7 finish and I am taking those odds.
He is another player whose game suits Augusta, and he produces some of his best results here. Since 2020, he has recorded four top ten finishes in six starts. For a player of his caliber, someone who is a fantastic golfer but not a massive favorite in most tournaments he enters, that is very impressive.
He has had two solid outings in his last two starts, with a T14 at the Valspar and a T13 at The Players. With his success here and his approach play consistently dialed in, you have to give him respect and probably expect a top ten finish this week.
22. Adam Scott
We are over a decade removed from Scott winning the Green Jacket in a playoff as the rain started to fall in the dark.
To end 2025 and start 2026, Scott is once again producing some high finishes, and this comes after not recording a single top ten on tour in 2025. It seems surprising, given he was in the thick of contention at the 2025 US Open at Oakmont and had probably 90% of his shots shown on the broadcast over the weekend, but his disappointing finish eventually left him outside the top ten.
Shockingly too he’s not been great at the Masters since his win, with only one top ten finish in the last 12 years. It’s hard to believe.
Having the 45 year old on this list may look like a mistake in hindsight, but he has been playing some great golf this year, and you never know, maybe there is one more run at the Green Jacket left in his tank.
23. Nicolai Hojgaard
Let me start off by saying he could miss the cut by 10, but I could also see him having a great week.
This will be his third consecutive Masters start. As a debutant in 2024, you might remember he actually had the sole lead on Saturday for a brief period before completely crumbling and fading to an eventual T16 finish. At the time, and maybe still, that moment was just too big for him.
Fast forward to now, and he knows what it feels like to be right in the mix on the weekend at the Masters. He is more mature, has battled back through a period of poor form, and is off to a great start in 2026 on the PGA Tour, continuing to showcase the immense talent he has on the golf course. He comes in off a runner up finish in his most recent start and has gained strokes on approach in every start in 2026.
I actually like him a lot this week, and do not be surprised to see his name high up on the weekend leaderboard. If that ends up being the case, how will the now 25 year old handle it this time around? Who knows, the moment may still be too big for him. Time will tell.
24. Jacob Bridgeman
The first debutant on my list and the number one player in the current FedEx Cup standings.
Bridgeman showed signs of potential last year but has truly emerged as a top talent this season on the PGA Tour. The 26 year old has not finished outside the top 18 this year in eight starts and is lapping the field on the greens with his excellent putting.
The big story and reason for his consistent finishes has been the development of his approach play. In previous years, it was inconsistent and a weak point when he first came out, but that has been far from the case in 2026.
This will be a very interesting week for Bridgeman, as he has only played in two majors, missing the cut in both, and this is his first Masters start. I am not setting expectations overly high for him for those exact reasons, but anything in the top 30 would be a fantastic result.
25. Chris Gotterup
To finish off the list, we are going with another intriguing debutant for this year’s Masters. Breakout player of summer 2025 and early 2026, potential emerging star Chris Gotterup.
In his last 16 starts, he has won three times on tour and recorded multiple other high finishes. Like his buddy Bridgeman, major championship experience is limited, with only four starts and none at the Masters, but he did finish solo third at his first Open Championship last summer.
My expectations for him this week are the same as for Bridgeman, maybe slightly higher. Bridgeman gets the slight nod on the list due to his more consistent results and stronger putting numbers.
I am really excited to see how both fare this week. It is a big moment for both as they try to make their names stick a bit more among the game’s best.
Honorable Mention: Jordan Spieth.
I couldn’t mention Jordan’s name on a list about the Masters. I don’t need to explain why. He would slot in 26th on my list.
