You can make a strong case that The Masters isn’t just golf’s greatest event, but sport’s greatest event. There’s simply nothing like it. From the perfectly manicured fairways to the seemingly never-ending sunshine and those iconic green jackets, it’s a tournament that’s easy to love.
Golfers, too, love being there. Many of them are simply happy to be out playing in a tournament that always offers such perfect conditions. But, of course, they’d all love to get their hands on a green jacket.
Yet, while there’s a history of surprise winners at Augusta, more often than not, glory usually goes to one of the pre-tournament favourites. So let’s take a closer look at who they are and how confident they can be of success.
Scottie Scheffler
If there’s a player who can be confident of winning at Augusta, it’s Scottie Scheffler. The fact that he’s the world’s number-one golfer means he already has a fairly good chance. Throw in his previous Masters success — he’s won it two times before — and you can see why many believe that Scheffler already has a hand on the trophy.
Still, world ranking and previous success only count for so much. Scheffler has been struggling with his putting game this year. Unless he can fix it, his chances of becoming the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win back-to-back Masters looks pretty remote.
Rory McIlroy
It’s not just Rory McIlroy who’s hoping that he can come out on top at this year’s Masters. The majority of golf fans are, too. Crowd favourite Mcllory, a former world number one, hasn’t won a major since 2014, though he has picked up plenty of victories on the PGA Tour.
Can the Irishman end his 11-year drought and pick up his fifth major title? If you check the odds on Oddschecker, it’s clear that the bookies think so. He’s second-favourite for glory, just behind Scottie Scheffler, and that’s no accident.
Mcllory has been in sensational form so far this year, winning at both TPC Sawgrass and Pebble Beach and, as such, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever have a better opportunity to make up for the hurt of missing out on the 2011 Masters.
Bryson DeChambeau
Bryson DeChambeau believes he’s destined to win a Masters one day. Will it be this year? He already has two majors, the 2020 and 2024 US Open under his belt and finished sixth in last year’s Masters tournament.
DeChambeau has clearly been working on his game, which should make him a contender for glory. With that said, he has struggled for form leading up to the tournament and it’s rare that an out-of-sorts player suddenly produces the goods when they arrive at Augusta.
Still, DeChambeau seems pretty confident that he’s got what it takes to win the Masters, so maybe he’ll lock in and produce a show-stopping performance.
Jon Rahm
If this was any other major, then we wouldn’t be talking about Jon Rahm as a serious contender. He’s been out of form and is playing much less golf than you might expect from someone with an eye on winning the Masters.
Still, there’s a reason why Rahm — and many golf pundits — believe that he has an outside chance of getting a green jacket: the player feels very much at home at Augusta. He’s already won The Masters back in 2023, and, last year aside, has finished in the top ten every time he’s competed in the tournament.
That bodes well for his chances. If there was ever a player who can cast aside all the reasons they shouldn’t win, it’s Jon Rahm. Don’t be surprised if he delivers a winning performance for his second Masters title.
