The Masters 2026: Top Golfers to Watch as Augusta National Action Tees Off

Augusta National buzzes as the 2026 Masters begins today, and the spotlight falls squarely on a handful of red-hot contenders chasing the season’s first major championship. Scheffler vs. the Field World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opens as the consensus favorite at +600, aiming for a third green jacket in five starts—an achievement unseen since Tiger Woods’ early-2000s run. Despite the short price, history warns bettors: only once since 2005 has the pre-tournament favorite actually won at Augusta, and that lone exception was Scheffler himself in 2024. Rory McIlroy returns as defending champion after finally completing the career Grand Slam last April. At +1200, the Northern Irishman seeks to become the first player since Woods (2001-02) to win back-to-back Masters. Sharing that second-tier price are Bryson DeChambeau, whose prodigious length can dismantle Augusta on the right week, and power-fading Jon Rahm, now the clear No. 2 choice at +1000 after a mid-week surge in action. Emerging Threats to Watch 1. Xander Schauffele (+1400) – Seven straight top-20s this season signal elite form, and his high-trajectory irons are tailor-made for Augusta’s elevated greens. 2. Ludvig Åberg (+1400) – The Swedish phenom posted a runner-up and seventh in his first two Masters starts; a breakthrough feels imminent. 3. Tommy Fleetwood (+2200) – After a dramatic odds dip from +3000, the Englishman rides feel-good momentum from a strong Par-3 Contest cameo with son Frankie. Sneaky Longshots • Corey Conners (+6600) – Four top-10s in his last six Masters and trending ball-striking numbers. • Sungjae Im (+10000) – Top-16 finishes in four of six trips to Augusta showcase a reliable floor. • Jake Knapp (+6600) – Six finishes of T-11 or better in seven starts this year mark him as the field’s quietest form horse. Augusta Storylines Beyond the Odds • Brooks Koepka returns from LIV Golf with putting woes and boom-or-bust Masters history (three top-10s, three missed cuts in seven starts). • Collin Morikawa’s back spasms make his +3300 ticket a high-risk, high-reward play. • Jordan Spieth, the 2015 champion, continues a feast-or-famine pattern that has gamblers debating his +300 cut-miss prop. Keys to Victory This Week 1. Approach shots to Augusta’s corner-tucked pins remain the decisive metric; six of the past seven winners ranked top-5 in strokes-gained: approach for the week. 2. Fast, firm greens reward confident lag putting—an edge historically exploited by Scheffler and Rahm. 3. With cool, dry conditions forecast, expect Thursday-Friday scoring to dictate an aggressive cut line near even par. How to Watch • Thursday: ESPN/ESPN Deportes 3 p.m.–7:30 p.m. ET; Masters App and Masters.com feature-group streams from 1 p.m. • Week-end coverage shifts to CBS, with featured-group digital streams available all four days. Bottom Line Scheffler’s iron play makes him the rightful favorite, yet Augusta’s recent history of parity keeps the door wide open for McIlroy’s repeat bid, Rahm’s revenge tour, or a first-time champion like Åberg. Expect volatile leaderboards, early-round fireworks, and another unforgettable charge up the back nine on Sunday.