AMAG_TGuide_2026

Rory McIlroy 2025 CHAMPION

MAKE IT HERE. SEND IT ANYWHERE.

Meta is establishing the company’s first South Carolina operation with a new data center in Aiken County. The $800 million investment will support 100 new operational jobs. The Aiken County data center will be Meta’s 22nd data center in the U.S. and 26th in the world. It is expected to be operational in spring 2027.

Rolls-Royce Solutions America Inc. (Rolls-Royce), a provider of off-highway engines and complete power generation systems, has been in Aiken County for 15 years. In 2025, Rolls-Royce announced an expansion of a the two-phase facility that will accommodate increased production volume for Rolls-Royce’s mtu Series 4000 engines to meet growing demand for backup power in the data center industry.

Bridgestone is committed to delivering the highest quality products to its customers, whether they are across town or around the globe. Bridgestone’s two Aiken County plants employ over 2,000 people. The Passenger and Light Truck Tire Plant, marking 25 years in 2023, produces tires for OEMs and retail. Since 2013, the Off Road Tire Plant has made large radial tires, a first in North America. Both plants actively support the community through an onsite learning center, offering free training and outreach via the award-winning Bridgestone Environmental Education Program.

One of the county’s largest employers, Kimberly Clark makes a wide range of paper-based products bearing the brand names people know and love such as Huggies, Cottonelle, Kleenex, and Scott. In 2025, Kimberly-Clark announced an expansion adding 150 jobs and 1.1 million square feet to their footprint that is expected to come online in 2027.

Shaw Industries Group, Inc. supplies carpet, resilient, hardwood, tile and stone flooring products and synthetic turf to residential and commercial markets worldwide. Shaw’s $500 million expansion of its Aiken fibers facility is a key part of the company’s strategy to further elevate its products and innovate its carpet portfolio.

BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. The Aiken team is dedicated to the production of armored combat and tactical vehicles.

Georgia. Carrying tires, wheels, tubes and supplies for passenger/ County.

AmbioPharm is a full-service peptide manufacturing company headquartered in North Augusta, South Carolina. AmbioPharm provides products and services to Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies, Clinical Research Laboratories, Universities, and more.

In 2024, Columbia Vehicle Group selected Aiken County Part of the Nordic Group of Companies, Columbia manufactures pure electric vehicles for industrial and commercial markets under the Columbia and Tomberlin brands. The company’s products, which include golf carts, utility vehicles, maintenance vehicles and e-bikes, are distributed globally.

SubAir manufactures and installs moisture removal and hydronics systems used on some of the county’s top golf courses such as the Augusta Nationals as well as all types of turf-based sports fields.

Gateway Tire of Aiken provides tire distribution to retail and wholesale locations in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Carrying tires, wheels, tubes and supplies for passenger/ light truck, off the road, truck/bus/radial and agriculture users.

AGY produces specialty glass fiber critical to aviation, defense, architecture, and telecommunications. Through product innovation and flexible manufacturing, we deliver tailored solutions that increase energy efficiency, connectivity, and mobility. Made in Aiken, SC, AGY is the only US producer of high-performing glass fiber—and sole manufacturer of proprietary L Glass integral to AI and highspeed mobile networks.

Founded in 1988, Central States is an employee-owned company that manufactures and distributes a wide range of metal building products suited for various construction needs. The company services residential, recreational, commercial and architectural projects. Locating in Aiken in 2021, Central States’ new facility increased the company’s capacity to meet growing demand and better support customers in the southeastern region of the United States.

Zeus Industrial Products is a leading polymer extrusion manufacturer and material science innovator with operations in Aiken County. Zeus touches nearly every major industry in the world. From aircraft to operating rooms, Zeus polymer solutions—tubing, catheter componentry, heat shrinks, bioabsorbable and implantable medical products, sutures, fiber optics coatings, and much more—are all around us, making our daily lives better.

Autoneum develops and produces multifunctional, lightweight and sustainable components for optimum noise and heat protection in light and commercial vehicles. The company’s product portfolio comprises systems and components for the exterior and interior of vehicles: for the engine bay, the underbody as well as for the interior floor and interior trim. These can be tailored to individual customer requirements and help to make vehicles quieter, lighter and more economical. With its global presence, Autoneum ensures the supply of automobile manufacturers operating in all key markets around the world.

US Fibers produces high quality regenerated PET staple fiber. With products serving in the automotive, filtration, non-woven, furniture, and geo-textile industries. US Fibers continues to grow, invest, and create new jobs in Edgefield County.

Carolina CoverTech began as a furniture company in 1858 and is still thriving in its third era. Although the focus has evolved from furniture to industrial products, the heart of our company has stayed the same...to make life better for our customers, team members, trade partners and the community in which we serve. Carolina CoverTech continues both large-scale and custom contract manufacturing of products that cover, protect, contain and enclose, within industries spanning spill containment, safety, Low Speed Vehicles (LSV) and more.

Trantech offers engineering, or re-engineering, for any type of transformer cooling system solution internationally. We provide cooling products and services to a wide range of global industries including transformer manufacturers, fossil fuel & nuclear power generating facilities, as well as petrochemical sites.

Titan Farms is the largest peach grower on the east coast, with over 6,000 acres of peaches, bell pepper, eggplant, and broccoli. Titan Farms is committed to assuring customers that their peaches and other produce have been grown and handled according to the highest possible standards in the marketplace.

Founded in Oregon in 1912, Portland Bolt manufactures nonstandard anchor bolts and construction fasteners. The company acquired its North Augusta manufacturing facility from Southern Anchor Bolt in June 2024, allowing it to effectively reach East Coast customers. In 2025, Portland Bolt expanded its operations in Edgefield County, with an investment of $4.3 million creating 21 new jobs.

Generac produces home standby generators and associated energy technologies In February 2021. The company purchased a 421,000-square-foot manufacturing, distribution, and office facility located in Trenton. Since this time Generac has become one of Edgefield’s flagship industries.

Founded in Germany in 1954, Mikro-Technik specializes in the processing of cellulose fiber into additives for the food and pet food industries. The company’s fibers are a renewable raw material used as a functional ingredient in food applications. In May 2025, Mikro-Technik selected McCormick County to establish its first North American operation. The company’s $3.2 million investment will create 27 new jobs, with operations online in 2026.

A leading provider of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and equipment, opened a franchise operation in McCormick County in 2024. The $3.1 million investment will create 17 new jobs over the next five years.

SC Pet Food Solutions is a provider of specialty, value-added pet food ingredients. Today, they are the leading manufacturer of protein ingredients used to make premium pet food.

Amick is one of the area’s largest poultry producers employing more than 1,500 team members at their South Carolina facility. Their vertically integrated system incorporates many family farmers in South Carolina and supports the local agricultural community.

THE MAGAZINE OF METROPOLITAN AUGUSTA FOUNDED IN 1975 725 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901

PUBLISHER

MANAGING EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR/ WEB CONTENT DEVELOPER

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

ADVERTISING SALES

PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTRIBUTORS

Ashlee Griggs Duren

Aimee Serafin

Jennifer McKee

Michael Rushbrook

Olivia DeMoss

Jenny Kelly Doreen Olsen

Augusta National Golf Club

Thomas Ehlers

Chris Gay

Johnathan McGinty

Joe VanHoose

David Westin

COVER PHOTO

Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

A Publication of MCC Magazines, LLC

A division of Morris Communications Company, LLC 725 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901

Morris Communications Company, LLC

William S. Morris III, Chairman Craig S. Mitchell, CEO

MCC Magazines

Scott Ferguson, Vice President, Finance & Operations

Sherry Brown, Director of Manufacturing & Production Veronica Brooks, Accounting Manager Michelle Rowe, Circulation Business Manager

AUGUSTA Magazine (USPS002766) is published 8 times a year in January, February/ March, April, May, June/July, August/September, October and November/December for $24.00 per year by MCC Magazines, LLC, 725 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901. Copyright AUGUSTA Magazine 2026. Periodicals postage paid at Augusta, GA and additional mailing offices. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Advertising rates available on request. The publishers are not responsible for the comments of authors or for unsolicited manuscripts. SUBSCRIPTION price $24.00 a year or $29.00 two years. POSTMASTER: send address changes to AUGUSTA Magazine, P.O. Box 35059, Seattle, WA 98124-9783

15 ANOTHER SHOT

Augusta junior golfer, Kipp Madison, seeks his second Drive, Chip & Putt title.

–ThomasEhlers

67 THE COURSE

The world-renowned holes at Augusta National Golf Club.

–AimeeSerafi n

21 CHAMPION GROUNDS

Champions Retreat — the opening grounds of the women’s amateur championship.

–JohnathanMcGinty

77 IRISH EYES ARE SMILING

Our recap of the 2025 Masters Tournament.

–JohnathanMcGinty

27 2026 WOMEN’S AMATEUR CONTENDERS

Profi les of the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur contenders.

–CourtesyofANWA

88 AT LAST

A highlight of Rory McIlroy’s fi rst Masters Tournament victory.

–DavidWestin

43 ONES TO WATCH/DARK HORSES

Augusta magazine’s annual top picks and long shots for the 2026 Masters Tournament.

–JoeVanHoose

99 2026 MASTERS CONTENDERS

Profi les of the 2026 Masters contenders.

–ChrisGay

Augusta National Golf Club

Logan Whitton/Augusta National

Simon Bruty/Augusta National

another

By Thomas Ehlers

Some of golf’s greats pepper the list of multiple champions at Augusta National Golf Club — Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer, to name a few.

Augusta native Kipp Madison intends on writing his name into Magnolia Lane lore as a multiple trophy taker, too, even if it's in a slightly different discipline.

Kipp, the 2024 Drive, Chip & Putt (DCP) Boys 12-13 National Champion, qualified for this year’s National Finals at ANGC after winning a regional qualifying event at TPC Sawgrass to secure his spot among 80 of the nation’s top junior golfers. One of 12 returning competitors across all age divisions, Kipp’s excited to take one more shot at winning a DCP title before aging out of the competition.

“(People) know I've already won it before, so they're expecting a lot out of me,” Kipp says. “But I don't really think about that. I just think about it as I'm having fun playing my sport — nothing's going to happen to me if I get last, and nothing's going to happen to me if I win.

“I just go out there and play with confidence, because I know I've put in enough work behind the scenes to go out

there and win it. Just go out there and have fun.” With a healthy perspective on life that most adults would clamor for, Kipp’s relaxed demeanor and stellar game have him primed for history.

Held the Sunday before the Masters Tournament, DCP is a joint initiative between the Masters Tournament, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA). Young golfers compete in local, sub-regional and regional qualifying events before making it to the finals.

During the competition, golfers are scored in the three categories reflected in its name.

First, competitors take three drives into a 40-yard-wide fairway, with longer drives in the fairway scoring more points. Next, golfers take three 10- to 15-yard chip shots onto a green, with shots closer to the pin scoring more points. The final three shots are putts from 6, 15 and 30 feet, with more accurate putts scoring higher point values.

Kipp competed and advanced past the first round of competition at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta before competing in a second-round tournament at The Landings in Savannah — a self-described “best-go” for the 15-year-old.

David Paul Morris/Augusta National Golf Club

However, he had to overcome a bit of adversity during the regional qualifier in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. During a practice round ahead of the competition, Kipp thought his club shaft felt less stiff than normal, and upon closer inspection, he had accidentally packed his brother’s club. His backup club, which had a preferred shaft, had a lessthan-desirable grip.

Kipp continued to hit with the backup club, finishing his practice round and warming up with it the following day. During the drive portion of the competition, he hit the first drive into the water, leaving less margin of error for his eight remaining shots. The eternal optimist, however, didn’t waver.

“I was like, ‘Okay, if I can just keep my cool here and just keep progressing, I think I'll be able to do this,’” Kipp says.

The lefty felt he had a bit of an advantage during the chipping competition. While his right-handed counterparts had pushed down portions of the grass, Kipp made use of the other side and dropped on better lies. He grabbed a 60-degree wedge and opted to land on the down slope with some spin rather than the bumpand-run approach his competitors chose.

A strong performance and fortunate bounce during

the putting portion gave Kipp a score that wouldn’t be beaten. He remembers watching his father, Earl, who helped hone his skills from his early days as a golfer, jumping with excitement when he clinched a spot in the finals. For Kipp’s mother, Lori, the moment represents another opportunity to bond with her son through a sport they both love.

“Golf has just been the best outlet for our relationship because we get to spend time together, driving to tournaments, talking, preparing,” Lori says. “We butt heads just a little bit sometimes, which is OK, because he's learning.”

And Kipp has progressed and grown in several ways since his last appearance in Augusta. He competed in the Webb Simpson Challenge, where he received mentorship from collegiate golfers. In addition, he’s competing in higher-caliber tournaments, including the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), Georgia PGA Juniors and Drip Golf Tour events, playing in about 20 events this year.

He’s also added a few folks to his corner. Kipp started seeing Josh Spell, a golf mental coach, as well as Pat Milkovich, a swing coach, both of whom are impacting his

Georgia PGA Junior Tour on Facebook

Golf has just been the best outlet for our relationship because we get to spend time together, driving to tournaments, talking, preparing.

—LoriMadison

play on the course as well as his nutrition and attitude.

The Madisons host a Bible Caddy Podcast Featured Group every Monday, inviting a dozen or so golfers and friends into their home, where they dive into the faithbased podcast’s lessons and build community.

One episode featuring Stewart Cink holds particular relevance for the upcoming competition.

“(Cink) talked about how the emotion is his favorite part of golf,” Lori says. “The exhilaration and also the despair sometimes — it all makes you feel alive. I think that sums it up for me … the exhilaration and the despair. You're going through it together, constantly.”

Kipp will likely battle those highs and lows when

he takes the course in early April, but he has a bit of home-field advantage baked into this year’s competition. His parents, brother and friends will be there to cheer him on, and his friend, Sam, will be working the range during the tournament, giving him plenty of familiar faces along his road to becoming a multiple DCP champion.

“I'm just looking forward to the experience again,” says Kipp, who is currently penning a letter to all three partner groups of the competition to share his thankfulness for the event and how much it has impacted his game. “I kind of know what to expect, since I've already won it, and I'm just gonna try to take it all in again.”

G round S CHAMPION

By Johnathan McGinty

Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

Courtesy of Arcis Golf

early two years ago, Hurricane Helene left its painful imprint across the Savannah River Region.

Deviating from its predicted path of snaking northwest across Georgia, the devastating storm turned more to the east, slowly and mercilessly hammering the Augusta area in late 2024. In its wake were broken power poles, crushed homes and nearly $90 million of damage across the city.

At Champions Retreat Golf Club, trees were felled across the property. There was ample flood and erosion damage throughout.

Among the losses was the iconic Broccoli Tree at the fourth hole of The Island course, a fixture that confounded everyone from the club’s membership to the competitors of the annual

Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

It’s a testament to the staff at Champions Retreat that the course was even playable, let alone able to host some of the top amateur women golfers in the world. Mike Rymer, director of golf at the club, recalled arriving at the course the morning after Helene rolled through, only to be greeted with what more closely resembled a war zone.

He was unsure if the course would be ready for the annual event in April.

However, steady work with supportive partners enabled the course to not only host ANWA but also deliver a premier experience for the field once again.

“Obviously, [the fourth hole at The Island] played a little bit easier than it usually does,” says Mike Rymer, referring to the hole that was home to the famous cherry oak. “That tree really made the hole quite a challenge. You had to be very

Asterisk Talley

“They are our guiding light with regard to how they want the course presented, and we work directly with their team on course prep and maintenance,”

– Rob Larkin, senior vice president of operations for Arcis Golf

strategic about your tee shot ball. When you’re on the tee box, on Four Palmer, in an event, you had to think about where the pin is, because that was really going to dictate where you’re trying to place your drive.”

While the new vantage point might have changed the calculus for some players at the tee box, Champions Retreat remained its usual formidable self for the ANWA field. The course has been a shared home to the prestigious women’s amateur event since its inception in 2019, hosting the first two rounds of the tournament before the field migrates to one of golf’s holiest grounds at Augusta National Golf Club. It’s a point of pride for the club with members leading the way to serve as volunteers during tournament week.

Rymer notes that Champions Retreat collaborates closely with Augusta National throughout the year to not only ensure alignment on playing conditions but also to uncover best practices that can be deployed year-round to the benefit of its members.

“They are our guiding light with regard to how they want the course presented, and we work directly with their team on course prep and maintenance,” says Rob Larkin, senior vice president of operations for Arcis Golf, which owns and operates the club. “We have dialogue throughout the year on where they’d like to see some changes or possible improvements. We coordinate with our team on how we can constantly improve, or how we can be better next year.”

Kiara Romero

“What we’re going to create in the modern-day speakeasy space in the Bluff Overlook, I think, is going to be a really cool story to tell for members.”

– Mike Lammi, general manager of Champions Retreat

And next year begins this year for Champions Retreat.

Following the completion of this year’s tournament, Champions Retreat will embark on a comprehensive renovation project aimed at enhancing playability and elevating the member experience. Part of Arcis Golf’s broader reinvestment campaign across its portfolio of properties, the work at Champions Retreat will include new bunkers on all 27 holes, adjusting shapes and slopes to incorporate even more obstacles for golfers.

Many projects are underway with some set to be ready for this year’s tournament, including the concierge area and locker rooms, as well as The Barn, a beloved events space on the property.

As part of these renovations, Arcis Golf and the Champions Retreat team also are ensuring that the legacy of the Broccoli Tree lives on. The Grill House on the property

will receive its own makeover, and part of that will be the transformation of the current Bluff Overlook space into a modern-day speakeasy. Following the storm, large sections of the tree were salvaged for reuse, including a piece that is 16 feet long and 54 inches in diameter.

Mark Lammi, the general manager of Champions Retreat, said the wood will be used for countertops in the new bar area, with other opportunities for reuse across the property.

“What we’re going to create in the modern-day speakeasy space in the Bluff Overlook, I think, is going to be a really cool story to tell for members,” says Mike Lammi, general manager of Champions Retreat. “When they have guests up there, and they’re showing off their new space, they’ll be able to talk about the legacy of that tree and what it really meant to the property.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Anna Davis — Davis took Augusta by storm in 2022, winning ANWA at the age of 16 to cap off a sensational junior golf career. Now a standout at Auburn University, she has wins in the Illini Women’s Invitational, Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate and Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational under her belt and is seeking to become the first player in history with multiple wins at ANWA.

Megha Ganne — The reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, Ganne is no stranger to Augusta having competed in five Drive, Chip & Putt events to go with her five starts at ANWA. It is likely her final start in the tournament, and the senior at Stanford University is seeking the title that has eluded her these past few years.

Kiara Romero — The top-ranked amateur in the world, Romero tied for second at the 2025 ANWA. The University of Oregon standout earned Big Ten Women’s Golfer of the Year honors and was named a first-team All-American for the second straight year in 2025.

Asterisk Talley — A runner-up in the 2025 ANWA at only 16 years old, Talley has solidified herself as the top junior women’s player in the country. She captured the 2024 Sage Valley Junior Invitational right down the road from Champions Retreat, as well as the 2025 ANNIKA Invitational. She earned low amateur honors in the 2024 U.S. Women’s

Megha Ganne

Women’s The 2026

CONTENDERS

QUALIFICATIONS FOR 2026 AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN’S AMATEUR

The field for the 2026 Championship will consist of the following players based on the following qualifications:

1. Reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion 2. Reigning Women’s Amateur Champion

Reigning Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Champion

Reigning Girls’ Amateur Champion

Reigning U.S. Girls’ Junior Champion 6. Reigning Girls Junior PGA Champion

7. Reigning NCAA Division I Women’s Individual Champion

8. Past champions of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur within the last five years

9. The 30 highest-ranked players from the United States of America based on the prior year’s (2025) final Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking, not otherwise qualified

10. After qualifications 1-8 above, the 30 highest-ranked players not otherwise qualified, as listed on the prior year’s (2025) final Women’s World Amateur Ranking

11. Players receiving special invitations from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Committee

CARLA BERNAT ESCUDER

Profiles courtesy of Augusta National Women’s Amateur as of February 17, 2026

Age: 21

Hometown: Heidelberg, Germany

Education: University of Arizona ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Charlotte Back (Germany)

Charlotte Back is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last year, she finished T-19 in the Ladies European Tour’s German Masters, reached the round of 64 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore. In 2024, she ended her first collegiate season with top10 performances in the Pac12 Women’s Championship and NCAA Division I Las Vegas Regional, finished T-15 in the European Ladies’ Amateur in Finland and reached the round of 64 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland. She also reached match play in the Women’s Amateur Championship in both 2022 and 2023.

Age: 22

Hometown: Wildwood, Mo.

Education: Michigan State University (Graduated)

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Age: 18

Hometown: Lyon, France

Education: University of Arkansas

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Sara Brentcheneff (France)

Sara Brentcheneff is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last year, she won an LET Access Series event in Portugal, recorded top-five finishes in the Portuguese Women’s Amateur, Spanish Women’s Amateur and European Ladies’ Amateur in Germany and represented her country in both the Junior Ryder Cup in New York and the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore. In 2024, she reached the round of 32 in both the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland and R&A Girls’ Amateur in England and represented Europe in the Junior Solheim Cup in Virginia.

Age: 19

Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand

Education: Pepperdine University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Brooke Biermann is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last year, the 2025 Honorable Mention AllAmerican finished runner-up in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Oregon and reached the semifinals of the Women’s Western Amateur in Michigan. She also closed her collegiate career with top-12 performances in the Big Ten Women’s Championship and NCAA Division I Norman Regional and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in 2025. In 2024, she won the Missouri Women’s Amateur and reached the quarterfinals of the North and South Women’s Amateur in North Carolina. She was a two-time junior All-American and she finished fifth in the Girls 14-15 division of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club in 2018.

Eunseo Choi (New Zealand)

Eunseo Choi is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, she won the Silicon Valley Showcase for her first collegiate victory, finished runner-up in the Canadian Women’s Amateur and represented New Zealand in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship for the third time in Singapore. In 2024, she won both the New Zealand Women’s Stroke Play and New Zealand Women’s Amateur Championships and recorded top-six performances in the Australian Women’s Amateur, Australian Girls’ Amateur, Queen Sirikit Cup in New Zealand and Royal Junior in Japan. She recorded top-25 finishes in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Age: 19

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Education: Texas A&M University

ANWA Appearance: First 2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Vanessa Borovilos (Canada)

Vanessa Borovilos is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last year, the 2025 Honorable Mention AllAmerican won the Chevron Collegiate, finished sixth in the Canadian Women’s Amateur, reached the round of 64 in both the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and U.S. Women’s Amateur in Oregon and represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore. In 2024, she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior and earned junior All-America honors for the third time. She was a four-time Drive, Chip & Putt National Finalist at Augusta National Golf Club and was the Girls 1011 champion in 2018.

Age: 21

Hometown: Ballygalget, Northern Ireland

Education: Arizona State University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Beth Coulter (Ireland)

Beth Coulter is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, the 2025 Honorable Mention All-American finished runner-up in the Big 12 Women’s Championship, represented Ireland in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship for the third consecutive edition and reached match play in the Women’s Amateur Championship for the sixth consecutive edition. In 2024, she recorded top-10 performances in both the Irish Women’s Open Stroke Play and Irish Women’s Close Championships and was a member of the winning Great Britain & Ireland team in the Curtis Cup in England.

Brooke Biermann

Age: 19

Hometown: Spring Valley, Calif.

Education: Auburn University

ANWA

Appearance: Fifth

2025 ANWA Finish: T-11

Anna Davis

Anna Davis is making her fifth Championship start in 2026. In 2022 at the age of 16, she won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur by one stroke over Ingrid Lindblad and Latanna Stone with a final-round 69 that included birdies on Nos. 2, 9, 12 and 13. The two-time All-American won two events for Auburn in October and prior to the start of her third collegiate season, she reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and the round of 32 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Oregon. Since 2023, she has represented the United States in the Junior Solheim Cup, Junior Ryder Cup, Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Arnold Palmer Cup and Curtis Cup.

Age: 15

Hometown: Short Hills, N.J.

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Aphrodite Deng (Canada)

Aphrodite Deng is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last July at the Atlanta Athletic Club, she became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior, joining the list of winners that includes Mickey Wright, Nancy Lopez, Inbee Park, Minjee Lee and Rose Zhang. The 2025 AJGA Girls’ Junior Player of the Year also won both the Girls’ Junior Invitational in South Carolina and the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey and earned low amateur honors in the CPKC Women’s Open with a T-20 performance last year. She won both the Nelly Invitational in Florida and the New Jersey Junior Girls’ Championship in 2024.

Age: 18

Hometown: Adelaide, Australia

Education: Louisiana State University (Commit)

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Age: 16

Hometown: San Diego

Education: Stanford University (Commit)

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Anna Fang

Anna Fang is making her first Championship start in 2026. The two-time junior AllAmerican and 2026 United States National Junior Team member recorded top-three finishes in both the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship and Rolex Tournament of Champions, reached the round of 16 in the U.S. Girls’ Junior and represented the United States in the Junior Ryder Cup last year. In 2024, she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior and represented her country in the Junior Solheim Cup. In 2018, she competed in the Girls 7-9 division of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

Age: 20

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

Education: Texas

A&M University

ANWA

Appearance: Fourth

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Cayetana Fernández GarcíaPoggio (Spain)

Cayetana Fernández GarcíaPoggio is making her fourth Championship start in 2026. She finished fourth in her Augusta National Women’s Amateur debut in 2023. The 2025 Honorable Mention AllAmerican won two events for Texas A&M and reached the round of 64 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland last year. She has twice represented Spain in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship and in 2023 in Abu Dhabi, she finished runner-up as an individual. Before beginning her collegiate career, she won both the Spanish Women’s Amateur and Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan and finished runnerup to Lottie Woad in the R&A Girls’ Amateur in 2022.

Age: 19

Hometown: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Education: University of South Carolina

ANWA

Appearance: Fourth

2025 ANWA Finish: T-4

Raegan Denton (Australia)

Raegan Denton is making her first Championship start in 2026. In January, she won the Women’s Australian Master of the Amateurs and finished T-4 in the Women’s Vic Open. Last year, she won four World Amateur Golf Ranking events, including the Australian Girls’ Amateur and Victorian Women’s Amateur. She also finished third in both the Asia-Pacific Girls’ Junior Championship in Hong Kong and Australian Women’s Amateur and represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore in 2025. In 2024, she won the Queensland Women’s Amateur and finished runner-up in the Australian Girls’ Amateur.

Eila Galitsky (Thailand)

Eila Galitsky is making her fourth Championship start in 2026. She finished inside the top 10 in each of the past two years and last April, she finished T-4 after shooting a final-round 66 at Augusta National that included five birdies and an eagle on No. 8. The 2025 First Team All-American also won two events for South Carolina, earned her second career Thai LPGA Tour victory, reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and represented the International team in the Arnold Palmer Cup last year. Before beginning her collegiate career, she won the Women’s Amateur AsiaPacific in Singapore and earned team gold medals for Thailand in both the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and Asian Games in China in 2023.

Age: 21

Hometown: Holmdel, N.J.

Education: Stanford University

ANWA

Appearance: Sixth

2025 ANWA

Finish: T-7

Megha Ganne

Megha Ganne is making her sixth Championship start in 2026. She has advanced to the final round at Augusta National in each of the past three years and finished inside the top 10 in both 2023 and 2025. Last August, she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Oregon to join the list of winners that includes Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs, Juli Inkster, Morgan Pressel, Lydia Ko and Rose Zhang. The three-time All-American also represented the United States in both the Arnold Palmer Cup and Women’s World Amateur Team Championship last year. She was a four-time Drive, Chip & Putt National Finalist at Augusta National Golf Club in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Age: 17

Hometown: Hyogo, Japan

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Ai Goto (Japan)

Ai Goto is making her first Championship start in 2026. She finished third in the Australian Women’s Amateur in February. Late last year, the Japan National Team member earned her first Step Up Tour professional win in the Sky Ladies ABC Cup in Japan in October and then won the Faldo Series European Grand Final in the United Arab Emirates in November. She also recorded top-10 performances in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in Vietnam, Kansai Women’s Amateur, Japan Girls’ Junior and Japan Women’s Amateur in 2025. In 2024, she finished sixth in the Japan Girls’ Junior Championship.

Age: 15

Hometown: Fukuoka, Japan

ANWA Appearance: First 2025 ANWA

DNP

Yurina Hiroyoshi (Japan)

Yurina Hiroyoshi is making her first Championship start in 2026. She finished T-6 in the Australian Women’s Amateur in February. Last year, the Japan National Team member won the Japan Girls’ Junior High School Spring Championship and recorded four top-15 finishes on the LPGA of Japan Tour, including a third-place performance in the Japan Women’s Open. She also finished inside the top 20 in both the Japan Women’s Amateur and Canadian Women’s Amateur in 2025. In 2024, she won the Girls 12-14 division of the Japan Junior Championship and finished third in the Kyushu Women’s Amateur and T-7 in a Step Up Tour event in Japan.

Age: 21

Hometown: New Albany, Ohio

Education: Ohio State University

ANWA Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: T-22

Kary Hollenbaugh

Kary Hollenbaugh is making her second Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round in her Augusta National Women’s Amateur debut in 2025. Also last year, the two-time All-American won four events for Ohio State, successfully defended her title in the South Atlantic Women’s Amateur in Florida, reached the round of 16 in both the Women’s Western Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open. In 2024, she finished third in the Women’s Patriot All-America Invitational and reached the round of 16 in the Women’s Western Amateur. Before beginning her collegiate career, she earned junior All-America honors and won three American Junior Golf Association events in 2021.

Age: 22

Hometown: Tainan City, Taiwan

Education: University of Texas

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Huai-Chien Hsu (Chinese Taipei)

Huai-Chien Hsu is making her second Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Honorable Mention AllAmerican won the Ladies National Golf Association Amateur in Washington, reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Western Amateur and the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur and represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore last year. In 2024, she reached the round of 16 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland and round of 32 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. In 2023, she was low individual in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Abu Dhabi. Other notable low individuals include Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Rose Zhang.

Age: 17

Hometown: Osaka, Japan

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Anna Iwanaga (Japan)

Anna Iwanaga is making her first Championship start in 2026. She finished runnerup in the Australian Women’s Amateur in February and third in the Women’s Australian Master of the Amateurs in January. Last year, the Japan National Team member won seven World Amateur Golf Ranking events, including the Girls 15-18 division of the Junior World Championships in San Diego and a professional title on the Step Up Tour in Japan. She also finished runner-up in the Japan Women’s Amateur and T-4 in the Canadian Women’s Amateur in 2025. In 2024, she finished runner-up in both the Japan Girls’ Junior Championship and the R&A Girls’ Junior Open in Scotland. She won the Girls 12-14 division of the Japan Junior Championship in 2023.

Age: 22

Hometown:

Okayama, Japan ANWA Appearance: Fourth

MC

Tsubasa Kajitani (Japan)

Tsubasa Kajitani is making her fourth Championship start in 2026. In 2021, she defeated Emilia Migliaccio in a playoff to become the Augusta National Women’s Amateur’s first international champion. Her victory was part of a historic year for golf in Japan with Hideki Matsuyama winning the Masters, Mone Inami winning the silver medal in the Olympics in Tokyo and Keita Nakajima winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship as the topranked amateur in the world. As the reigning champion in 2021, she made the cut in both the Amundi Evian Championship in France and Japan Women’s Open. She won the Japan Girls’ Junior Championship in 2019.

Age: 21

Hometown: Roznov pod Radhostem, Czech Republic

Education: Kent State University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Age: 16

Hometown: Busan, South Korea

Gyubeen Kim (Korea, ROK)

Gyubeen Kim is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last year, she won both the Song Am Cup in South Korea and the Pondok Indah Junior Championship in Indonesia. She also finished runner-up in the Maekyung Women’s Amateur, T-3 in the Dream Park Cup, T-4 in the Korean Girls’ Junior Championship, sixth in the National Sports Festival and T-10 in the Korean Women’s Amateur in 2025.

Age: 20

Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Education: University of Texas

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Veronika Kedronova (Czech Republic)

Veronika Kedronova is making her first Championship start in 2026. The Kent State University junior will join Sara Kouskova as the second golfer representing the Czech Republic to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Last year, she won both the Canadian Collegiate Invitational and Landfall Tradition and finished T-4 in the UAE Cup in the United Arab Emirates. In 2024, she won both the Red Raider Invitational and Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational and finished runner-up in the Czech International Women’s Amateur and T-19 in the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge on the LET Access Series. She represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in 2023 in Abu Dhabi and 2025 in Singapore.

Lauren

Kim

(Canada)

Lauren Kim is making her third Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Second Team All-American closed her 2024-2025 collegiate season with top-15 finishes in both the NCAA Division I Lubbock Regional and NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual Championship. She also represented Canada in both the Arnold Palmer Cup in South Carolina and the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore last year. In 2024, she won the Glencoe Invitational in Canada, finished fifth in the Canadian Women’s Amateur as defending champion and reached the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She earned junior All-America honors in both 2021 and 2023.

Age: 21

Hometown: Springdale, Ark.

Education: Oklahoma State University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Grace Kilcrease

Grace Kilcrease is making her first Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Honorable Mention AllAmerican closed her 20242025 season by recording top-five performances in both the Big 12 Women’s Conference Championship and NCAA Division I Gold Canyon Regional. She also finished runner-up in the Sea Island Women’s Amateur in Georgia and seventh in the Ladies National Golf Association Amateur in Washington last year. In 2024, she finished runnerup in the Missouri Women’s Amateur. Before beginning her collegiate career, she earned junior All-America honors in 2021.

Age: 19

Hometown: Los Angeles

Education: University of California, Irvine

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Katelyn Kong

Katelyn Kong is making her first Championship start in 2026. She started her second collegiate season with three top-10 finishes during the fall schedule, including T-4 in the Molly Collegiate Invitational. Last July, she won the California Women’s Amateur to join the list of winners that includes Amy Alcott, Patty Sheehan, Juli Inkster and Angel Yin. She also competed in the U.S. Women’s Open and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2025.

Age: 19

Hometown: Cerritos, Calif.

Education: University of Southern California

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: T-18

Jasmine Koo

Jasmine Koo is making her third Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round in each of the past two years. Last year, the 2025 First Team All-American represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup in South Carolina and reached the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Oregon and round of 32 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland. In 2024, she won the Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan, reached the semifinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior, finished T-13 in the Chevron Championship to earn low amateur honors and represented her country in the Curtis Cup in England. She earned junior All-America honors in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Age: 19

Hometown: Boca Raton, Fla.

Education: Wake Forest University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Chloe Kovelesky

Chloe Kovelesky is making her first Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Honorable Mention All-American started her second collegiate season by earning co-medalist honors in the Annika Intercollegiate and finishing runner-up in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup in September. She also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior last year. Before beginning her collegiate career, she won the Florida Women’s Amateur and recorded top-10 finishes in the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship, North and South Women’s Amateur and World Junior Girls Championship in 2023. In 2017, she finished runnerup in the Girls 10-11 division of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

Age: 21

Hometown: San Diego

Education: Northwestern University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Dianna Lee

Dianna Lee is making her first Championship start in 2026. She won the East Lake Cup last October and finished T-5 in the Puerto Rico Classic in February and T-6 in the Windy City Collegiate Classic in September. Last May, she made the winning putt for Northwestern to defeat Stanford in the final and secure her school’s first NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship title. She also finished T-3 in the Southern California Golf Association Women’s Amateur at Torrey Pines in 2025. Before beginning her collegiate career, she earned junior All-America honors in 2020.

Age: 20

Hometown: Irvine, Calif.

Education: University of Southern California

ANWA Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: T-14

Elise Lee is making her second Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round in her debut last year and her final-round 72 at Augusta National included birdies on Nos. 4 and 16. As a member of the University of Southern California Women’s Golf team, she started her second collegiate season by finishing fourth in the Annika Intercollegiate in September and T-6 in the East Lake Cup in October. Last May, she helped Northwestern University secure its first NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship title. She also reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Western Amateur in 2025. In 2024, she finished runnerup in the Women’s Western Amateur, T-4 in the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship and fifth in the Mizuho Americas Open.

Age: 18

Hometown: Hong Kong, China

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Arianna Lau (Hong Kong, China)

Arianna Lau is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, she finished T-6 in the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and round of 64 in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. In 2024, she won both the Girls 15-18 division of the Junior World Championships in San Diego and the Hong Kong Women’s Close Amateur and finished third in the World Junior Girls Championship in Canada. She won the Asia-Pacific Girls’ Junior Championship in both 2023 and 2024 and finished fourth in 2025 as the two-time defending champion.

Age: 21

Hometown: North Little Rock, Ark.

Education: Southern Methodist University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: T-11

Mackenzie Lee is making her second Championship start in 2026. Her Augusta National Women’s Amateur debut was highlighted by a hole-in-one on No. 6 in the first round at Champions Retreat and by birdies on Nos. 2, 7 and 15 in the final round at Augusta National. The three-time All-American won the North and South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina last June to join the list of winners that includes Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias, Morgan Pressel and Yani Tseng. Before beginning her collegiate career, she was a three-time junior All-American. In 2015, she competed in the Girls 10-11 division of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

Elise Lee

Mackenzie Lee

Age: 15

Hometown: Bejing, China

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Yujie Liu (China)

Yujie Liu is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last year, the three-time junior All-American earned her first career China LPGA Tour win with a five-stroke victory in the Guangdong Women’s Open. She also recorded top-10 finishes in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Vietnam, the Royal Junior in Japan, the U.S. Girls’ Junior, the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship and the China LPGA Tour Championship in 2025. In 2024, she recorded three top-10 performances on the China LPGA Tour, finished T-6 in the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and reached the round of 64 in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. She made the cut in the 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Singapore at the age of 12.

Age: 21

Hometown: Portland, Ore.

Education: Oregon State University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Kyra Ly

Kyra Ly is making her first Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Honorable Mention All-American started her fourth collegiate season with three top-four finishes in the fall schedule, including co-medalist honors in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Tennessee in October. Last summer, she won the Oregon Women’s Amateur for the second time in three years and reached the quarterfinals of the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur in Washington and round of 32 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Oregon. Her younger sister Kate finished runner-up in the Girls 10-11 division of the 2021 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

Age: 21

Hometown: Viborg, Denmark

Education: North Carolina State University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Marie Eline Madsen (Denmark)

Marie Eline Madsen is making her first Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Second Team All-American won the Cougar Classic and finished third in the Tar Heel Invitational and T-5 in the Inverness Intercollegiate during the fall schedule. She closed her first collegiate season by winning the NCAA Division I Charlottesville Regional last May. Also in 2025, she reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and represented Denmark in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore. In 2024, she reached the semifinals of the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland and finished T-6 in the European Ladies’ Amateur in Finland.

Age: 18

Hometown: Manila, Philippines

Education: Stanford University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Rianne Malixi (Philippines)

Rianne Malixi is making her second Championship start in 2026. She was unable to compete in the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Amateur due to a lower back injury. Earlier this year, the Duke University freshman earned her first collegiate win in the Sea Best Intercollegiate in Florida in January and finished T-3 in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in New Zealand in February. Last year, she finished runner-up as an individual in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore. In 2024, she became the first since Eun Jeong Seong in 2016 to win both the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur in the same year.

Age: 19

Hometown: Cali, Colombia

Education: University of Arkansas ANWA

Appearance: Fourth

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

María José Marín (Colombia)

María José Marín is making her fourth Championship start in 2026. The two-time First Team All-American started her third collegiate season with four top-four finishes in the fall schedule, including two runner-up performances. Last May, she joined Stacy Lewis and Maria Fassi as NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual champions for Arkansas. She also successfully defended her title in the South American Women’s Amateur in Chile, won the Women’s Amateur Latin America in Mexico, made the cut in both the U.S. Women’s Open and Amundi Evian Championship and was a member of her second consecutive International Arnold Palmer Cup team in 2025.

Age: 20

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

Education: Stanford University ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: T-18

Paula Martín Sampedro (Spain)

Paula Martín Sampedro is making her third Championship start in 2026. The two-time First Team AllAmerican won the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland last June to join the list of winners that includes Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs, Catriona Matthew, Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist and Leona Maguire. She also won the European Ladies’ Amateur in Germany, finished runnerup as an individual in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore and earned low amateur honors in the AIG Women’s Open in Wales with a T-8 performance in 2025. In her first collegiate season in 2024, she helped Stanford win the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship.

Age: 21

Hometown: Johns Creek, Ga.

Education: Vanderbilt University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Ava Merrill

Ava Merrill is making her first Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Honorable Mention All-American started her third collegiate season with runner-up finishes in the Mason Rudolph Championship and Ron Moore Intercollegiate in the fall schedule. She also won the Georgia Women’s Amateur, finished T-4 in the Ladies National Golf Association Amateur in Washington and reached match play in the North and South Women’s Amateur in North Carolina last year. Before beginning her collegiate career, she earned junior All-America honors in 2021 and finished runner-up in the Georgia PGA Girls’ Junior Championship in 2023.

Age: 20

Hometown: La Londe les Maures, France

Education: Texas Christian University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Age: 20

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Education: University of Texas

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: 10

Farah O’Keefe

Farah O’Keefe is making her third Championship start in 2026. She has advanced to the final round in each of the past two years and her final-round 69 at Augusta National in 2025 included birdies on Nos. 5, 8, 9, 13, 14 and 15. She won the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in California in February and had three fifthplace performances last fall. Also last year, the two-time All-American finished runnerup in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland, reached the round of 16 in the Women’s Western Amateur, made the cut in the U.S. Women’s Open and represented her country in both the Arnold Palmer Cup and Women’s World Amateur Team Championship.

Age: 21

Hometown: St. James, Barbados

Education: Southern Methodist University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Camille MinGaultier (France)

Camille Min-Gaultier is making her first Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Honorable Mention All-American has five top-10 finishes in her second collegiate season, including runnerup in the Collegiate Invitational at Guadalajara Country Club in Mexico in January and third in the Inverness Intercollegiate last September. She also reached the round of 16 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland in 2025. In 2024, she won the Italian Women’s Amateur, reached the round of 16 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland and finished T-12 in the Terre Blanche Ladies Open on the LET Access Series.

Age: 18

Hometown: Yamanashi, Japan

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Aira Nagasawa (Japan)

Aira Nagasawa is making her first Championship start. Last year, the Japan National Team member won the Annika Invitational Asia in Japan and finished T-3 in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Japan, T-4 in the Japan Women’s Amateur, T-10 in the Toyota Junior World Cup and T-11 in the Canadian Women’s Amateur. She also represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in 2025. In 2024, she won both the Japan Girls’ Junior Championship and Kanto Women’s Amateur. She won the Girls 12-14 division of the Japan Junior Championship in 2022.

Emily Odwin (Barbados)

Emily Odwin is making her first Championship start in 2026. Since November, the Southern Methodist University senior has finished second in both the 2025 Women’s Amateur Latin America in Mexico and 2026 South American Women’s Amateur in Argentina. Also last year, she finished runner-up in the Caribbean Women’s Amateur in Barbados and sixth in the Australian Women’s Amateur, reached the round of 64 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and became the first golfer from Barbados to compete in a major championship when she played in the U.S. Women’s Open. In November 2024, she finished runner-up in both the Southwest Airlines Showcase at Cedar Crest in Texas and Women’s Amateur Latin America in Peru.

Age: 17

Hometown: Torrance, Calif.

Education: Stanford University (Commit)

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Oh

Nikki Oh is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, the three-time junior AllAmerican and 2026 United States National Junior Team member won the AJGA’s Rolex Tournament of Champions, recorded top-10 finishes in the Girls’ Junior Invitational in South Carolina, Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey and Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan and reached the round of 64 in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. In 2024, she won the Arizona Women’s Amateur, recorded top-10 finishes in the Toyota Junior World Cup and World Junior Girls Championship in Canada and represented the United States in the Junior Solheim Cup. She reached the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2023.

Nikki

Age: 17

Hometown: Ansan, South Korea

ANWA

Appearance: Second

ANWA Finish: MC

Soomin Oh (Korea, ROK)

Soomin Oh is making her second Championship start in 2026. In February in New Zealand, the Korea National Team member finished runner-up in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific for the second consecutive year. In 2025, she successfully defended her title in both the Korean Women’s Amateur and Queen Sirikit Cup in Japan and finished runner-up in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore and T-3 in both the Girls’ Junior Invitational in South Carolina and Chinese Taipei Women’s Amateur. In 2024, her five World Amateur Golf Ranking wins included the World Junior Girls Championship in Canada and both the Korean Women’s Amateur and Korean Girls’ Junior.

Age: 21

Hometown: Linköping, Sweden

Education: Stanford University

ANWA

Appearance: Fifth

2025 ANWA Finish: T-14

Meja Örtengren (Sweden)

Meja Örtengren is making her fifth Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round and recorded top-15 performances at Augusta National in two of the past four years. The 2025 First Team All-American won a Ladies European Tour event in Sweden, finished T-6 in the European Ladies’ Amateur in Germany and represented her country in both the Arnold Palmer Cup in South Carolina and Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore last year. In 2024, she finished third in the European Ladies’ Amateur in Finland and reached the round of 16 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland.

Age: 20

Hometown: Irvine, Calif.

Education: University of Southern California

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: T-4

Age: 17

Hometown: Seoul, Korea

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Seojin Park (Korea, ROK)

Seojin Park is making her first Championship start in 2026. The Korea National Team member won the Maekyung Women’s Amateur and finished runner-up in the Royal Junior in Japan, the Asia-Pacific Girls’ Junior Championship in Hong Kong and the Korean Women’s Amateur last year. She also recorded top-seven performances in both the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Vietnam and the World Junior Girls Championship in Canada and represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore in 2025. In 2024, she finished runner-up in the Korean Girls’ Junior and T-7 in the Korean Women’s Amateur.

Age: 20

Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.

Education: Wake Forest University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Macy Pate

Macy Pate is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, she won the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, finished runner-up in the Canadian Women’s Amateur and represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup. In 2024, she earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in her first collegiate season, finished runner-up in both the North and South Women’s Amateur and the North Carolina Women’s Amateur and reached the semifinals of the Women’s Western Amateur. She earned junior All-America honors in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, she finished fifth in the Girls 14-15 division of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

Age: 17

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

Education: University of Oregon (Commit)

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Catherine Park

Catherine Park is making her third Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round in each of the past two years and her finalround 67 in 2025 at Augusta National included eagles on Nos. 8 and 13 and birdies on Nos. 5, 9, 15 and 16. The three-time All-American also finished T-5 in the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual Championship, reached the round of 32 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup in South Carolina and Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore last year. In 2024, she represented her country in both the Arnold Palmer Cup and Curtis Cup.

Prim Prachnakorn (Thailand)

Prim Prachnakorn is making her first Championship start in 2026. In February, she finished runner-up in the Indonesian Women’s Open. In 2025, she won eight World Amateur Golf Ranking events, including the individual gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and the Singapore Women’s Open Amateur. She also finished runner-up in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Japan and represented her country in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore last year. In 2024, she won the Finnish Women’s Amateur and finished runner-up in the Singapore Girls’ Junior, third in the Malaysian Women’s Amateur and T-4 in the R&A Girls’ Junior Open in Scotland.

Age: 23

Hometown: Leawood, Kan.

Education: University of Florida

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Megan Propeck

Megan Propeck is making her first Championship start in 2026. The University of Florida graduate student has four top-10 finishes this season, including a win in the University of Oklahoma Intercollegiate last fall. She also earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in her final season at Virginia, recorded top-five finishes in both the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual Championship and the Kansas Women’s Amateur and reached the round of 32 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland in 2025. She reached the round of 64 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland in 2024.

Age: 21

Hometown: Camarillo, Calif.

Education: Princeton University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Catherine Rao is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, the Princeton University senior reached the round of 32 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. In 2024, she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the round of 16 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland. In 2023, she reached the quarterfinals of both the Women’s Amateur Championship in England and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. In 2022, she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She earned junior All-America honors in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Age: 17

Hometown: Talloires, France

Education: University of Virginia (Commit)

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Lily Reitter (Germany)

Lily Reitter is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last August in Wales, she defeated Charlotte Naughton in the final, 4&2, to win the R&A Girls’ Amateur. She joined the list of winners that includes Suzann Pettersen, Azahara Munoz, Anna Nordqvist, Georgia Hall and Lottie Woad. Also in 2025, she won the French International Women’s Amateur and finished runner-up in the Italian International Girls’ Championship and T-7 in the Irish Women’s Open Stroke Play. In 2024, she won the French Under-21 International Women’s Amateur, finished T-9 in the Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden and represented her country in the Junior Solheim Cup in Virginia.

Age: 19

Hometown:

Madrid, Spain

Education: Stanford University

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA

Finish: T-4

Andrea Revuelta (Spain)

Andrea Revuelta is making her third Championship start in 2026. She won the Arizona Thunderbird Intercollegiate in February by four strokes. After finishing T-4 in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the 2025 First Team All-American closed her first collegiate season by winning both the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Championship and the NCAA Division I Norman Regional. She also finished third in the European Ladies’ Amateur in Germany and represented her country in both the Arnold Palmer Cup in South Carolina and the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore last year. In 2024, she won the Spanish Women’s Amateur and finished runner-up in the European Ladies’ Amateur in Finland and T-5 in the Ladies European Tour’s Spanish Women’s Open.

Age: 22

Hometown: Bath, England

Education: Arizona State University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Patience Rhodes (England)

Patience Rhodes is making her second Championship start in 2026. The 2025 Second Team All-American started her third collegiate season with three top-10 finishes in the fall schedule, including T-5 in the Stanford Intercollegiate. She also closed her second season with a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division I Gold Canyon Regional, reached the round of 64 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and represented England in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore last year. In 2024, she finished T-9 in the South American Women’s Amateur in Colombia and, with her older sister Mimi, was part of the winning Great Britain & Ireland team in the Curtis Cup in England.

Age: 19

Hometown: San Jose, Calif.

Education: University of Oregon

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: T-7

Kiara Romero is making her third Championship start in 2026. The two-time First Team All-American received the 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading female in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. She also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, finished T-7 in the LPGA Tour’s Standard Portland Classic and made the cut in both the U.S. Women’s Open and CPKC Women’s Open last year. She represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup in both 2024 and 2025. Before beginning her collegiate career, she won the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2023 and was a four-time junior All-American.

Catherine Rao

Kiara Romero

Age: 18

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

Education: Vanderbilt University ANWA Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Elizabeth Rudisill

Elizabeth Rudisill is making her first Championship start in 2026. She started her collegiate career with three top-10 finishes in the fall schedule, including a win in the Ron Moore Intercollegiate in Colorado. Earlier in 2025, she finished runner-up in the Women’s Western Amateur in Michigan and T-6 in the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship in Indiana. In 2024, the four-time junior All-American won the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, finished runner-up in the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship in Maryland, reached the round of 16 in the North and South Women’s Amateur and represented the United States in the Junior Solheim Cup.

Age: 20

Hometown: Raleigh,N.C.

Education: University of Virginia (Graduated)

ANWA

Appearance: Sixth

2025 ANWA Finish: T-18

Amanda Sambach is making her sixth Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round at Augusta National and finished inside the top 20 in each of the past three years. The fourtime All-American concluded her collegiate career by finishing runner-up in the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Championship and helping her team reach match play in the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships. In both 2023 and 2024, she reached the round of 64 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur and represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup. She also earned junior All-America honors in 2019 and 2020, represented her country in the 2019 Junior Solheim Cup and won the 2020 North and South Girls’ Junior.

Age: 21

Hometown: Dade City, Fla.

Education: University of Southern California

ANWA

Appearance: Fifth

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Bailey Shoemaker

Bailey Shoemaker is making her fifth Championship start in 2026. In the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, she closed with a final-round 66 at Augusta National Golf Club to finish runner-up and one stroke behind Lottie Woad. Later that same year, she reached the round of 32 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Ireland and the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She also reached match play in both of those championships in 2023. Before beginning her collegiate career, she was a three-time junior AllAmerican and reached the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur. In 2018, she finished runner-up in the Girls 12-13 division of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National.

Age: 22

Hometown: Hobe Sound, Fla.

Education: Duke University

ANWA Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Andie Smith is making her second Championship start in 2026. She missed the cut in her Augusta National Women’s Amateur debut by one stroke. The 2025 Honorable Mention All-American has three top-10 finishes this season, including T-4 in the Tar Heel Invitational last fall. She also competed in the U.S. Women’s Open and reached the round of 32 in the Women’s Amateur Championship in Scotland and the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year. In 2024, she reached the quarterfinals of the North and South Women’s Amateur and recorded top10 finishes in both the Sea Island Women’s Amateur and the Florida Women’s Amateur.

Age: 19

Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.

Education: University of Miami

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: T-25

Scarlett Schremmer

Scarlett Schremmer is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, the three-time junior All-American won the Alabama Women’s Amateur and finished runner-up in the South American Women’s Amateur in Chile, fifth in the Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan and seventh in the Nelly Invitational in Florida. In 2024, she won the Dye Junior Invitational, finished runner-up in the AJGA’s Rolex Tournament of Champions, reached the round of 16 in both the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur and represented the United States in the Junior Solheim Cup.

Age: 17

Hometown: Muangloei, Thailand

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: T-18

Achiraya Sriwong (Thailand)

Achiraya Sriwong is making her second Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round in her Augusta National Women’s Amateur debut in 2025 and shot a final-round 72 at Augusta National. Also last year, she won a Thai LPGA Tour event, recorded top-15 finishes in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Vietnam and the Queen Sirikit Cup in Japan and reached the round of 32 in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. In 2024, she won five World Amateur Golf Ranking events, including the Thailand Women’s Amateur Open that September, and finished runner-up in the Southeast Asian Amateur Team Championship in Singapore and third in the Women’s Amateur AsiaPacific in Thailand.

Amanda Sambach

Andie Smith

Age: 23

Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa

Education: University of North Carolina

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Megan Streicher (South Africa)

Megan Streicher is making her second Championship start in 2026. Last year, she finished runner-up in the Sea Island Women’s Amateur and reached the round of 16 in both the North and South Women’s Amateur and the Women’s Western Amateur. In 2024, she won the Carolinas Women’s Amateur and reached the quarterfinals of the North and South Women’s Amateur and the round of 64 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She represented South Africa in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in 2023 and 2025. Before beginning her collegiate career, she won the South African Women’s Stroke Play and finished runner-up in the South African Women’s Amateur in 2021.

Age: 16

Hometown: Chowchilla, Calif.

Education: Stanford University (Commit)

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: Second

Asterisk Talley

Asterisk Talley is making her third Championship start in 2026. She finished inside the top 10 in each of the past two years and last April, she closed with a final-round 68 at Augusta National Golf Club to finish runner-up and one stroke behind Carla Bernat Escuder. Last year, the four-time junior AllAmerican and 2026 United States National Junior Team member won the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship in Indiana to join the list of winners that includes Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Rose Zhang and Anna Davis. Since 2024, she has represented the United States in the Curtis Cup, the Junior Solheim Cup and the Junior Ryder Cup. In 2018 and 2022, she finished inside the top five in her age division in the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National.

Age: 19

Hometown: Queretaro, Mexico

Education: University of Arizona

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Clarisa Temelo (Mexico)

Clarisa Temelo is making her first Championship start in 2026. In January, the University of Arizona sophomore won the Mexican Women’s Amateur. In her first collegiate season with the University of Arkansas, she earned Honorable Mention All-America honors and had five top-10 finishes, including runner-up in the NCAA Division I Columbus Regional and third in the Puerto Rico Classic last year. In 2024, she won the Women’s Amateur Latin America in Peru by six strokes over Emily Odwin and competed in both the Chevron Championship and Amundi Evian Championship in 2025 as the reigning champion. She also represented Mexico in the 2022 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in France.

Age: 21

Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.

Education: University of Oregon ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Karen Tsuru is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last year, the 2025 Honorable Mention All-American earned co-medalist honors in the Juli Inkster Invitational and finished fourth in the Alice and John Wallace Classic and T-6 in the Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate Invitational. In each of the past two years, she helped her school reach the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship. Before beginning her collegiate career, she earned junior All-America honors in 2021 after reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the round of 64 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Age: 19

Hometown: Castellón, Spain

Education: Louisiana State University

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Rocío Tejedo (Spain)

Rocío Tejedo is making her third Championship start in 2026. Last year, the 2025 Second Team All-American finished runner-up in the Southeastern Conference Women’s Championship in her first collegiate season. In 2024, she reached the round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. In 2023, she won five World Amateur Golf Ranking events, including both the Portuguese Women’s Amateur and German Girls’ Open. She also reached the quarterfinals of the R&A Girls’ Amateur and represented her country in both the Junior Solheim Cup and the Junior Ryder Cup that year.

Age: 20

Hometown: Ocean Springs, Miss.

Education: Mississippi State University

ANWA

Appearance: Second

2025 ANWA Finish: MC

Avery Weed

Avery Weed is making her second Championship start in 2026. She has five topfour finishes this season for Mississippi State, including a win in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational last fall and runner-up in the UCF Challenge in January. The 2025 Honorable Mention All-American also finished T-10 in the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual Championship and reached the round of 32 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year. In 2024, she won twice in the fall schedule for Mississippi State and reached the round of 16 in the North and South Women’s Amateur. She won the Mississippi Women’s Amateur in 2023.

Karen Tsuru

Age: 21

Hometown: Claremont, Calif.

Education: Stanford University

ANWA

Appearance: Third

2025 ANWA

Finish: T-16

Kelly Xu

Kelly Xu is making her third Championship start in 2026. She advanced to the final round in 2025 and her final-round 71 at Augusta National Golf Club included birdies on Nos. 8, 9, 13 and 18. The two-time All-American also finished third in the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual Championship and represented the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup last year. In 2024, she helped Stanford University win the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Before becoming a four-time junior All-American, she competed in each of the first two editions of the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National and was the inaugural Girls 7-9 champion in 2014.

Age: 17

Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fla.

Education: Wake Forest University (Commit)

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Amelie Zalsman

Amelie Zalsman is making her first Championship start in 2026. She won the South Atlantic Women’s Amateur in Florida in January. Last year, the three-time junior All-American and 2026 United States National Junior Team member won the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, reached the semifinals of the North and South Women’s Amateur and represented the United States in the Junior Ryder Cup. She also reached the round of 64 in both the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2025. In 2024, she won the Rolex Tournament of Champions, reached the round of 32 in the U.S. Girls’ Junior and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open. Her victories in 2023 included the Arnold Palmer Invitational Junior.

Age: 18

Hometown: Incheon, South Korea

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Yunseo Yang (Korea, ROK)

Yunseo Yang is making her first Championship start in 2026. In February in New Zealand, she won the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific by eight strokes in wire-to-wire fashion to become Korea’s first champion. Late last year, the Korea National Team member won the National Sports Festival in South Korea, Malaysian Women’s Amateur Open and UAE Cup. She also finished runner-up in the Korean Women’s Amateur, T-4 in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Vietnam, T-6 in the Korean Girls’ Junior and eighth in both the Asia-Pacific Girls’ Junior Championship in Hong Kong and the World Junior Girls Championship in Canada in 2025.

Age: 21

Hometown: Diamond Bar, Calif.

Education: Northwestern University

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Age: 22

Hometown: Springfield, Mo.

Education: University of Arkansas

ANWA

Appearance: First

2025 ANWA Finish: DNP

Reagan Zibilski is making her first Championship start in 2026. She started her fourth collegiate season with four top-six finishes in the fall schedule, including runner-up in the Ally. Also last year, the 2025 Honorable Mention All-American won both the Women’s Patriot All-America in Arizona and the Missouri Women’s Amateur and reached the round of 64 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. In 2024, she had three top-five finishes in the fall schedule, finished runner-up in the Missouri Women’s Amateur and seventh in the Ladies National Golf Association Amateur in Arkansas and reached the round of 64 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Before beginning her collegiate career, she earned junior AllAmerica honors in 2020.

Ashley Yun

Ashley Yun is making her first Championship start in 2026. Last May, the 2025 Honorable Mention All-American finished runner-up in the NCAA Division I Norman Regional and helped Northwestern University secure its first NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship title. She also reached the quarterfinals of the California Women’s Amateur and the round of 16 in the Southern California Women’s Match Play last year. In 2024, she earned her first individual win for Northwestern in the St Andrews Links Collegiate. Before beginning her collegiate career, she was a three-time junior AllAmerican.

Reagan Zibilski

2026

By Joe VanHoose

The hottest golfers in the professional ranks. The most accomplished players in the game today. The field for this year’s Masters is rich in talent, skill and legacy, with several players chasing their own piece of history. Will Scottie Scheffler continue his domination of professional golf? Will Bryson DeChambeau or newcomer Chris Gotterup overpower Augusta National Golf Club? Can Rory McIlroy capture a second Green Jacket? During the first week in April, nestled between the Southern pines and blooming azaleas, one of these players might just be ready to lay claim to the title of Masters Champion.

Official World Golf Rankings as of February 17, 2026

Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

RORY MCILROY

Who had a better 2025 than Rory McIlroy? The 36-yearold from Northern Ireland won the 2025 Masters Tournament to complete his Grand Slam, and he added wins at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and THE PLAYERS Championship for good measure. He crested more than $100 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour, won his seventh season-long Race To Dubai crown, and helped lead the Europeans to another Ryder Cup victory over the USA in the fall. What else is there for McIlroy to accomplish? How about hosting his first Champions Dinner on Tuesday night and putting the Green Jacket on himself Sunday evening?

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

Meeting the needs of patrons since 1998

Experience is our tradition

Experience is our tradition

Operated by Augusta Native, Stacey Hayden

Operated by Augusta Native, Stacey Hayden

Operated by Augusta Native, Stacey Hayden

Operated by Augusta Native, Stacey Hayden Greenway

Operated by Augusta Native, Stacey Hayden

Stacey@tournamenthousing.net

Stacey@tournamenthousing.net

Stacey@tournamenthousing.net

Stacey@tournamenthousing.net

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

TOFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

he answer (to the question of who had a better year than Rory McIlroy) might be Scottie Scheffler. He backed up his historic 2024 season with six more tournament wins in 2025, including the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. Even when the No. 1 golfer in the world wasn’t hoisting a trophy, he was still in the mix, making the cut in every tournament he played and finishing in the top 10 (17 times in 20 starts). He finished fourth in the 2025 Masters Tournament, giving him an average finish of seventh in five starts. The 2022 and 2024 Masters champ is sure to be a favorite at Augusta National Golf Club once again. 2022 Masters

LUDVIG ÅBERG

IOFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

Augusta, hoping his third Masters

n just two starts at Augusta National Golf Club, Ludvig Åberg has recorded a pair of top-10 finishes, including a runner-up effort to Scheffler in 2024. In 2025, Åberg won The Genesis Invitational and recorded six top-10 finishes, vaulting him inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings. He was also a member of the winning European Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black Golf Course in New York. The 26-yearold Swede now sets his sights on Augusta, hoping his third Masters Tournament will hold the charm to securing his first Green Jacket.

TBRYSON DECHAMBEAU

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

he question at the beginning of 2026 for Bryson DeChambeau was whether he would return to the PGA Tour or continue to play on the LIV Golf Tour breakaway series. Regardless of which tour he calls home, Augusta National Golf Club is becoming a comfortable place for the California native. He backed up his sixth-place finish in 2024 with a top five in 2025, one of three top-10 finishes he scored in golf’s Majors last year. The 32-yearold has become one of the biggest stars in YouTube golf, and the twotime U.S. Open champion would love to win his first Masters Tournament, no matter where he plays next.

Augusta National Golf Club is becoming

TOMMY FLEETWOOD

Tommy Fleetwood no longer has to answer the question of when he’ll win his first PGA Tour tournament — he scored his breakthrough victory in the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta at the end of the 2025 season. Now, the question is: Can he win a Major? The Masters Tournament would seem to be one of his best chances, as the Englishman has played well in his last five Masters starts. Third in the Official World Golf Rankings, Fleetwood is more of a favorite than a Cinderella story. But there’s a reason the pros say the first Major win is the toughest.

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

XANDER SCHAUFFELE

ABut Schauffele enters the 2026 season

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

fter breaking through with his first two Major wins in 2024, Xander Schauffele played through a disappointing 2025 season, hampered by a nagging rib injury that ultimately left him out of the FedExCup standings for the first time in his career. But Schauffele enters the 2026 season healthy, still sitting at No. 13 in the Official World Golf Rankings, and ready to resume his winning ways. Vying for his first Green Jacket, Schauffele brings three straight top-10 finishes in Augusta to the 2026 Masters Tournament. As the Masters runnerup in 2019, Schauffele should be in contention once again this April.

CHRIS GOTTERUP

COFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

cuts and finished third in his first Open

real shot at a Major title in his first

hris Gotterup made himself the story of the first few weeks of the 2026 PGA Tour season, claiming wins at the Sony Open and the WM Phoenix Open. The 26-yearold Marylander quickly ascended to the top of the FedExCup points and up to seventh in the Official World Golf Rankings after his Phoenix win. In four Major starts, Gotterup has made three cuts and finished third in his first Open Championship last summer. Now he sets his sights on Augusta with a real shot at a Major title in his first Masters appearance.

Chris Gotterup on X

By Johnathan McGinty

Everyone loves an underdog, and there have been plenty of golfers who teed it up at Augusta National Golf Club that weren’t given much initial thought. However, as they made the final turn to the back nine on a Sunday afternoon, with the crowd swelling behind them, these scrappy dark horse contenders made believers out of all of us. Of course, if you’ve made it to the Masters, you’ve already established yourself as one of the best in the game. Could any of these talented golfers get the breakthrough they’re looking for this year?

Official World Golf Rankings as of February 17, 2026

Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

35 Corey Conners

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

It’s been 23 years since Mike Weir became the first Canadian to win the Masters, and Corey Conners wants to be the second Canuck to do it. Conners has carded three top-10 finishes at the Masters in the last five years, including an eighth-place result in 2025. He ended the 2025 PGA Tour season with three top-10 finishes, including fourth at the TOUR Championship. Keep an eye out for Conners to be in the running over the weekend.

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

As successful as Harris English has been on the PGA Tour over the last several seasons, he is still searching for his first Major win. In 2025, he came closer than ever. The Valdosta native and University of Georgia alumnus finished second to Scottie Scheffler in both the PGA Championship and The Open Championship last year, two of four top-10 finishes that also included a win at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. English has made three straight cuts at Augusta National Golf Club and finished 12th in the Masters Tournament last year.

11 Ben Griffin

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

No golfer has won the Masters in his first start since the late Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, but Ben Griffin has a real chance to break the rookie drought this year. In his second full season on the 2025 PGA Tour, Griffin won three tournaments and tallied 12 top-10 finishes. The North Carolina native is now eleventh in the Official World Golf Rankings and has his sights on winning his first Major championship — the Masters is his first shot in 2026.

22 Cameron Young

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

Cameron Young enjoyed a standout year in 2025, earning his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham Championship and finishing fourth at the U.S. Open. His time at Augusta National Golf Club has been feast or famine — he’s recorded two top-10 finishes and missed the cut twice, one of them being last year. Still, the native New Yorker is one of the best putters in the game, and it never hurts to have the flatstick working around the National. If he can tidy up his approach game (he was 129th on the PGA Tour last season), he could be in contention for his first Major win.

257 Brooks Koepka

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

Brooks Koepka made big headlines in January as he announced his return to the PGA Tour after a few years playing in the LIV Golf league. The big question is which Brooks Koepka is playing this year: the fivetime Major winner or the guy who missed the cut in three Majors (including the Masters) in 2025. Does Koepka still have the chops to regain his spot among the best in the game? This year will go a long way to finding out, and the Masters Tournament will be his biggest test to date.

J.J. Spaun

8

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

After grinding in professional golf for more than a decade, J.J. Spaun seemingly came out of nowhere to win the U.S. Open in 2025. The Major victory vaulted him into the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings and earned him a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Now, what can the Californian do for an encore in 2026? He’s only played in two Masters Tournaments, finishing 50th last year and 23rd in 2022. But as a Major winner now, what other accomplishments might he achieve in Augusta?

By Aimee

Masters 2026

Iwant to next say quite frankly, that, if our finished work is favorably received, it will in part be due to the excellent material at our disposal. We had plenty of land, towering pine forests, a large variety of other trees, beautiful shrubbery, streams of water, a mildly rolling terrain of great variety, a rich soil for growing good fairway grass and a naturally beautiful setting from an architectural standpoint.

— Alister MacKenzie, Augusta National Golf Club course architect.

Information based on sources as of February 17, 2026: masters.com, golf.com., golfcompendium.com, The Augusta Chronicle, golfmonthly.com, golfdigest.com.

Tea Olive

Par 4 • 445 yards

In 1934, the nines were reversed, making this hole No. 10. At that time, it was named after Georgia’s state flower, the Cherokee Rose.

Par 5 • 585 yards Longest hole

Phil Mickelson holds the lowest cumulative score on this hole during a single tournament with a 6-underpar (14 strokes total) in 2017.

Pink Dogwood

Serafin • Golf hole digital illustrations courtesy of masters.com.

Flower illustrations by Jennifer & Joann Keller

Flowering Peach Flowering Crab Apple

Par 4 • 350 yards

Shortest par 4

In 2022, Scottie Scheffler chipped in a significant 29yard birdie on No. 3, restoring his lead in the tournament.

Par 3 • 240 yards

Hole No. 4’s green slopes back to front and its flowering crab apple trees bloom from late March to early April.

Par 4 • 495 yards Magnolia

Inspired by the legendary Road Hole at the Old Course at St. Andrews, No. 5 was lengthened by 40 yards in 2019, increasing its difficulty.

Juniper

Par 3 • 180 yards

One of the greatest spills happened here in 1997 when golf legend Arnold Palmer had a quadruple bogey.

Pampas

Par 4 • 450 yards Five bunkers

In 1938, changes to the green were paid for by a club member and done with a tractor borrowed from the county.

Yellow Jasmine 7 8

Par 5 • 570 yards

Changes to this hole in 2002 reshaped and nearly doubled the size of the fairway bunker.

9

Carolina

Cherry

Par 4 • 460 yards

Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 iconic comeback victory, earning him his sixth Green Jacket at age 46, started with his birdie on No. 9.

10

Camellia

Par 4 • 495 yards Difficulty ranking

“MacKenzie’s Bunker,” named after the course architect Alister MacKenzie, exemplifies his vision for natural and visually intimidating hazards on the course.

Par 4 • 520 yards Start of Amen Corner

Par 3 • 155 yards

The term “Amen Corner” was first used by American sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind in the April 1958 edition of Sports Illustrated

No. 12 consistently ranks as one the toughest holes with only three holes-in-one in Masters history, the most recent by Curtis Strange in 1988.

Azalea

Par 5 • 545 yards

Part of the famous trio that comprises Amen Corner, No. 13 is flanked by approximately 1,600 azaleas.

Chinese Fir

Par 4 • 440 yards No bunkers

Horton Smith, the inaugural Masters winner, chipped in from 50 feet on this hole in 1936.

Firethorn

Par 5 • 550 yards

Staggering shifts on No. in

Staggering shifts on No. 15 include Sergio García’s octuple-bogey in 2018, where multiple balls found the water.

In 2011, Charl Schwartzel became one of only four players to have back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 and go on to win the Masters.

Redbud

Par 3 • 170 yards

Water hazard

Memorable moments at No. 16 include the dramatic pause of the ball on the lip of the cup before dropping in for Tiger Woods’ birdie in 2005.

Par 4 • 465 yards

finishes Holly

Several players have won the Masters with a birdie on No. 18 including Art Wall (1959), Arnold Palmer (1960), Gary Player (1978), Sandy Lyle (1988), Mark O’Meara (1998) and Phil Mickelson (2004).

Famous

Par 4 • 440 yards

Nandina

IRISH EYES are SMILING 2025

By Johnathan McGinty

Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

RORY MCILORY

Nearly 11 years. More than 40 Major tournaments. Countless close calls.

And what must have felt like a lifetime of heartache.

For Rory McIlroy, all of that was dispatched on a Sunday afternoon for the ages in Augusta. For more than a decade, McIlroy had been chasing an elusive Green Jacket with a victory at hallowed Augusta National Golf Club to secure his spot among the game’s greats by completing golf’s Grand Slam.

After starting his career by stacking up Major championships, winning four from 2011 through 2014, McIlroy had come tantalizingly close to adding more trophies to his mantle. He faltered in the final round

several times, finishing in the top 10 of 20 Majors between wins with four top-three finishes in the previous three years.

For all of his accolades heading into Augusta last spring — 28 PGA Tour wins, six Race to Dubai titles and five victories in the Ryder Cup as part of Team Europe — joining golf’s most prestigious club as Masters Champion remained out of reach.

With one redemptive putt in the fading Georgia daylight, any heartbreaks from earlier close calls were washed away, cementing McIlroy’s name among the game’s greats.

THURSDAY

| DAY 1

Beautiful spring weather, typical for an April outing in Georgia, greeted the world’s best golfers, as warm temperatures and light winds enabled several players to go low in the opening round. Making his 20th start at the Masters, Justin Rose opened play with three birdies en route to an opening round of 7-under 65 to give him a three-shot lead over a trio of talented players, including defending champion and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

It was the fifth time Rose led the tournament after the opening record, establishing a new tournament record for the Englishman. Along with Scheffler at 4-under, Corey Conners and Ludvig Åberg both fired 68s to be within striking distance of Rose heading into the second round.

Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters Champion, provided the highlight of the day when he holed out with a 6-hybrid from 191 yards out for an eagle. It was en route to a 1-under 71, making him the second-oldest player in tournament history to shoot under par.

JUSTIN ROSE

TOP PHOTO: GARY PLAYER, FRED S. RIDLEY, JACK NICKLAUS AND TOM WATSON WITH THEIR CADDIES

FRIDAY | DAY 2

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

Gusty winds and falling temperatures made for a more challenging Augusta National on Friday, though perhaps the conditions made McIlroy feel right at home. He overpowered the back nine in the second round, recording an eagle at the 13th hole to go along with three other birdies after the turn to wind up 6-under for the tournament.

That put him just behind Rose, who finished the second round at 8-under, and Bryson DeChambeau at 7-under. With the cut at 2-over, 53 players advanced to the weekend, though no amateurs made it, nor did two-time champion Bernhard Langer, who enjoyed a standing ovation at the 18th hole as he completed play in his final Masters.

JON RAHM

BERNHARD LANGER

BROOKS KOEPKA

SATURDAY | DAY 3

If Friday enabled McIlroy to play himself back into contention, Saturday positioned him to lay claim to his first Green Jacket.

He made his move to take the lead early in his round, tallying six consecutive threes on the first six holes — the first time that had ever been done in Masters history. Cool and collected, McIlroy navigated Augusta National flawlessly en route to a second straight 6-under 66 to open up a twoshot lead heading into the final round.

Right behind him was DeChambeau, who had bested McIlroy in a thrilling U.S. Open the previous year after chasing him down across the final holes at Pinehurst No. 2. A steady 69 set up the LIV Golf star right behind his European rival, opening the door to a replay of their duel from 2024.

RORY MCILROY

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

SHANE LOWRY

JUSTIN ROSE

SUNDAY | DAY 4

Entering the fi nal round at Augusta, golf fans everywhere had to believe that destiny was on McIlroy’s side.

Well, if that was the case, it sure seemed like destiny entertained the thought of aligning with someone else once or twice during one of the most thrilling and suspenseful fi nal rounds in Masters history.

McIlroy double-bogeyed the opening hole and then watched DeChambeau make birdie at the second, erasing his lead and leaving him once again looking up at the leaderboard. However,

unlike years past in which such a stumble might have wobbled him, McIlroy maintained his focus. He bounced back with birdies at the third and fourth holes, saved par after errant tee shots at the fi fth and seventh holes, and then rolled in birdies at the ninth and 10th holes.

Ahead of McIlroy on the course, Rose was methodically dissecting Augusta National’s back nine. After starting the day seven shots back of the lead, Rose poured in three straight birdies across Amen Corner to pull into second place, three off McIlroy’s 13-under.

Then, at the par-5 13th, McIlroy opted to lay up on his second shot rather than go for the green in two. It was a remarkably safe play, one that most assuredly would set him up for a harmless par.

However, what good would that story be in hindsight? McIlroy shanked his third shot, plunking it into the water on his way to his second double bogey of the day. Another bogey at the 14th followed, setting up a see-saw battle between two of Europe’s most talented golfers, both with their own demons to exorcise.

Trailing Rose by a shot while sitting in the fairway at the par-5 15th, McIlroy delivered one of the most iconic moments of the day, hooking a brilliant 7-iron approach around the trees to six feet. A two-putt birdie would follow, tying McIlroy with Rose at 11-under. At the 17th, McIlroy hit a towering shot from

RORY MCILORY

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

JUSTIN ROSE

RORY MCILORY

the fairway to three feet, converting the tap-in for a birdie to take a one-shot lead heading to the 18th.

Surely, it was time for McIlroy to put to rest the ghosts that had haunted him for the past decade, right? Not quite.

After putting his approach into the greenside bunker, McIlroy missed a short par putt that would have won the tournament and instead settled for a sudden-death playoff with Rose. The patrons, who crowded the 18th in Augusta hoping to see history made, would have to wait.

Heading back to the tee at No. 18, McIlroy’s caddy, Harry Diamond, reminded him that on Thursday, after shooting a hohum, even par 72, he would have loved the opportunity to be in a playoff on Sunday evening in Augusta with the Masters on the line.

The reframe of the moment seemingly calmed McIlroy, who laced his drive to the center of the fairway and stuck his approach shot to roughly three feet for birdie. With Rose missing a birdie putt, the Northern Irishman settled over his putt, pulled back the putter and watched the ball nestle into the hole.

What followed was an emotional celebration that McIlroy — and golf fans around the globe — had longed for, as he collapsed to his knees in tears surrounded by cheering patrons.

The wait was over. Rory McIlroy was Masters Champion.

Finally.

RORY MCILORY

JUSTIN ROSE AND RORY MCILORY

LAST at

LAST

By David Westin

There’s only a few tables in the players’ locker room dining area on the first floor of the Augusta National Golf Club’s clubhouse. Most of them aren’t used. At one of them, though, you’ll often find Irish compatriots Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry chatting during breaks from their Masters Tournament practice rounds.

Above: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 18 tee during the first round of the Masters.

Prior to the 2026 Masters, the main topic of conversion had been the same for more than a decade — McIlroy’s quest to win the Masters Tournament, which would complete the career Grand Slam of golf (winning all four Major championships) for the game’s most popular player.

Before McIlroy won the 2025 Masters on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff with Justin Rose, he had gone 11 years holding three legs of golf’s Grand Slam, needing the Masters to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods on pro golf’s Mount Rushmore.

It’s such a rare feat that Woods had been the last to do it, in 2000. McIlroy is the first European to accomplish the feat.

Recalling those locker room conversations, Lowry said, “It’s all he thinks about,” referring to McIlroy’s quest to win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam. “It’s all he

talks about. He always said to me he’d retire a happy man if he won the Green Jacket. I told [McIlroy’s wife] Erica he can retire now.”

“I think, for him, it’s been everything,” said Lowry. “You know, he might not have wanted to say that, but it’s genuinely been everything for him over the last 10 years.”

McIlroy, who was 35 when he won the 89th Masters, isn’t going anywhere. He now has five Major championships and is at the peak of his powers as a golfer.

“I’m more of a let’s focus — it’s done, it’s wonderful, I’m happy that it’s over in a way, but I want to move on, and I’ve got more goals and there’s more things I want to try to accomplish and achieve,” McIlroy said in mid-February.

“I keep saying to him, no matter what he does now, it doesn’t matter,” Lowry said. “I’m sure he doesn’t think like that. I’m sure he’s very driven to win more.”

Woods, the five-time Masters Champion

who didn’t play in the 2025 Masters because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, had said for years that McIlroy would win the Masters one day. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson all said the same thing before the first round of the 2025 Masters.

The thought that it could happen in 2025 wasn’t farfetched — McIlroy was playing some of his best golf, having already won at Pebble Beach and at THE PLAYERS Championship. He also tied for fifth in his previous start, in Houston two weeks prior.

“It’s tough,” McIlroy said. “You know, you’ve had Jack, Gary, Tom, Tiger, you name it, come through here, and all say that I’ll win the Masters one day. That’s a hard load to carry, especially — it is. It really is. You know, these are idols of mine, and it’s — look, it’s very flattering that they all come up here and they believe in me and they believe in my abilities to be able to win this tournament and, you know, achieve the Grand Slam and all that. But it doesn’t help, you know,” he said with a laugh.

“It’s very difficult,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve carried that burden since August 2014 [when he had won his last Major championship]. It’s nearly 11 years. And it’s not just about winning my next Major, but the career Grand Slam. You know, trying to join a group of five players to do it, you know, watching a lot of my peers get Green Jackets in the process.”

After McIlroy won at Augusta National, Woods congratulated him on X, saying, “Welcome to the club. Completing the Grand Slam at Augusta is something special. Your

determination during the round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re part of history. Proud of you!”

However, early in the week, there were signs that the “missing Masters” conversation was wearing on the normally affable McIlroy. His Tuesday pre-tournament news conferences, always a highlight with his honesty and giveand-take with reporters, had turned more serious and shorter in recent years. That’s because the No. 1 topic continued to be: Why hasn’t arguably the greatest player of his generation (29 PGA Tour wins through 2025 and 20 DP World Tour victories) won the Masters?

Some years he’s been expansive in his answer. In 2025, he labeled it “noise” and was ready to move on to the next query.

That “when will you win” question was put to rest after he shot 72-66-66-73 to finish at 11-under 277 at Augusta National in 2025 and win a record $4.2 million.

“I’d like to start this press conference with a question myself,” McIlroy said when he reached the interview room of the Press Building after his victory. “What are we all going to talk about next year?”

It will probably be about how he overcame what he termed a “roller coaster” final round that included two double bogeys to be the last man standing, as he called it.

When it was over, McIlroy didn’t stand for long. He threw his putter over his head and knelt on the 18th green, sobbing. He then got up and exchanged a heartfelt hug with childhood friend and caddie Harry Diamond.

Below: Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau walk across the Hogan Bridge at No. 12 during the final round of the Masters.

Above: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 12 tee during the final round of the Masters.

“That was at least 11 years, maybe 14 years of pent-up emotion,” McIlroy said, referring to the 2011 Masters where he led by four shots after three rounds, shot 80 and tied for 15th place.

“It’s been 14 long years, but I got the job done.”

In 2011, McIlroy led the final round by four shots after nine holes, then made triple bogey on No. 10 enroute to 7-over-par 43 on the back nine. Nicknamed ‘the Boy Wonder’ at the time, he was just 21.

It looked like he was going down the same road in 2025. He led by two shots at the start of the day, was four ahead after 10 holes and three up going to the par-5 13th hole. That’s where he made his second double bogey of the day. Minutes later, he was tied with Rose, who made birdie on No. 16.

On No. 13, a par 5 that is considered a birdie hole, McIlroy elected to lay up short of the tributary to Rae’s Creek instead of going for the green in two shots as he normally does. He then

hit his third shot into the water fronting the right side of the green despite having plenty of room to the left side of the green. The pin was cut on the right side.

What was McIlroy thinking?

“Play smart, more so than defensive,” he recalled. “Let’s take a big number out of play is what I was thinking. So, I usually hit driver off the tee; I hit 3-wood just to get it in play. Then I hit a good layup with an 8-iron, and I left myself a pretty good number. But when I got down there, it had settled. There are like these drainages, and it was up the upslope of one of those. And usually when hitting wedge shots off an upslope, with the loft of the club, the ball comes off left. So, I was trying to guard against that a little bit, so I gave myself maybe a yard or so for margin of error on the right side of the pin. I got ahead of it and made a bad swing. My dad said to me afterward, ‘You had all of Georgia on your left.’”

Simon Bruty/Augusta National

The shot brought back some bad memories for McIlroy.

“I hit a similar wedge shot at the U.S. Open in 2023 that lost me the U.S. Open. That’s what I thought: ‘I’ve done it again. Idiot, I’ve done it again.’”

“I was feeling for him,” Lowry said of McIlroy. “It’s so hard out there. I know how much this means to him and I know how hard this would have been if he didn’t win, when I saw the position he got himself in [after the double bogey on No. 13].”

Following the double bogey on No. 13, McIlroy bogeyed No. 14. He followed with a birdie on No. 15. He parred No. 16, and when he birdied No. 17, he was two shots ahead of Rose, who had bogeyed No. 17 up ahead of him.

Rose then birdied No. 18 — his 10th birdie of the day — to cut McIlroy’s lead to a shot. When McIlroy missed a 5-foot par putt for the win on No. 18, they went back to No. 18 to start the suddendeath playoff.

It didn’t last long. After Rose saw his 15-foot birdie try slip past the right side of the hole in the playoff, McIlroy rolled in his 4-foot birdie putt to end his long Major championship victory drought and claim the elusive Green Jacket.

“I didn’t make it easy on myself,” said McIlroy,’ whose 1-over-par 73 was the highest final round by a winner since 2021, when Hideki Matsuyama also had 73. “I was nervous. It was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had on the golf course.”

Rose, who opened with 65-71-75, was seven shots behind McIlroy starting the final round. He closed with 66 for his 211, then lost for the second time in a Masters playoff (he also fell to Sergio García in

Masters Champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates on the No. 18 green.

Bottom: Masters Champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is congratulated by Justin Rose of England winning the Masters in a sudden-death playoff.

Top:

Kieran Cleeves/Augusta National

Joel Marklund/Augusta National

2019). His combination of 10 final-round birdies was one off the tournament record for a round.

At age 44, Rose was attempting to become the second-oldest Masters Champion.

As much as Rose would have loved to win, at least he got a front-row seat as McIlroy made golf history.

“Yeah, Rory is a friend for sure,” Rose said. “When it’s all said and done, I said to him, ‘Listen, I was glad I was here on this green to witness you win the career Grand Slam.’ That’s such a cool, momentous moment in the game of golf. Yeah, that was it. He was obviously pretty overcome with emotion and probably not going to be able to take in much at the time. But, yeah, I mean it was a big day in golf.”

Meanwhile, the locker room that McIlroy and Lowry sat in and chatted for all those years is no longer in use for the players. There is a new one adjacent to the club’s Tournament Practice Area for the 2026 Masters.

McIlroy wouldn’t have been using the old locker room anyway. Of course, he will now be changing his golf shoes in the Champions Locker Room on the second floor of the clubhouse.

The new locker room by the practice area will feature player dining, and no doubt McIlroy and Lowry will have some talks down there.

What, though, will they talk about now that McIlroy has finally won that Green Jacket?

McIlroy might have dropped a hint during the outdoor Green Jacket ceremony after his victory. The possible clue came after 2024 champion Scottie Scheffler presented the Green Jacket to McIlroy, helping him ease into it.

“It’s an honor of a lifetime to be standing here,” McIlroy said. “I’ve dreamt about this moment for so long and I can’t wait to be here again next year in Scottie’s position and hopefully putting the Green Jacket back on myself.”

Simon Bruty/Augusta National

Above: Masters Champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates with his family during the Green Jacket Presentation Ceremony.

Major Sports Augusta is your premier provider for Sports Travel Management. Whether you are leveraging sports travel as a platform building deeper relationships with key customers, attending as a lifelong enthusiast, or finally crossing a legendary event off your bucket list, we are your comprehensive travel partner for all Major Sporting Events!

Specializing in end-to-end logistics inclusive of:

· Accommodations: Managing exclusive Private Rental Properties tailored to executive travel.

· Seamless Logistics: Professional Transportation Services to get you and your guests to and from the venue in comfort.

· Expert Oversight: Dedicated Event Management from the initial planning stages through the event’s conclusion.

Contenders Masters 2026

By Chris Gay

1. Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)

2026 QUALIFICATIONS

2. U.S. Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)

3. The Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)

4. PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)

5. Winners of THE PLAYERS Championship (Three years)

6. Current Olympic Gold Medalist (One year)

7. Current U.S. Amateur Champion (7-A) (Honorary, non-competing after one year) and the Runner-up (7-B) to the current U.S. Amateur Champion

8. Current The Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one year)

9. Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion (One year)

10. Current Latin America Amateur Champion (One year)

11. Current U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion (One year)

12. Current NCAA Division I Men’s Individual Champion (One year)

13. The first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year’s Masters Tournament

14. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s U.S. Open

Tommy Aaron

Charles Coody

Ben Crenshaw

15. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s The Open Championship

16. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year’s PGA Championship

17. Individual winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation applied to the season-ending Tour Championship

18. Those qualifying and eligible for the previous year’s season-ending TOUR Championship

19. Current Scottish Open Champion (One year)

20. Current Spanish Open Champion (One year)

21. Current Japan Open Champion (One year)

22. Current Hong Kong Open Champion (One year)

23. Current Australian Open Champion (One year)

24. Current South African Open Champion (One year)

25. The 50 leaders on the final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year

26. The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament

The Masters Committee, at its discretion, also invites international players not otherwise qualified.

PAST CHAMPIONS NOT PLAYING IN 2026 MASTERS

Nick Faldo

Raymond Floyd Trevor Immelman

Contenders as of February 17, 2026

Qualification:

13, 18, 25

Age: 26

Residence:

Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2025 Masters

Finish: Seventh

Ludvig Åberg (Sweden)

Bernhard Langer

Sandy Lyle Larry Mize

Two Masters Tournament appearances, two top-10 finishes for the Swedish golfer. After a runner-up showing in 2024, Åberg made a late run at the Green Jacket in 2025. Trailing leader Rory McIlroy entering the second nine on Sunday, Åberg posted birdies at Nos. 13 and 15 to pull within one shot. An aggressive birdie attempt at No. 17 led to a three-putt bogey. Then, he needed two shots to escape the first fairway bunker at No. 18 and ultimately closed with a triple bogey to finish five shots behind. Åberg recorded a solid 2025 campaign on the PGA Tour, with six top10 finishes, including a win at The Genesis Invitational.

Jack Nicklaus

Mark O’Meara

Gary Player

Qualification: 18, 25

Age: 24

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: Third

2025 Masters Finish: T-42

Akshay Bhatia

Craig Stadler

Tom Watson

Ian Woosnam

In his sophomore Masters appearance last year, Bhatia birdied the final three holes of the opening round for 70. He finished with rounds of 76-75-71. His 2-under performance on the par-5 holes hurt him from making a run at his first top-10 finish in a Major. Bhatia had a solid 2025 on the PGA Tour. He made the cut in 19 of 26 events, with four top-10 finishes. Bhatia earned more than $4.8 million.

Qualification: 17, 18, 25

Age: 39

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters

Finish: MC

Keegan Bradley

Bradley had a busy 2025, serving as the U.S. Ryder Cup captain at Bethpage Black. Unfortunately, 2025 was a mixed bag for the 2011 PGA Championship winner. Bradley had a banner year on the PGA Tour, earning more than $8 million in 21 events. He added his eighth career victory when he captured the Travelers Championship title in June. Five months later, he won $2.1 million at the unofficial Skins Game. At the Ryder Cup, things didn’t go as well as the United States lost to Europe, 15 to 13.

Qualification: 25

Age: 24

Residence: Jacksonville, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: First

Finish: DNP

Qualification: 18

Age: 26

Residence: Inman,

S.C.

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Jacob Bridgeman

Bridgeman, a former Clemson standout, didn’t win on the PGA Tour in 2025. He did the next best thing. Bridgeman notched four topfive finishes, including a runner-up showing at the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches event, to enter the FedExCup Playoffs ranked No. 33. At the FedEx St. Jude Championship, he closed with 69 and jumped six shots in the rankings. With his tie for 19th at the BMW Championship, Bridgeman remained at No. 27 to secure his spot in the TOUR Championship and qualify for his first Masters appearance.

Qualification: 18, 25

Age: 29

Residence:

Choudrant, La.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2025 Masters

Finish: T-46

Michael Brennan

Brennan, a Leesburg, Va., native, wasted no time in earning a spot in Augusta. After finishing his college career with Wake Forest University in 2024 and then winning three titles playing on PGA Tour Americas, he received a sponsor exemption into his first PGA Tour event as a professional, the Bank of Utah Championship in October. He posted four rounds in the 60s for a 22 under winning total. Brennan is a movie buff and rates films on Letterboxd.

Sam Burns

A five-time winner on the PGA Tour, Burns failed to record a win in 2024 or 2025. Still, he posted another solid year in 2025 on the PGA Tour. Consistency was key as Burns made the cut in 22 of 25 events, earning more than $6.8 million. The highlight of the year came when Burns posted a final-round 62 to make a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open. He eventually lost on the fourth extra hole to a Ryan Fox birdie. Burns also recorded his second top-10 finish at the U.S. Open.

Qualification:

1

Age: 56

Residence:

Cordoba, Argentina

Masters

Appearance: 22nd

2025 Masters

Finish: MC

Angel Cabrera ( Argentina)

Cabrera, known as “El Pato” (“The Duck”), spent 30 months in prison for domestic violence and returned to the Masters last year for the first time since 2019. While he missed the cut in Augusta, he found plenty of success on the PGA Champions Tour. Cabrera won three times in 2025, including a one-shot victory at the Senior PGA Championship. Cabrera staged comebacks to win the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters. At the U.S. Open, Cabrera overcame a four-shot deficit entering the final round to defeat Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods by a stroke. At the 2009 Masters, Cabrera bounced back from a two-shot deficit with two to play to eventually defeat Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a sudden-death playoff.

Qualification: 17

Age: 33

Residence: Bluffton, S.C.

Masters

Appearance: Second

2025 Masters

Finish: T-32

Qualification: 18, 25

Age: 34

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters

Finish: T-36

Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay earned more than $9.4 million in 2025, despite not recording a win or making an impact in the Majors. In fact, last year was his worst year in the Majors, missing the cut in three of them. Cantlay would’ve made a bigger impact in Augusta, but he couldn’t solve Firethorn, the par-5 15th hole. He recorded two bogeys, a double and a triple for a 7-over total on that one hole. Despite his major play, Cantlay closed the year on a high, tying for second place at the TOUR Championship.

Qualification: 2, 15, 25

Age: 32

Residence: Scottsdale, Ariz.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2025 Masters

Finish: T-46

Brian Campbell

Campbell was a late entrant into the 2025 Masters after recording his first career PGA Tour victory in late February. He did so in dramatic fashion. On the second playoff hole at the Mexico Open, Campbell sliced his tee shots out of bounds, but his ball hit a tree and bounced back into play. Campbell took advantage, hitting his second shot to 68 yards of the hole. He hit a wedge to four feet and drained the birdie putt. Campbell posted just two top-10 finishes in 2025, but his second one was a big one. He added a second victory in a playoff in July at the John Deere Classic.

Wyndham Clark

Clark recovered from an opening 76 with 68 in the second round to make his first Masters cut last year. He then posted five three-putts in the final two rounds, closing with rounds of 75-74. A three-time PGA Tour winner, Clark recorded two top-five finishes in 2025. He closed the British Open with 65 for a tie for fourth place. His great play came a month after he damaged lockers at Oakmont Country Club following his poor play at the U.S. Open. Oakmont officials banned Clark from the course; Clark later expressed remorse and stated he wanted to make things right.

Qualification:

13, 18, 25

Age: 34

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Ninth

2025 Masters Finish: T-8

Corey Conners (Canada)

Conners has quietly had one of the most solid runs in recent Masters history. The Canadian golfer owns four top-10 finishes in his past six appearances in Augusta. In 2025, Conners entered the final round four shots off the lead. He opened with bogeys at Nos. 1 and 4 and closed with 75. Conners recorded seven top10 finishes and earned more than $8 million in the 2025 PGA Tour season. He added a second top-10 major finish — a tie for 10th place — at the British Open.

Qualification: 1

Age: 66

Residence: Newport Beach, Calif.

Masters

Appearance: 41st

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Qualification: 13

Age: 38

Residence: Forest Lake, Ohio

Masters

Appearance: 15th

2025 Masters

Finish: T-8

Jason Day (Australia)

Last year, Day recorded his first top-10 Masters finish since 2019. Day could’ve finished even better if not for bogeys at Nos. 17 and 18 in the final round. Day missed some time during May and June with neck and wrist injuries. Still, he played in 17 events, posting four top-10 finishes for more than $3.7 million. A 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, Day kicked off the 2026 season with a runner-up finish at The American Express®

Qualification: 2, 13, 16, 25

Age: 32

Residence: Dallas

Masters Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters Finish: T-5

Fred Couples

The 1992 Masters Champion, Couples will forever be remembered for saving par at No. 12 in the final round, his tee shot landing short of the green but not rolling into the water. He chipped up close and saved par, a clutch turn of events that led to his first Green Jacket. A World Golf Hall of Fame member, Couples owns 64 professional wins, including 15 on the PGA Tour. Couples added his 14th Champions Tour victory in 2022, when he won the SAS Championship. Couples shot 71-77 in the 2025 Masters to miss the cut for the sixth time in the past seven years.

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau has tied for sixth and tied for fifth in the previous two Masters. Now what? One of the most entertaining golfers with his popular YouTube channel, DeChambeau is one of the top stars in golf. He joined the LIV Golf Tour in 2022 and remains one of the best in the game. DeChambeau, the two-time U.S. Open champion, entered the final round of the Masters two shots behind leader Rory McIlroy. DeChambeau bogeyed Nos. 3 and 4 and never could make a run. He closed with a disappointing 75. Despite the finish, DeChambeau posted three top-10 showings in the 2025 majors, including a tie for second at the PGA Championship.

Qualification: 13, 15, 16, 18, 25

Age: 36

Residence:

Sea Island, Ga.

Masters Appearance: Seventh

2025 Masters Finish: T-12

Harris English

The former Georgia Bulldog standout recorded his best Masters finish in 2025. English birdied Nos. 13-16 in the final round, an important four-hole stretch that moved him into the top 12 for an automatic qualification into this year’s Masters. English had a breakout 2025 campaign, starting with his fifth career PGA Tour victory at the Farmers Insurance Open. He then recorded runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship and the British Open. He finished the year with more than $8.8 million in earnings.

Qualification: 8

Age: 21

Residence: Plano, Texas

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Qualification: 2, 15, 25

Age: 31

Residence:

Sheffield, England

Masters

Appearance: 12th

2025 Masters Finish: T-40

Matt Fitzpatrick (England)

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, flipped a switch on his golf game in the second half of 2025. Playing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, he posted eight top-10 finishes in 12 events to close out the year. After recording a tie for 8th at the PGA Championship, he added a second top-10 major finish with his tie for fourth at the British Open. Fitzpatrick added his 10th career DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) victory in November when he parred the first playoff hole to defeat Rory McIlroy.

Qualification: 17, 18, 25

Age: 35

Residence: Southport, England

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters Finish: T-21

Ethan Fang

In 2025, Fang became just the second American to win the British Amateur since 1979. The Oklahoma State golfer defeated Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan at Royal St. George’s. On the 33rd hole of their 36-hole match, Fang made birdie for a two-hole lead with three to play. Tiernan responded with birdies on the next two holes to tie the match with one to play. Fang never wavered, firing his approach shot to five feet at the last for the winning birdie putt.

Tommy Fleetwood (England)

Fleetwood finally broke through on the PGA Tour in a huge way in 2025. After several near misses throughout the season, Fleetwood put it all together at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Fleetwood opened the season-ending TOUR Championship with rounds of 64-63 and then held off all challengers for a three-shot victory and a $10 million check. Fleetwood recorded seven top-5 finishes in the 2025 season, earning more than $18 million. He made the cut at the Masters for the eighth consecutive year in 2025.

Qualification: 17, 25

Age: 39

Residence:

Auckland, New Zealand

Masters

Appearance: Third

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Ryan Fox (New Zealand)

Fox returns to the Masters after playing in Augusta in 2023 and 2024. He claimed his first two PGA Tour titles last year in dramatic fashion. In May, he chipped in for birdie on the first playoff hole to win the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic. One month later, he posted rounds of 66-66-64-66 and then needed four extra holes, posting birdie to defeat Sam Burns for the RBC Canadian Open title. The two wins were Fox’s only two top-10 finishes in 2025 as he collected almost $4 million in winnings

Qualification: 1

Age: 46

Residence: CransMontana, Switzerland; Austin, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; Borriol, Spain

Masters

Appearance: 27th

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Qualification: 25

Age: 26

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Ryan Gerard

Gerard earned a trip to Augusta with his great play in December. Then, he remained hot. The former North Carolina golfer won the Barracuda Championship in his rookie season on the PGA Tour in 2025, but because it’s considered an alternate PGA Tour event, he didn’t earn a Masters exemption. Gerard continued to climb in the Official Golf World Rankings and needed a top-four finish at the DP World Tour’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open to finish inside the top 50 and qualify for the Masters. He finished runner-up to climb to No. 47. Gerard then opened 2026 with consecutive runner-up finishes at the Sony Open and The American Express® to rocket to No. 24 in the world.

Qualification: 15, 17, 18, 19, 25

Age: 26

Residence: Edmond, Okla.

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Sergio García (Spain)

García recorded four top-10 finishes during the 2025 LIV Golf tour season, including a win in March at the Hong Kong event. At the 2025 Masters, Garcia shot 72-76 to miss the cut for the sixth time since 2018. In the 2017 Masters, Garcia won the Green Jacket after rolling in a 14-foot eagle putt at No. 15 in the final round to eventually make a suddendeath playoff with Justin Rose. Garcia rolled in a birdie putt at No. 18 — the first extra hole — to win the Masters, his first Major championship.

Chris Gotterup

One of the longest hitters in the game, Gotterup is starting to become one of the better players in the game. He won the PGA alternate event, the Myrtle Beach Classic, in 2024. Last July, Gotterup fired a secondround 61 at the Genesis Scottish Open and then outlasted Rory McIlroy and Marco Penge for a two-shot victory. The win qualified Gotterup for the following week’s British Open. At Royal Portrush, he continued his hot play, ultimately finishing third — his first top-10 in a Major. While he earned more than $4.8 million last year, Gotterup added more money and another title early in 2026 with his season-opening win at the Sony Open.

Qualification: 25

Age: 30

Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Masters Appearance: Second

2025 Masters Finish: T-32

Max Greyserman

Greyserman made a late run in 2024 to qualify for his first Masters appearance. He tied for second at the ZOZO Championship in October. He followed with a fourth at the World Wide Technology Championship. Those two finishes helped the former Duke University golfer climb inside the top 50 in the world rankings. Greyserman posted a pair of runner-up finishes in 2025 — at the Rocket Classic and at the Baycurrent Classic. Those two finishes helped him enter 2026 inside the top 50 in the world again.

Qualification: 17, 18, 25

Age: 29

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Qualification: 18

Age: 28

Residence: Las Vegas

Masters Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Harry Hall (England)

In the 2025 season, Hall recorded zero top-five finishes in 25 PGA Tour events. Yet, his consistency paid off at the right time. Hall made the cut in 22 tournaments, recording 15 top-25 finishes. He made a steady climb in the FedExCup standings. With his sixth-place finish at the BMW Championship in August, Hall moved to No. 26 in the standings to qualify for the TOUR Championship. There, he tied for 17th place, ending the year with more than $4.3 million in earnings. The 6-foot-4 Hall will be making his fourth Major tournament appearance, first in Augusta.

Qualification: 3, 18, 25

Age: 39

Residence:

St. Simons Island, Ga.

Masters Appearance: Eighth

2025 Masters Finish: T-36

Ben Griffin

After his breakout 2025 season, what does Griffin do for an encore? Last year, the former North Carolina golfer posted three victories on the PGA Tour and two runner-up finishes for more than $11.7 million. Griffin teamed up with Andrew Novak to claim the Zurich Classic of New Orleans event in April. One month later, Griffin won the Charles Schwab Challenge. In November, he closed the World Wide Technology Championship with 63 with a 29 under total and a two-shot victory. Griffin also posted top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open last year.

Brian Harman

One week before the 2025 Masters, Harman recorded his fourth career PGA Tour victory. He opened the Valero Texas Open with rounds of 66-66 and rolled to a three-shot victory. The left-handed former University of Georgia golfer made the Masters cut the following week, his first made cut in Augusta since 2021. Harman posted four top-10 finishes in 24 starts, earning more than $5.5 million for the season. In July 2023, he won the British Open in dominant fashion, claiming the Claret Jug by six shots.

Qualification: 14, 25

Age: 34

Residence:

Marlow, England.

Masters Appearance: Tenth

2025 Masters Finish: T-14

Tyrrell Hatton (England)

Despite joining the LIV Golf Tour in 2024, Hatton has remained one of the top players in the world. The reason? Playing on the DP World Golf Tour. In October 2024, he posted a third-round 61 and went on to claim his third career Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by one shot. In January 2025, won his eighth career DP World Tour title at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. With a runner-up showing at the 2025 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and another top-five finish, Hatton closed out the year ranked No. 19 in the world.

Qualification: 18, 25

Age: 36

Residence: Columbus, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: Tenth

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Russell Henley

A five-time winner on the PGA Tour, Henley had a fantastic 2025 season. He rallied from a three-shot deficit with five holes to play to defeat Collin Morikawa by one shot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. Henley added four more top-five finishes, including a runner-up showing at the TOUR Championship. He opened the season-ending event with 61, following with rounds of 6669-69. Henley finished the year with more than $14.7 million in earnings. Last year, he missed the Masters cut for only the second time, first time since 2013. He finished tied for fourth in Augusta in 2023.

Qualification: 7-B

Age: 20

Residence:

Dickson, Tenn.

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Jackson Herrington

The Tennessee native punched his ticket to Augusta when he won his U.S. Amateur semifinal match last summer at The Olympic Club’s Lake Course in San Francisco. Up 1 hole with one to play over playing partner, Niall Shiels Donegan, Herrington fired his approach to six feet at the last and rolled in the clinching putt. Herrington fell to Mason Howell in the championship match. The left-handed Herrington began his sophomore season at the University of Tennessee with a 71.62 stroke average through his first four matches. He goes by the nickname, “The Fridge.”

Qualification: 25

Age: 24

Residence: Aarhus, Denmark

Masters

Appearance: Second

2025 Masters Finish: T-32

Rasmus Højgaard (Denmark)

Højgaard qualified for the 2025 Masters by finishing 2024 ranked No. 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He recorded eight birdies during the second round of his first Masters appearance en route to 67, his lone under-par round of the tournament. He played a mix of tournaments on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour last year. A pair of runner-up finishes in the fall on the DP World Tour helped Højgaard climb 27 spots to No. 52 in the world. Then, he tied for third at the Sanderson Farms Championship before adding a top-10 finish at the DP World Tour Championship to help him climb to No. 38 in the world and secure his Masters invitation.

Brandon Holtz

Qualification: 11

Age: 38

Residence:

Bloomington, Ill.

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

A former backup point guard at Illinois State University — yes, you read that correctly — turned a hoop dream to another sporting dream. An Illinois realtor, Holtz may be the unlikeliest competitor playing in the 2026 Masters. In his quarterfinal match, Holtz trailed 3 down with 5 to play but closed with three consecutive birdies to force a playoff. He then birdied the first playoff hole to advance to the semifinals. Holtz built big leads in the semis and finals to bring home the title. The clinching point came when Holtz hit his drive at the 308-yard, par-4 16th hole to seven feet for eagle.

Qualification: 13

Age: 35

Residence:

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Masters

Appearance: Seventh

2025 Masters Finish: T-12

Qualification: 14, 18, 25

Age: 28

Residence:

Stillwater, Okla.

Masters Appearance: Seventh

2025 Masters

Finish: T-21

Viktor Hovland (Norway)

Hovland put himself in position to win his first Major, entering the final round of the 2025 U.S. Open two shots off the pace. Four bogeys on the front nine derailed his chances, and Hovland settled for a third-place showing. He earned more than $5.8 million in 2025 and collected his seventh PGA Tour title. Hovland rallied from a three-shot deficit with six holes to play to defeat Justin Thomas by one shot at the Valspar Championship. Hovland had an eventful 2025 Masters, with 18 birdies, 16 bogeys, an eagle and a double bogey.

Qualification: 7-A

Age: 18

Residence: Thomasville, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Max Homa

A six-time winner on the PGA Tour, Homa found 2025 to be a bit of a letdown. He made the cut in just 15 of 24 events, recording just one top-5 finish. He earned more than $1.6 million. One of the year’s highlights came when Homa earned a trip back to Augusta by finishing in the top 12. If not for a double bogey at No. 17, Homa would’ve posted his second-consecutive top-10 Masters finish after tying for third in 2024. While he recorded a double bogey at No. 15 in the first round of the 2025 Masters, Homa played the par-5 holes in 8-under-par fashion.

Mason Howell

Howell became the third-youngest U.S. Amateur champion at the age of 17 when he defeated Jackson Herrington, 7 and 6, in the championship match. Howell then went 2-0-1 to help the United States win the Walker Cup over the Great Britain and Ireland team. In November, he made his PGA Tour debut at the RSM Classic, posting rounds of 73-72 to miss the cut. A senior in high school, Howell is set to play his college golf in the fall at the University of Georgia.

Qualification: 13, 18, 25

Age: 27

Residence:

Jeju, South Korea

Masters

Appearance: Seventh

2025 Masters

Finish: T-5

Sungjae Im (Korea, ROK)

Im has had an impressive run at the Masters, with three top-8 finishes and a tie for 16th place the past six years. Last year, he posted the second-best putting average of the tournament, averaging 1.51 putts per hole. All four rounds were under par as he shot 71-7071-69 to finish four shots behind champion Rory McIlroy. In 2025, Im posted three top-five finishes on the PGA Tour and earned more than $5 million.

Qualification: 1

Age: 41

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: 16th

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Qualification: 1, 13

Age: 50

Residence:

St. Simons Island, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: 22nd

2025 Masters

Finish: T-8

Zach Johnson

Johnson turned back the clock on the weekend of the 2025 Masters. After opening with rounds of 72-74, he fired a third-round 66 and added a closing 71 for his best finish in Augusta since a tie for ninth place in 2015.

Johnson owns 12 career PGA Tour victories and has accumulated more than $50 million in earnings. Johnson is the owner of two major titles, the 2007 Masters and the 2015 British Open. In 2007, Johnson closed with 69 to win the Green Jacket by two shots, his first major victory. In 2015, he rode a five-week hot stretch during the summer to his second Major championship. During that run, he posted four top-six finishes, including a victory at the British Open. Johnson celebrated his 50th birthday in February, making him eligible to play on the Champions Tour.

Qualification: 21

Age: 27

Residence: Hokkaido, Japan

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Dustin Johnson

Johnson became another high-profile player who left the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf tour in 2022. Last year, he recorded three top-10 finishes on the LIV Golf tour. In the four Majors, Johnson missed the cut in three events, his best showing a tie for 23rd at the British Open. At the 2025 Masters, Johnson was on pace to make the weekend until a bogey-double-bogey finish led to an early exit. In November 2020, the South Carolina native set the Masters Tournament’s 72-hole scoring record at 20-under (65-70-65-68) to win a rare fall Green Jacket. Johnson also owns the 2016 U.S. Open championship.

Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan)

Kataoka will be making his first appearance in the Masters after winning the Japan Open championship in October. Kataoka opened with rounds of 70-70-69 before closing with 68 to force a playoff with Satoshi Hara. Kataoka prevailed to jump from No. 500 in the Official World Golf Rankings to No. 355. Kataoka posted five top-10 finishes on the Japan Golf Tour in 2025.

John Keefer

Qualification: 25

Age: 25

Residence:

San Antonio

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Qualification: 25

Age: 30

Residence:

Dallas

Masters

Appearance: Ninth

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Keefer entered 2025 outside the top 200 in the world rankings. He quickly climbed the standings by dominating the Korn Ferry Tour. In April, he opened the Veritex Bank Championship with rounds of 63-61 en route to a 30 under finish and a three-shot victory. He added a second victory at the NV5 Invitational in July. With nine top-10 finishes, Keefer finished atop the Korn Ferry Tour standings to earn his PGA Tour card. In the fall season, he played in two PGA Tour events, his tie for seventh moving him three spots to No. 47 in the world — a finish that ultimately helped him receive his first Masters invite.

Qualification: 25

Age: 32

Residence: Houston

Michael Kim

Kim qualified for the 2025 Masters at the very last minute, by jumping to No. 50 in the world after his tie for 32nd place at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Kim made the majority of his $4.1 million in earnings early in the 2025 season. But stellar play by Kim in September led to a win at the FedEx Open de France on the DP World Tour. It was an important victory that moved him 25 spots in the world rankings to No. 39, helping him secure an earlier Masters invitation.

T-27

Third

Si Woo Kim (Korea, ROK)

Kim is back in Augusta after a one-year absence. Kim had a solid 2025 campaign on the PGA Tour, making 22 of 30 cuts with 13 top-25 finishes en route to more than $4.1 million. Despite his solid play, he still had not qualified for the Masters until December. Two weeks after tying for fourth at the RSM Classic, Kim flew to the Crown Australian Open, where he tied for third. With the finish, he moved seven spots to No. 47 in the world.

Qualification: 17, 25

Age: 33

Residence: Henderson, Nev.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Kurt Kitayama

Kitayama is back in the Masters after a one-year absence. At the 3M Open in July, Kitayama shot 60 in the third round to pull within shouting distance of the lead. He followed with 65 in the final round for his second PGA Tour victory in three years — Kitayama won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2023. He posted three top-five finishes in 2025, winning more than $3.4 million in 2025. In his previous Masters appearance in 2024, Kitayama finished tied for 35th place.

Qualification:

4

Age: 35

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 11th

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Brooks Koepka

Koepka made noise early in 2026 by announcing his return to the PGA Tour from the LIV Golf Tour. The five-time major champion is seeking his first Green Jacket after posting runner-up Masters finishes in 2019 and 2023. He will have to rebound from poor play the past two years in Augusta, when he tied for 45th place and missed the cut. Koepka was well on his way to making the 2025 Masters cut after posting an eagle at No. 15 in the second round to move to even for the tournament. Then, disaster. After making bogey at No. 17, he needed to close with a par to make the cut. Instead, he drove his tee shot into the left trees, found an unplayable lie, hit his third shot from the tee and eventually made an 8.

Qualification: 9

Age: 21

Residence: Rayong, Thailand

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Qualification: 25

Age: 27

Residence: Las Vegas Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2025 Masters Finish: 49

Min Woo Lee (Australia)

Lee won his first PGA Tour title in March 2025, posting a 20 under total for a one-shot victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. For the rest of 2025, he never really cooked in America. He made the Masters cut, his lone made cut in the Majors. He failed to make another top-10 finish on the PGA Tour before the TOUR Championship. Lee switched over to the DP World Tour for two falls events, tying for 11th at the BMW PGA Championship before tying for fifth at the FedEx Open de France. He added three more top-15 finishes to remain inside the top 50 in the world.

Qualification: 15

Age: 30

Residence: Shanghai, China

Masters

Appearance: Third

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Fifa Laopakdee (Thailand)

As a junior at Arizona State University, Laopakdee played his way into Augusta by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October. He trailed Japanese golfer Taisei Nagasaki by six shots entering the final round, but he shot a 4-under 68 to force a playoff. Laopakdee won on the third extra hole. In his first two years at Arizona State, he recorded three individual wins.

Haotong Li (China)

Welcome back to Augusta, Haotong Li. After a six-year absence Li is back playing in the Masters. He returns thanks to a tie for fourth place at the British Open. In February 2025, Li won his fourth DP World Tour career title, the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Li earned his 2026 PGA Tour card via a top-10 finish in the 2025 DP World Tour Race to Dubai.

Qualification: 18, 25

Age: 39

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters

Finish: T-42

Shane Lowry (Ireland)

Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, posted another solid year on the PGA Tour in 2025. Not only did he make 17 of 20 cuts, he had a pair of runner-up finishes that helped push his yearly winnings to more than $7 million. After a pair of top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and British Open in 2024, Lowry followed with his worst year in the Majors since 2017 with two missed cuts and a pair of finishes 40th or worse. At the 2025 Masters, the personable Irishman was 6 under for the Masters after the second hole of the final round and just outside of contention. Then, disaster struck. He played the final 16 holes in 10-over fashion for a closing 81.

Qualification: 14, 18, 25

Age: 29

Residence: Oban, Scotland

Masters

Appearance: Fourth

2025 Masters

Finish: MC

Robert MacIntyre (Scotland)

MacIntyre missed the cut in his third Masters appearance last year, but he made up for it with his play in the final two Majors of the year. He finished solo second in the U.S. Open before tying for seventh place at the PGA Championship. He played in 23 PGA Tour events in 2025, making the cut in 21 events. MacIntyre recorded six top finishes and earned more than $8.4 million, and he entered 2026 ranked as one of the game’s top 10 players in the world.

Qualification:

1, 18, 25

Age: 34

Residence:

Sendai, Japan

Masters

Appearance: 15th

2025 Masters

Finish: T-21

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)

Matsuyama became the first Japanese winner of the Masters Tournament in 2021 when he opened with rounds of 69-71-65 and held on to win his first Green Jacket. Matsuyama would’ve been in contention in 2025, but a third-round 79 derailed his chances. He closed with 66, including a bogey on the final holes. Matsuyama added his 11th PGA Tour career victory when he opened 2025 by winning The Sentry with a 35-under-par total at Kapalua. He finished the season with more than $6.6 million in earnings on the PGA Tour.

Qualification: 1, 5, 18, 25

Age: 36

Residence:

Holywood, Northern Ireland

Masters Appearance: 18th

2025 Masters Finish: Won

Rory McIIroy (Northern Ireland)

After 11 years of trying, McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam last year by winning the Masters, joining the greatest of the great in golf history. After posting seven top-10 Masters finishes in his 11 previous appearances, McIlroy finally slipped on the Green Jacket. Of course, it wasn’t easy. He entered the final round with a two-shot lead and promptly double bogeyed the opening hole. McIlroy recovered with birdies at Nos. 3 and 4 and appeared to be in cruise control, with a seven-shot lead over Justin Rose with eight holes to play. But after recording a bogey at No. 11 and a double bogey at No. 13, McIlroy’s lead shrunk to one. After opening with rounds of 72-66-66, he shot a final-round 73 and held on to make a sudden-death playoff with Rose. At No. 18, McIlroy struck his approach shot to four feet, rolling in the winning birdie putt and falling to his knees. McIlroy won almost $17 million in 2025, but nothing was more priceless than winning the Green Jacket in April.

Qualification: 22

Age: 23

Residence: Dubai, UAE

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Tom McKibbin (Northern Ireland)

A talented young golfer, McKibbin has had an interesting golf path the past few years. He initially planned to play golf at the University of Florida, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted those plans. He eventually turned pro and won the DP World Tour’s Porsche European Open in 2023. In January 2025, he joined the LIV Golf Tour, joining Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team. In November, he opened the Hong Kong Open with 60 and rolled to a sevenshot victory to earn a spot in the Masters.

Qualification: 18, 25

Age: 30

Residence:

Las Vegas

Masters

Appearance: Second

2025 Masters

Finish: T-32

Qualification: 1, 4

Age: 55

Residence:

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Masters Appearance: 33rd

2025 Masters

Finish: MC

Phil Mickelson

Mickelson missed the cut in the 2025 Masters for the first time since 2016. He won the Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010, joining a prestigious list of players who have won three or more Green Jackets. In 2021, he became the oldest Major champion at age 50, winning the PGA Championship by two shots at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. The following year, he joined the LIV Golf Tour. Mickelson is a 45-time winner on the PGA Tour and six-time Major champion.

Qualification: 3, 17, 18, 25

Age: 29

Residence: Las Vegas Masters

Appearance: Seventh

2025 Masters Finish: T-14

Maverick McNealy

McNealy posted a runner-up showing and three thirds in 2025 en route to earning more than $8.3 million on the PGA Tour. He played all four Major tournaments in 2025 for the first time, making the cut in all four. McNealy posted a pair of eagles in his Masters debut last year as he shot under par in just one of his four rounds. At the 2024 RSM Classic in November, McNealy opened with 62 and held on for a one-shot victory. The golfer recorded five other top-10 finishes in 2024 and earned more than $4.7 million for that season.

Collin Morikawa

Morikawa has had such a great run of success since 2020 that last year’s play seems like a minor setback. In 2025, the twotime major champion failed to post a top-10 finish in a Major for the first time. Morikawa played his best in early 2025, with a pair of runner-up finishes at The Sentry in January and then the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. With 13 top-25 finishes, he earned more than $7.9 million in 2025. The golfer has recorded five consecutive top-20 finishes at the Masters, including a tie for third in 2024.

Qualification:

23, 25

Age: 26

Residence:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Denmark)

Neergaard-Petersen has made a meteoric rise through the ranks in recent years. The former Oklahoma State University golfer won three times on the Challenge Tour in 2024. He added runner-up finishes at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and Puerto Rico Open last year. At the end of 2025, he finished third at the DP World Championship to earn his 2026 PGA Tour card. Also in December, he won the Crown Australian Open.

Qualification: 25

Age: 43

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

DNP

Qualification: 18, 25

Age: 30

Residence:

St. Simons Island, Ga.

Masters Appearance: First

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Andrew Novak

Novak posted a pair of third-place finishes in 2025 before hitting paydirt the week after the Masters. At the RBC Heritage, he lost to Justin Thomas in a playoff, but the runner-up finish was worth more than $2.1 million. The next week, he teamed up with Ben Griffin to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans — and made another $1.3 million. With six top-10 finishes during the 2025 PGA Tour season, Novak earned more than $7.7 million and qualified for the season-ending TOUR Championship.

Qualification: 1

Age: 60

Residence:

Fuenterrabía, Spain

Masters

Appearance: 37th

2025 Masters

Finish: MC

Alex Noren (Sweden)

Noren is making his first Masters appearance since 2023. He got hot during a two-month stretch and found himself back in the winner’s circle after a long absence. Noren recorded consecutive top-10 finishes at the 3M Open and Wyndham Championship before moving over to the DP World Tour. At the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, Noren posted three rounds in the 60s and recorded a one-shot victory — his first win in seven years. One month later, Noren fired 62 in the final round to win the BMW PGA Championship, his 12th career DP World Tour victory.

José María Olazábal (Spain)

The winner of the 1994 and 1999 Masters, Olazábal has posted eight top-10 showings in Augusta. In 1999, Olazábal made a triumphant comeback after what was initially thought to be a foot injury (later treated as a lower back injury) forced him to miss many months from the game. Olazábal birdied three holes on the final nine, including a decisive birdie at No. 16, for a two-shot victory over Davis Love III. Olazábal last contended in the Masters in 2006, with a tie for third place. Last year, he shot 77-74 to miss the cut for the third time in four years. The golfer captained the European Ryder Cup team to a one-point victory over the United States in 2012.

Qualification: 14

Age: 34

Residence: Dallas Masters Appearance: Second

Carlos Ortiz (Mexico)

Ortiz will be making his first Masters appearance since 2021, when he missed the cut. The one-time PGA Tour winner joined the LIV Golf Tour and won the Houston event in June 2024. That same year, he did not play in any Major tournaments. He qualified for the U.S. Open in 2025 and posted a tie for fourth place to return to Augusta. He entered February 2026 ranked No. 169 in the world.

Qualification: 20, 25

Age: 27

Residence: West Palm Beach, Fla.

Masters Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Marco Penge (England)

Penge is the current Spanish Open champion who had quite the year in 2025 on the DP World Tour. He began the year outside the top 400 in the world rankings. In April, he won the Hainan Classic by three shots. Four months later, he posted four rounds in the 60s to win the Danish Classic by one shot. He then defeated Dan Brown in a playoff to win the Spanish Open. Penge finished the year ranked No. 29 in the world.

Qualification: 17

Age: 21

Residence:

Mossel Bay, South Africa

Masters

Appearance: Second

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Aldrich Potgieter (South Africa)

Potgieter returns to the Masters after a three-year absence. In June, he opened the Rocket Classic with 62 and later finished with a 22-under total to force a three-man playoff. Potgieter watched Chris Kirk make bogey on the second playoff hole as he and Max Greyserman continued. Potgieter rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth extra hole for his first career PGA Tour victory. At age 20, 289 days, Potgieter became the youngest player from South Africa to win on the PGA Tour.

Qualification: 10

Age: 25

Residence: Rio Cuarto, Argentina

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Qualification: 1, 2

Age: 31

Residence:

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters

Finish: T-14

Jon Rahm (Spain)

At the 2025 Masters, Rahm recovered from an opening 75 with rounds of 71-70-69. He went on to post top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. On the LIV Golf Tour, Rahm finished runner-up at the Chicago and Indianapolis events, losing both in a playoff. The former world No. 1 opened the 2023 Masters with double bogey but rallied to shoot an opening 65. He entered the final round down two shots to Brooks Koepka, but Rahm closed with 69 for a four-shot victory and his second major championship after winning the U.S. Open in 2021.

Qualification: 25

Age: 30

Residence: Wolverhampton, England

Masters

Appearance: Second

2025 Masters

Finish: T- 27

Mateo Pulcini (Argentina)

Pulcini (pronounced pull-chee-knee) became the oldest winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship at age 25. The former three-time NCAA Division II All-American at Oklahoma Christian University who continued his college golf career at the University of Arkansas, Pulcini opened with rounds of 6968-70, entering the final round two shots off the pace. He closed with 68 to force a playoff with Venezuela’s Virgilio Paz. On the first playoff hole, Pulcini hit his second shot out of the rough, through a tree to within 40 yards of the hole — he chipped up and made an 18foot par putt. Pulcini won on the next playoff hole with a short par putt.

Aaron Rai (England)

Rai (pronounced “Rye”) played all four Majors in the same year for the first time in 2025, finishing 34th or better in all four. The 2024 Wyndham Championship winner on the PGA Tour, Rai added another professional victory late in 2025. At the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in November, Rai posted rounds of 66-64-66-67 and then birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Tommy Fleetwood. Rai recorded his third career victory on the DP World Tour, and he moved to No. 23 in the world rankings.

Qualification: 1, 13, 25

Age: 35

Residence: Spring, Texas

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters Finish: Third

Patrick Reed

Reed opened 2026 with a victory on the DP World Tour. In January, he posted rounds of 69-66-67-72 and cruised to a four-shot victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Reed also kicked off 2026 by announcing plans to leave the LIV Golf Tour and return to the PGA Tour later in the year. He is a nine-time champion on the PGA Tour, his last win coming in 2021. The 2018 Masters Champion, Reed continues to impress in Augusta. Reed posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight years at the 2025 Masters. Reed, along with PGA Tour pro Henrik Norlander, helped Augusta University win back-to-back NCAA Division I championships in 2010 and 2011.

Qualification: 25

Age: 27

Residence: West Palm Beach, Fla.

Masters Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Qualification: 16

Age: 29

Residence:

Miss.

Davis Riley

Riley, a former University of Alabama golfer, returns to Augusta thanks to his late play in the 2025 PGA Championship. He entered the final round four shots behind 54-hole leader Scottie Scheffler. Then, disaster struck. Riley found water at the par-5 7th hole for a triple bogey to fall well out of contention. He bounced back with birdies on two of the next four holes and added another birdie at No. 17 to finish tied for second place. Riley posted his best finish in a Major.

Qualification: 13, 17, 18, 25

Age: 45 Residence:

Kristoffer Reitan (Norway)

As a 20-year-old amateur, Reitan became the first Norwegian golfer to play in the U.S. Open in 2018. He turned pro later that year and slowly began to make progress in his career. He won a Challenge Tour event late in 2024. Last year, he broke through on the DP World Tour stage. In May, he won the Soudal Open in a playoff. In December, Reitan opened the Nedbank Golf Challenge with 63 and held on for an eventual one-shot victory. With the victory, he climbed 26 spots in the world rankings to No. 33.

Justin Rose (England)

Rose continues to prove that age is just a number. In February, he won his 13th career PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open, dominating the field by seven shots. In August 2025, he posted four rounds in the 60s and then defeated J.J. Spaun in a playoff to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Of course, Rose almost slipped on his first Green Jacket last year. He entered the final round seven shots behind leader Rory McIlroy. Rose recorded 10 birdies in the final round en route to a closing 66 to force a sudden-death playoff, which he lost on the first extra hole to McIlroy. For Rose, it marked his seventh top-10 finish in Augusta. If he wins this year, he will become the second-oldest Masters Champion behind only Jack Nicklaus, who won 40 years ago at age 46.

Qualification:

3, 4, 13, 25

Age: 32

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Ninth

2025 Masters Finish: T-8

Xander Schauffele

After winning two Majors in 2024, Schauffele (pronounced Shaw-fa-lay) continued to make major waves with his play in Augusta and his play at the British Open, where he tied for seventh place. In October, Schauffele claimed his 10th career PGA Tour title when he closed with 64 to win the Baycurrent Classic. In 16 PGA Tour events in 2025, he made the cut in all of them. Schauffele, who owns PGA Championship and British Open titles, also owns five top-10 Masters finishes in the past seven years.

Qualification:

1, 3, 4, 5, 13, 17, 18, 25

Age: 29

Residence: Dallas

Masters Appearance: Seventh

2025 Masters Finish: Fourth

Qualification:

1

Age: 41

Residence:

Vereeniging, South Africa

Masters Appearance: 17th

2025 Masters Finish: T-36

Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)

Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters Champion, posted rounds of 74-72-72-72 at the 2025 Masters for his best finish since a tie for 10th in 2022. After joining the LIV Golf Tour in 2022, Schwartzel won the tour’s first event, his first victory in six years. Schwartzel won the 2011 Masters, becoming the third South African to slip on the Green Jacket. He entered the final round trailing by four shots, but a chip-in for birdie at No. 1 and hole-out for eagle at No. 3 got his day going. Schwartzel finished his round with four consecutive birdies for a closing 66 and a two-shot victory.

Qualification: 1

Age: 45

Residence:

Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland

Masters

Appearance: 25th

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Scottie Scheffler

He’s the top player in the world. He owns 20 career PGA Tour titles and four Major championships. And he has yet to turn 30. What’s left for Scheffler? The twotime Masters Champion added to his Major resume in 2025, winning the PGA Championship and British Open. He needs only the U.S. Open title to complete the career Grand Slam, and he’s knocked on the door in that tournament with four finishes of seventh or better in the past five years. At the 2025 Masters, Scheffler finished three shots out of a playoff. He went on to win six times on tour and collect more than $27 million. He opened the 2026 season in grand fashion, winning The American Express® event in January by four shots to push his career earnings past the $100 million mark.

Adam Scott (Australia)

Scott, the 2013 Masters Champion, snapped his string of 15 consecutive Masters cuts last year by posting rounds of 77-72. Scott made a pair of top-20 finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open in 2025. It was a lackluster year for Scott on the PGA Tour, where he posted zero top-10 finishes in 18 events. He began the year ranked inside the top 20 in the world, but he dropped to No. 64 to start the 2026 season. At the 2013 Masters, Scott faced Angel Cabrera in a sudden-death playoff. On the second extra (No. 10), Scott rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt to claim the Green Jacket.

Qualification: 1

Age: 62

Residence:

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Masters Appearance: 33rd

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Vijay Singh (Fiji)

Last year, Singh withdrew from playing in the Masters due to an ankle injury, marking his first missed start since 1994 (31 consecutive years). The World Golf Hall of Fame golfer’s stellar career has included 34 PGA Tour wins, including two PGA Championship titles and a win at the 2000 Masters. In his seventh Masters appearance in 2000, Singh shot rounds of 72-67-70-69 to defeat Ernie Els by three shots. In 20 events on the Champions Tour in 2025, Singh made the cut in all 20 and earned almost $1 million.

Qualification: 3

Age: 32

Residence: Jacksonville, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Qualification: 2, 18, 25

Age: 35

Residence:

San Dimas, Calif.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2025 Masters Finish: 50

J.J. Spaun

Spaun had a breakout season in 2025 on the PGA Tour. He finished runner-up at THE PLAYERS Championship and later added a runner-up finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The highlight of the year — of his career so far — came when Spaun opened the U.S. Open with 66 and trailed by one shot entering the final round. Despite shooting 40 on the front nine, Spaun rallied with four birdies on the final seven holes to bring home his first Major championship. With five top-five finishes, Spaun earned more than $13 million in 2025.

Qualification: 1

Age: 32

Residence: Dallas

Masters

Appearance: 13th

2025 Masters

Finish: T-14

Cameron Smith (Australia)

Smith, the 2022 British Open champion, and who was one of the top players in the game, joined the LIV Golf Tour in 2022 as the No. 2-ranked player in the world, but he has started to see his game decline. He played in all four Majors in 2025, missing the cut in each of them. At Augusta, he shot 71-78 to miss the cut for the first time. In the previous five years, he posted four top-10 Masters finishes. Smith made a run at his first DP World Tour title in three years in December, finishing runner-up at the Crown Australian Open. With the finish, he climbed 153 spots to No. 201 in the world.

Jordan Spieth

After missing the Masters cut in 2022 and 2024, Spieth returned somewhat to form last year. He birdied three of the final six holes to finish 3 under for the tournament. After having wrist surgery in August 2024, Spieth made the cut in 17 of 19 events last year. With four top-10 finishes, the 13-time PGA Tour champion earned more than $3 million. Spieth owns three Major championships and needs only the PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam. He entered 2026 seeking his first Major win since 2017.

Qualification: 25

Age: 29

Residence: Wichita, Kan.

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Samuel Stevens

Stevens was a workhorse last year, playing in 31 PGA Tour events. The extra work paid off. Stevens made the cut in 25 events, posted a pair of runner-up finishes and earned more than $4.3 million. He played in the first two FedEx Cup events, but he just missed making the TOUR Championship. Stevens, who played with Viktor Hovland on the 2018 NCAA Champion Oklahoma State University team, ended the year ranked No. 50 in the world to earn his first Masters invitation.

Qualification: 17, 18, 25

Age: 32

Residence: Birmingham, Ala.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2025 Masters Finish: MC

Qualification: 18

Age: 37

Residence:

Abbotsford, British Columbia

Masters

Appearance: Fourth

2025 Masters Finish: T-40

Sepp Straka (Austria)

Straka posted another exceptional year on the PGA Tour in 2025. He started by winning the third event of the year, The American Express®. In May, he opened the Truist Championship and went on to win by two shots for his fourth career PGA Tour victory. Straka, who graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016 with a business management degree, posted six top-10 finishes in 2025 and earned more than $10 million. He is still looking to make an impact at the Masters. Last year, Straka posted two triple bogeys and a double in the first two rounds. In the second round, he was 1 over for the tournament entering No. 17, which he bogeyed. He then tripled No. 18 to miss the cut by three shots

Nick Taylor (Canada) Justin Thomas

Taylor started a three-year run of success when he won his home country’s RBC Canadian Open. He followed with a win at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open and then a victory at the 2025 Sony Open. Taylor recorded 12 top-25 finishes in 2025 and earned more than $5.4 million. With his tie for 33rd finish at the BMW Championship, Taylor qualified for the TOUR Championship. Taylor entered 2026 seeking his first top-10 finish in a Major tournament.

Qualification: 4, 17, 18, 25

Age: 32

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 11th

2025 Masters Finish: T-36

After missing the Masters cut in 2023 and 2024, Thomas posted rounds of 73-71-76-70 in 2025. The following week, he won the RBC Heritage in a playoff for his 16th career PGA Tour victory. Thomas finished the season with eight top-10 finishes in 21 events and more than $10 million in earnings. In November, Thomas had microdiscectomy surgery and was expecting to return by March to the PGA Tour. The two-time PGA Championship winner is seeking to improve his best finish in Augusta, a fourth-place showing in 2020.

Qualification: 25

Age: 27

Residence:

Nokia, Finland

Masters

Appearance: First

2025 Masters Finish: DNP

Sami Valimaki (Finland)

Valimaki turned a good 2025 into a great 2025 in November. In the span of three events, he placed runner-up at the World Wide Technology Championship. After posting a tie for 18th in Bermuda, Valimaki became the first Finnish golfer to win on the PGA Tour. He posted rounds of 66-62-65-66 for a one-shot victory at the RSM Classic. Valimaki climbed 58 spots to No. 40 in the world with the win.

Bubba Watson

Watson will forever be remembered for hooking his pitching wedge around the trees at No. 10 to the green to set up his first Masters win in a two-hole, sudden-death playoff over Louis Oosthuizen. Watson, one of the longest hitters in the game, carved up Augusta National in the final round of the 2014 Masters to pull free for a three-shot victory. Watson joined José María Olazábal, Ben Crenshaw, Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Horton Smith as players with two Green Jackets. Watson, who joined the LIV Golf Tour in 2022, shot 68 in the final round last year for his best Masters finish since 2019 when he tied for 12th place.

Residence:

18th

T-14

Qualification:

Mike Weir (Canada)

In 2003, Weir posted a career year with three victories. At the Masters that year, he closed with 68 and defeated Len Mattiace in a sudden-death playoff for his only Major victory. Weir brought home eight PGA Tour titles between 1999 and 2007. He posted 11 top-10 career Major finishes, his last top-10 showing (a tie for 10th) came in 2009 at the U.S. Open. Last year, on the Champions Tour, Weir made 16 of 18 cuts with three top-25 finishes. Weir is looking to make his first Masters cut since 2020.

Willett underwent a significant left shoulder surgery in September 2023. He’s been trying to work his way back into form since then. After posting a tie for 45th place at the 2024 Masters, Willett made the cut again last year. He played in 15 PGA Tour events in 2025, making the cut in seven of them. Willett became the first Englishman in 20 years to win the Masters in 2016 after posting a finalround 67. One week before Willett teed it up in the 2016 Masters, Nicole Willett had their first of two sons, Zachariah James, on March 30; Noah James was born in December 2017.

Danny Willett (England)

Qualification:

1

Age: 50

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 28th

2025 Masters

Finish: DNP

Tiger Woods

Woods, who turned 50 in December, missed the 2025 after rupturing his Achilles tendon in March 2025. He also underwent his seventh back surgery in October of last year which left his playing status uncertain for 2026. In 2019, Woods made a comeback for the ages at the Masters. He shot 67 in the third round to pull within two shots of leader Francesco Molinari. He created more Masters memories with back-nine birdies at Nos. 13, 15 and 16. Despite carding a bogey on the final hole, Woods held on for his fifth Green Jacket, moving into second place behind only Jack Nicklaus (six) for most Masters titles. The winner of 15 major championships, Woods tied Sam Snead for the most PGA Tour career wins (82) when he won the ZOZO Championship to start the 2019-20 campaign. Woods previously won Masters titles in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005.

Qualification: 14, 17, 18, 25

Age: 28

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2025 Masters

Finish: MC

Cameron Young

After recording consecutive top-10 Masters finishes in 2023 and 2024, Young made a surprising early exit in 2025. Despite the showing, Young posted another remarkable year on the PGA Tour. He opened the Wyndham Championship with rounds of 63-62 and rolled to a six-shot victory, his first career PGA Tour win. He added a tie for fourth place at the Canadian Open, a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open and a tie for fourth at the TOUR Championship. With eight top-10 finishes, he earned more than $8.7 million. The next step for Young will be to win a Major after posting six top-10 Major finishes the past four years.

Known for his zealous antics on and off the course, Fuzzy Zoeller died on November 27, 2025. He was 74. During his his appearance at the 1979 Masters he won the coveted Green Jacket after a dramatic three-man playoff with Ed Sneed and Tom Watson. Zoeller, a two-time winner, remains one of only three players to become the Masters Champion in his debut.

by Peter Dazeley/Getty

Photo