With azaleas poised to bloom at Augusta National and the 2026 Masters just weeks away, some of professional golf’s most recognizable stars are still fighting for their invitations while others have faced the reality of missing out on the season’s first major.

The field is currently comprised 88 players, but a handful of familiar faces remain on the outside looking in — and at this late stage, the only realistic path for most is climbing into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of March 30.

Tour winners and crowd favorites are among those sweating the final Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) update. Wins in this week’s Valero Texas Open (PGA Tour) or Hero Indian Open (DP World Tour) could also open doors, but the ranking cutoff is the primary lifeline now that other exemptions have expired.

Here are some of the most notable PGA Tour names still on the bubble, according to the latest OWGR standings:

• Rickie Fowler (No. 61) — The fan-favorite American and 2018 Masters runner-up has made 11 previous appearances at Augusta but needs a strong push in the coming days. A top 5 finish in Houston should vault Fowler inside the top 50 and keep his streak alive. If not, he would have to win the following week’s Texas Open to qualify.
• Sahith Theegala (No. 80) He has made the weekend in each of his three Masters appearances, highlighted by a T9 in 2023. But a slump in 2025 resulted in FedEx Cup finish of 147th while falling outside the OWGR top 100. In nine starts to 2026, Theegala has three top 10s including a T6 at Bay Hill. He’ll need a solo top-3 finish or better in Houston or a win in San Antonio to get into the Masters.
• Billy Horschel (No. 87) — The fiery veteran and eight-time PGA Tour winner has played in 10 Masters but is poised to sit this one out unless he makes a late surge. He’s coming off hip surgery and hasn’t posted a top-10 since last year’s Valspar Championship. Horschel will need a top 3 finish in Houston or a win in San Antonio.
• Tony Finau (No. 104) — The six-time PGA Tour winner has been a mainstay at the Masters in recent years, with a runner-up finish in 2019 alongside Tiger Woods. His form has dipped sharply — no top-10s since February 2025 — putting him at real risk of missing the event for the first time in years. Finau would need to finish first or second in Houston to punch a ticket to Augusta via the OWGR top 50. Like Fowler, a win in San Antonio the following week would also do the trick.
• Tom Kim (No. 127) — The young South Korean star has made 15 consecutive starts in majors, since his 2022 debut at the PGA, but could miss his first major in four years amid a slump which began in early 2025 (no top-10s in 13 months). His three PGA Tour wins, and a world ranking of No. 11 at just 20, show the talent is there for a quick climb. Kim needs a win in one of the next two events to qualify.

On the LIV Golf side, the picture is even more tense, despite the league’s recent addition of OWGR points, as the upstart league gets minimal points and will not tee it up again before March 30:

• Thomas Detry (No. 57) — The Belgian needed a runner-up or better finish in South Africa. Instead, he finished third. He sits agonizingly close after a strong start to the LIV season but unfortunately, he’ll miss this year’s edition.
• David Puig (No. 75) — The rising Spanish talent has played in five other majors through Asian Tour success and qualifiers but has never teed it up at the Masters. He’s entered into this week’s Hero Indian Open where a win would vault him into the field alongside compatriots, and former Masters winners, Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia.
• Elvis Smylie (No. 79) — The 23-year-old Aussie won the maiden LIV event of the season and added a top 10 in Hong Kong. The young star will need a win at this week’s India Open to book his first trip to Augusta National.
• Joaquin Niemann (No. 155) — The dominant Chilean has seven LIV individual titles and previously earned special invitations to Augusta in 2024 and 2025. If LIV were awarded OWGR points in 2025, Niemann, with five wins on the season, would still be ranked in the top 50 right now, but at 155, he’ll miss this year’s edition.