Countdown to the first tee at the 2026 US Masters
US Masters Event Historical past
The US Masters is the primary of the years 4 main championships and it is the one one of many 4 that is performed on the identical venue yearly – the enduring and gorgeous Augusta Nationwide.
Augusta Nationwide was based firstly of the Nice Despair and when the primary version of what was initially referred to as the Augusta Nationwide Invitation Event was staged 92 years in the past, the membership had simply 76 paid up members.
That was someway in need of the deliberate 1,800 and the inaugural winner, Horton Smith, together with all the highest finishers, needed to look ahead to 17 members to membership collectively to lift the purse earlier than he acquired his winnings.
Venue
Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership, Augusta, Georgia.
Course Particulars
Par 72, 7,555 yards
Scoring common in 2025 – 72.8
Initially the brainchild of Bobby Jones, Augusta Nationwide was based by him and Clifford Roberts – a rich New York funding banker.
Designed by Jones and Alister Mackenzie, who died earlier than the course was completed, Augusta Nationwide was constructed on the location of an previous nursery and all of the holes are named after a tree or shrub.
Augusta formally opened in January 1933, and it is been evolving ever since and to such an extent not too long ago that the unique designers would barely acknowledge the place.
The Bermuda greens had been modified to bent grass and the fairways had been tightened on the finish of the final century earlier than a significant overhaul was orchestrated by Tom Fazio in 2002, when greater than half the holes had been lengthened and tightened.
Each the 11th and 15th holes had been lengthened barely in 2022, one other 35 yards had been added earlier than the off in 2023, courtesy of an extension to the par 5 13th, and 10 yards had been added to the par 5 second earlier than the off in 2024.
The one change to the course earlier than final yr’s version was enforced by Mom Nature when a number of timber had been misplaced to storm injury across the 16th gap and the one alteration to the monitor this yr is on the 17th gap, the place the tee-box has been moved, making the already powerful par 4 penultimate gap 10 yards longer.
Augusta is an extended course, and it performs even longer than its already demanding yardage as a result of the fairways are all reduce in the identical route – in the direction of the tee-boxes – so balls are likely to land and cease pretty rapidly.
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Actual Time Three Day Forecast
TV Protection
- Thursday ninth April: Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion (2pm), Sky Sports activities Golf (2pm)
- Friday tenth April: Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion (2pm), Sky Sports activities Golf (2pm)
- Saturday eleventh April: Sky Sports activities Golf (4.30pm), Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion (7.45pm)
- Sunday twelfth April: Sky Sports activities Golf (4.30pm), Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion (7pm)
Final 12 Winners with Pre-event Costs
2025 – Rory McIlroy -10 8.615/2
2024 – Scottie Scheffler -10 6.05/1
2023 – Jon Rahm -12 11.521/2
2022 – Scottie Scheffler -10 19.018/1
2021 – Hideki Matsuyama -10 70.069/1
2020- Dustin Johnson -20 9.89/1
2019 – Tiger Woods -13 22.021/1
2018 – Patrick Reed -15 70.069/1
2017 – Sergio Garcia -9 50.049/1 (playoff)
2016 – Danny Willett -5 70.069/1
2015 – Jordan Spieth -18 13.012/1
2014 – Bubba Watson -8 28.027/1
What Will it Take to Win the US Masters?
To supply an at-a-glance image of what is required at Augusta, listed below are the typical scores for the final 15 winners in all the standard key stats.
Driving Accuracy – 25.3
Driving Distance – 20.73
G.I.R – 6.67
Scrambling – 9.94
Placing Common – 11.06
Though Augusta is tree-lined, Driving Accuracy is the least necessary conventional stat to think about.
Though you cannot simply spray it in every single place off the tee, the timber listed below are well-established and the branches are excessive, so errant drives aren’t all the time punished.
Size off the tee is advantageous and traditionally way more necessary than accuracy, nevertheless it hasn’t been an absolute crucial of late.
The 2023 winner, Jon Rahm, solely ranked 24th for Driving Distance and Hideki Matsuyama, Tiger Woods, Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth, Charl Schwartzel and Zach Johnson have all received right here within the final 20 years with DD rankings of 47th 44th, 32nd, 52nd, 40th and 57th respectively however most victors give it whack.
Bryson DeChambeau, who completed tied for fifth, was the one man to hit it additional off the tee than the winner, Rory McIlroy, final yr and eight of the final 18 winners have ranked contained in the high six for DD.
Rory solely ranked 16th for Greens In Regulation however the man he beat in additional time, Justin Rose, ranked third and the six winners earlier than Rory ranked seventh, third, fifth, seventh, first and first for GIR.
As many as 15 of the final 19 winners have ranked seventh or higher so that is clearly a key stat and so too is Scrambling.
The 2019 winner, Woods, solely ranked 47th for Scrambling however the final 15 winners have nonetheless averaged solely 9.94 so the flexibility to get up-and-down repeatedly is important. Rory ranked fourth 12 months in the past.
Patrick Reed topped the Placing Common stats in 2018 and Rory ranked third final yr however Hideki Matsuyama solely ranked 26th in 2021 and amongst the checklist of winners above are quite a lot of gamers which have had their justifiable share of woes on the greens – together with Matsuyama.
The quick, sloppy, usually treacherous, glass-like surfaces are onerous for everybody and it nearly ranges the sector out a bit.
To emphasise that additional, the first and second in 2021, Matsuyama and Will Zalatoris, ranked 175th and 122nd for Strokes Gained Placing on the PGA Tour that season and the 2 playoff protagonists in 2017, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, ended the 2017 season rating 112th and 168th for SGP so though I would not exit of my approach to discover a poor putter, it is a bit of delusion that solely one of the best putters win right here.
Strokes Gained stats have solely been produced for the final 5 editions of the US Masters however they again up the standard stats properly.
The final 5 winners have ranked both first or second for SG: Tee to Inexperienced, and the 5 have ranked first, first, sixth, sixth and fourth for SG: Strategy.
Rahm ranked first for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee three years in the past, Scheffler ranked second in 2024 and Rory ranked seventh final yr however Scheffler solely ranked ninth when successful for the primary time in 2022 and the 2021 winner, Matsuyama, ranked 17th.
The 5 winners have ranked solely 43rd, 22nd, 22nd, 13th and 23rd for SG: Placing however they’ve ranked ninth, first, seventh, second and fourth for SG: Across the Inexperienced.
These stats present that the secrets and techniques to success listed below are to search out loads of greens and to get up-and-down efficiently when one is missed however what’s usually a very powerful issue is the way you play the lengthy holes…
Listed here are the whole scores to par for the final 15 winners on the par threes, fours and fives.
Par threes -15
Par fours -13
Par fives -143
The truth that Danny Willett received right here in 2016 having performed the lengthy holes in simply stage par is astounding and it have to be seen as an anomaly. Rory final yr, and Sergio Garcia in 2017, solely performed them in seven-under-par however Patrick Reed smashed them up eight years in the past -playing them in 13 under-par – regardless of failing to choose up a shot on any of the 4 on Sunday and the 5 winners earlier than Rory performed them in -11, -11, -8, -10 and -9.
Rory solely ranked 12th for Par 5 Scoring final yr however the three winners earlier than him ranked all ranked second for that stat.
Phil Mickelson performed the lengthy holes in 13-under-par in 2006 and but his successful whole was simply seven-under and even when comparatively quick hitter, Zach Johnson, received with an over par successful whole 19 years in the past, he nonetheless performed the lengthy holes in 11 under-par.
The 2 par fives on the entrance 9, holes two and eight, averaging 4.61 and 4.62, had been the simplest two holes on the course final yr, the 13th, averaging 4.82, was the third best and the quick par 4 third gap, which averaged 3.91, was the one different gap to play simpler than the par 5 15th, which averaged 4.93, so that they’re the holes to choose up pictures.
Angles In & Augusta Tendencies
Patrick Reed’s course type coming into the championship, studying MC-22-49-MC, was fairly poor in 2018, and he was the primary winner since Tiger Woods in 1997 to have missed the reduce the earlier yr.
They’re the one two winners to not have performed rounds three and 4 within the yr earlier than they received since Fuzzy Zoeller received on debut in 1979 so not enjoying over the weekend in your earlier go to is a big detrimental.
One other no-no was backing anybody but to interrupt 70 round Augusta. Up till 2015, 23 of the earlier 24 winners had all beforehand shot a spherical within the 60s however following Reed’s win, and the victories of Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Danny Willett in 2016, three of the final 11 winners had failed to interrupt 70 earlier than they received. And so they hadn’t performed within the match as usually as most winners both…
Each Spieth and Willett had solely performed Augusta as soon as earlier than they received and Scheffler, who had shot only one spherical within the 60s, was showing for less than the third time when he received it for the primary time 4 years in the past. And that actually went towards the grain given earlier course type is often very important.
Apart from the primary two winners of the occasion, Fuzzy Zoeller (in 1979) remains to be the one debutant to win the US Masters, and most winners have been round Augusta Nationwide sufficient instances to get to know its distinctive nuisances.
On common, first time winners have performed the occasion six instances and with earlier course type figures studying 27-4-9-7-5-27, that was the case with Rahm three years in the past.
Though loads of expertise is an enormous plus and the typical age of the winners is 32, age had been a little bit of a barrier till 2019. Previous to Tiger’s win on the age of 43, Mark O’Meara, who took the title on the age of 41 again in 1998, had been the final man to win in his 40s.
Robust present type essential of late
Course type stands up properly right here and previous winners have a superb file.
When Rory received final yr he beat Augusta specialist, Justin Rose, in a playoff, with former winners, Reed and Scheffler, third and fourth.
The highest 11 on the leaderboard had posted a minimum of a top-six end at Augusta beforehand and 9 of the 11 had completed first or second earlier than.
As many as 18 totally different gamers have received the title greater than as soon as, however robust present type has been key of late too.
Matsuyama managed to win 4 years in the past regardless of a comparatively poor begin to the yr. He’d completed 30th within the Valero Texas Open in his penultimate begin and in ten earlier begins in 2021, 15th on the WGC Workday Championship was his finest end however since Phil Mickelson received his third title 16 years in the past, having produced only one top-ten from seven earlier begins that yr (eighth on the AT&T Pebble Seashore), each winner bar Matsuyama has telegraphed their wellbeing.
Rory had received each the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am and the Gamers Championship and he had 2025 type figures studying 4-1-17-15-1-5 and Scheffler was in unimaginable type two years in the past, with type figures studying 1-1-2.
Sheffler arrived at Augusta with present type figures studying 1-7-1-55-1 earlier than he received it for the primary time in 2022 and though Rahm hadn’t been at his finest in his three occasions previous to the Masters, he had begun 2023 in advantageous fashion, successful three of his first 5 begins, having received two of his final three occasions in 2022.
As a sign of how properly you often must be enjoying within the lead as much as the yr’s first main, the highest 5 in 2024 had all received on both the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour or each within the earlier six months.
Riviera type is a large plus
The Genesis Invitational venue – Riviera Nation Membership – has been a haven for Masters winners over time and type there’s a massive plus.
When he received the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in 2024, Matsuyama turned the fifth participant in 12 years to win each the Genesis Invitational and the US Masters and 14 totally different US Masters winners have received 24 of the 62 renewals of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Tom Watson have all received a number of PGA Tour occasions at each Riviera and Augusta, so the programs clearly correlate properly.
Will we get one other main maiden winner?
Rory famously turned simply the sixth man ever to assert the profession Grand Slam when he received right here final yr and 5 of the final seven winners had beforehand received a minimum of one main championship.
The primary 5 in the market are all main champions however the stats inform us there’s extra likelihood of a primary time main champion slipping on the Inexperienced Jacket on Sunday night time than a former main winner.
As many as 9 of the final 16 US Masters winners had been successful their first main championship and regardless that Scheffler has received two of the final three majors, 24 of the final 41 (59 %) main championships have gone to a first-time main winner so do not be stunned if we get one other however do anticipate them to function extremely within the Official World Rankings as a result of 54 of the final 55 majors have been received by somebody contained in the world’s top-50. The odd man out is Phil Mickelson who defied all kinds of logic on the 2021 US PGA Championship when he received on the age of 51 – rating 115th on this planet.
Final 12 Winner’s Place and Worth Pre-Spherical 4
2025 – Rory McIlroy – led by two 1.635/8
2024 – Scottie Scheffler – led by one 1.981/1
2023 – Jon Rahm – solo second, trailed by two 2.8815/8
2022 – Scottie Scheffler – led by three 1.584/7
2021 – Hideki Matsuyama – led by 4 1.9420/21
2020 – Dustin Johnson – led by 4 1.422/5
2019 – Tiger Woods – tied second, trailed by two 4.94/1
2018 – Patrick Reed – led by three strokes 2.265/4
2017 – Sergio Garcia – tied for the lead with Justin Rose 6.05/1
2016 – Danny Willett – tied for fifth, trailing by three 22.021/1
2015 – Jordan Spieth – led by 4 1.51/2
2014 – Bubba Watson – tied for the lead with Jordan Spieth 4.67/2
Ought to we swerve final yr’s contenders?
Though course type stands up properly and a number of winners are pretty widespread, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods are the one gamers to win the US Masters back-to-back.
Defending the title is clearly powerful and during the last 10 years, Scottie Scheffler (twice) and Jordan Spieth are the one defending champions to complete inside the highest 10 the next yr.
One thing I’ve touched on in earlier years, and it rings true most years, is the poor performances usually put up by gamers that contended the yr earlier than.
As many as 4 of the boys to complete inside the highest 11 final yr had completed inside the highest 10 a yr earlier however that is not the norm.
Numerous 2019 contenders had been in-the-mix in 2020 too and the winner, Dustin Johnson, had completed tied for second behind Tiger within the earlier renewal however due to the pandemic, the 2020 version was performed in November and there was 19 months between the 2 renewals. Which will have been a cause why we noticed a few 2019 contenders again within the combine as a result of it is uncommon.
Ordinarily, the contenders on the earlier renewal are likely to battle and I think it is one thing to do with mindset. Having held an opportunity to win the yr earlier than, expectations are little question larger the next yr and which will clarify why so many fail to determine.
As an illustration, except the pre-pandemic version in 2019, this is the high 10s from the final seven renewals with their ending positions the next yr in brackets.
2017
1 Sergio Garcia (MC)
2 Justin Rose (12th)
3 Charl Schwartzel (MC)
T4 Matt Kuchar (28th)
T4 Thomas Pieters DNP
6 Paul Casey (15th)
T7 Rory McIlroy (5th)
T7 Kevin Chappell DNP
T9 Ryan Moore DNP
T9 Adam Scott (32nd)
2018
1 Patrick Reed (T36)
2 Rickie Fowler (T9)
3 Jordan Spieth (T21)
4 Jon Rahm (T9)
5 Rory McIlroy (T21)
5 Cameron Smith (T51)
5 Henrik Stenson (T36)
5 Bubba Watson (T12)
9 Marc Leishman (T49)
10 Tony Finau (T5)
10 Dustin Johnson (T2)
2020
1 Dustin Johnson (MC)
2 Sungjae Im (MC)
2 Cameron Smith (10)
4 Justin Thomas (21)
5 Rory McIlroy (MC)
5 Dylan Frittelli (MC)
7 Jon Rahm (5)
7 Brooks Koepka (MC)
7 CT Pan (MC)
10 Corey Conners (8)
10 Webb Simpson (12)
10 Patrick Reed (8)
2021
1 Hideki Matsuyama (14)
2 Will Zalatoris (6)
3 Xander Schauffele (MC)
3 Jordan Spieth (MC)
5 Jon Rahm (27)
5 Marc Leishman (30)
7 Justin Rose (MC)
8 Corey Connors (6)
8 Patrick Reed (35)
10 Cam Smith (3)
10 Tony Finau (35)
2022
1 Scottie Scheffler (10)
2 Rory McIlroy (MC)
3 Shane Lowry (16)
3 Cameron Smith (34)
5 Collin Morikawa (10)
6 Corey Conners (MC)
6 Will Zalatoris (DNP)
8 Sungjae Im (16)
8 Justin Thomas (MC)
10 Cameron Champ MC)
10 Charl Schwartzel (MC)
2023
1 Jon Rahm (T45)
2 Phil Mickelson (T43)
2 Brooks Koepka (T45)
4 Patrick Reed (T12)
4 Russell Henley (T38)
4 Jordan Spieth (MC)
7 Cameron Younger (T9)
7 Viktor Hovland (MC)
9 Sahith Theegala (T45)
10 Scottie Scheffler (1)
10 Collin Morikawa (T3)
10 Xander Schauffele (8)
10 Matthew Fitzpatrick (T22)
2024
1 Scottie Scheffler (4)
2 Ludvig Aberg (7)
3 Tommy Fleetwood (21)
3 Max Homa (12)
3 Collin Morikawa (14)
6 Bryson DeChambeau (5)
6 Cameron Smith (MC)
8 Xander Schauffele (8)
9 Tyrrell Hatton (14)
9 Cameron Younger (MC)
9 Will Zalatoris (MC)
Coming into the occasion underneath the radar or with low expectations seems to be a plus and eight of the final 10 US Masters winners had completed exterior the highest 10 the yr earlier than they received. McIlroy had completed tied for 22nd in 2024.
In-Play Ways
Final yr’s renewal will go down as one of many biggest ever. Rory’s journey all through the week (detailed here) was unimaginable and having sat tied for 27th and 7 off the lead, he was one of many slowest beginning winners of all time at Augusta however ordinarily, up with the tempo is the place to be.
Scheffler sat solo second after spherical one two years in the past, and in 2023, regardless of double bogeying the opening gap, and being on the mistaken aspect of the draw, Rahm was tied for the lead after spherical one.
When successful the occasion for the primary time, in 2022, Scheffler had sat third, trailing by two, after the opening spherical.
Tiger sat tied for 11th and 4 off the lead after the opening spherical in 2019 however up till final yr, that had been the one time any winner had sat exterior the top-ten since Woods had sat tied for 33rd and 7 off the lead 21 years in the past.
Augusta Nationwide is NOT a catch-up course, and a quick begin is often crucial.
Rory, Tiger and Phil Mickelson are the one three males to win the occasion having completed day one exterior of the high 10 locations since Mark O’Meara received from tied twenty fifth and 5 off the tempo 28 years in the past.
The final 4 winners have been inside the highest three locations at midway and solely two winners have been greater than three strokes adrift by way of 36 holes within the final 20 years. Danny Willett, who sat eighth and 4 again a decade in the past, and Charl Schwartzel, who sat 12th and 6 off the lead in 2011.
As many as seven of the final 9 US Masters winners have been main with a spherical to go and 7 of the final 12 have led after each rounds two and three.
Tempo your self and be prepared for Friday night time
It’s totally tempting to avidly watch the primary day’s play in its entirety however watch out to not be fatigued too quickly.
Solely one of many final 14 winners has been exterior the high six locations and greater than three strokes again at midway so late on Friday night time may be very usually one of the best time to make a transfer.
The market tends to type itself out in a single day and the main pack will usually shorten up so buying and selling simply earlier than the top of spherical two, or straight after, on Friday night time is an effective time to strike in-running bets.
Cameron Younger the assured decide at 25/1
Having received the US Masters twice already and having bagged two of the final three majors in 2025 – the US PGA Championship and the Open Championship – Scottie Scheffler was backed right down to a low of 3.8514/5 when he hacked up by 4 strokes in his first begin of the yr at The American Specific.
The world primary gave the impression to be choosing up from the place he left off and odds of round 3/14.00 did not look quick however right here we’re a few months down the street and he is buying and selling at odds in extra of 6/17.00.
Since his spectacular victory in California in January, Scheffler has put up type figures studying 3-4-12-24-22 so the large drift is comprehensible to an extent.
Scheffler withdrew from the Houston Open earlier than the beginning two weeks in the past as a result of delivery of his second son, Remy, so he hasn’t performed since ending 22nd within the Gamers Championship at Sawgrass.
That must be seen as a little bit of a detrimental, however he has Augusta type figures studying 19-18-1-10-1-4, so he clearly loves the place and he is extremely prone to be an element. I used to be completely happy to again him at 7.613/2
Given we have not seen a profitable title defence since Tiger in 2002, it is no shock to see that the 2 in-form LIV golfers, Bryson DeChambeau, and the 2023 Masters winner, Jon Rahm, have overtaken Rory McIlroy on the head of the market.
DeChambeau, who has completed sixth and fifth in every of the final two editions, has received his final two occasions and Rahm has present type figures studying 2-2-1-5-2 so that they command loads of respect however the one I actually like this week is the world quantity three – Cameron Younger.
The final two winners of the Gamers Championship have doubled up at Augusta and there are many stats and tendencies to counsel the 28-year-old is primed to emulate Scheffler and McIlroy having pounced on the demise to disclaim Matt Fitzpatrick at Sawgrass final month.
Younger completed second seven instances on the PGA Tour earlier than he lastly nailed his breakthrough victory within the Wyndham Championship final yr however that overdue victory has clearly given him confidence.
He was one of the best participant within the defeated US Ryder Cup crew the next month, successful thrice on debut, and after a quiet begin to 2026, he is actually kicked into gear during the last couple of months, ending seventh within the Genesis Invitational at Riviera and third within the Arnold Palmer earlier than his good end at Sawgrass to win the Gamers.
Younger has a combined set of type figures at Augusta, studying MC-7-9-MC, however that is typical of his file in main championships.
He is missed the reduce in all 4 majors at varied instances, however he is additionally completed second within the Open Championship, third within the US PGA Championship and fourth within the US Open and all these excessive finishes have come when he is been in type.
He received back-to-back occasions on the Korn Ferry Tour and he tends to carry his type properly as soon as he is discovered it.
Younger completed second to Cam Smith within the Open at St Andrews in 2022 after a few missed cuts however he’d completed third within the US PGA Championship a few months earlier following a 3rd within the RBC Heritage and a second within the Truist Championship and he completed seventh within the US Masters three years in the past after shedding the ultimate of the WGC Match Play in his earlier begin two weeks prior.
He completed eighth within the Open in 2023 after ending sixth within the John Deere Class, the place he’d led by two at midway, and he completed ninth at Augusta two years in the past after ending runner-up on the Valspar Championship in his earlier begin.
He additionally completed fourth within the US Open final yr, one week after ending fourth within the Canadian Open, so he is telegraphed a excessive end in a significant loads of instances earlier than and he appears primed to win his first one this week.
Now read all the rest of our Masters tips, previews and guides
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