The first major of the 2024 golf season gets underway this week with the 88th edition of the Masters Tournament. Most of the world’s best golfers will be on hand at the iconic golf club in northern Georgia, yet only one will take home the coveted green jacket.
Who’s going to slip on that green jacket in the Butler’s Cabin come sunset on Sunday evening?
Scottie Scheffler is the big favorite, followed by multi-major winners Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, among others.
Below, we rank the top-20 power players for The 2024 Masters Tournament:
20. Tyrrell Hatton
Hatton enters Augusta in solid form, posting three top-15s on the LIV tour. He’s also been part of the winning team event twice… Before joining LIV, the Englishman had reeled off four straight top-15 finishes on the DPWT and PGA Tour, including a runner-up at the BMW PGA at Wentworth… The world No. 19 owns four top-20s in his last seven major starts.
Odds: 80-1
Book Rank: T31
Last 6: 6, 25, 18, 14, 8, 31
Last 6 Majors: 20, 27, 15, 34, 11, 56
Best at The Masters: T18 (2021)
Major Wins: 0
19. Patrick Reed
The 2018 Masters champion enters in questionable form with five straight finishes outside the top 10 on the LIV tour… Still, Reed is a former winner here and has finished in the top-10 in three of the last four Masters, including a T4 in 2023… The Texan played well last weekend at the always-challenging Trump Doral, posting rounds of 69, 69 and 72.
Odds: 80-1
Book Rank: T31
Last 6: 12, 31, 40, 43, 20, 21
Last 6 Majors: 33, 56, 18, 4, 47, 49
Best at The Masters: 1st (2018)
Major Wins: 1
18. Will Zalatoris
Making his Masters debut in 2021, not even a full-fledged PGA Tour member at the time, Zalatoris was a pleasant surprise, finishing runner-up to Hideki Matsuyama… He added a second top-10 at the 2021 PGA Championship and established himself as a big-game player… In 2022 he was even better in the majors, finishing T6, 2nd, T2, T28 in the four majors… Injuries sidelined the Texan for the 2023 season and his return in 2024 has been up and down. He did flash brilliance in back-to-back weeks (T2 and T4) at Riviera and Bay Hill – two elevated events… Incredibly, in just eight career starts in the majors as a tour pro, Zalatoris owns six top-10 finishes.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T12
Last 6: 74, MC, 4, 2, 13, 34
Last 6 Majors: 28, 2, 2, 6, MC, 8
Best at The Masters: 2nd (2021)
Major Wins: 0
17. Collin Morikawa
What do we make of the two-time major champ? He’s been all over the map the past two seasons, largely due to an inconsistent short game. Rocketing out of the gate with two majors in his first two full seasons on the tour, Morikawa was a constant presence near the top of the world rankings. That’s no longer the case, even with half of the top players now on LIV and no longer ranked… Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Morikawa owns just six top-10 finishes in 27 starts… The good news: one of those six top-10s came in the Masters, his second straight top 10 at Augusta.
Odds: 40-1
Book Rank: T17
Last 6: 75, 45, MC, 19, 14, MC
Last 6 Majors: MC, 14, 26, 10, MC, 5
Best at The Masters: 5th (2022)
Major Wins: 2
16. Justin Thomas
The 15-time Tour winner has not landed in the winner’s circle since claiming his second PGA in May 2022, and really does not look close to being his old self despite some media spin. For instance, a player who fires his caddie the week before the Masters is generally not in a good place, professionally… The former top-10 machine enters Augusta amid a season with just two top-10 results in seven starts, including two MCs and a T64 in his last four… So why are we even ranking the Alabama alum? Because up until 2023 he was one of the top-5 most talented golfers in the world whose game seemed tailor-made for Augusta. Thus, the due factor.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T12
Last 6: 64, MC, 12, MC, 12, 6
Last 6 Majors: MC, MC, 65, MC, 53, 37
Best at The Masters: 4th (2020)
Major Wins: 2
15. Viktor Hovland
After ending the 2023 year as the world’s hottest golfer, Hovland incredibly enters Augusta National looking for his first top-10 finish of 2024 – proving how quick things can change in golf… The Norwegian star finished T7 at the Masters last year, then chased it with a runner-up to Brooks Koepka at the PGA Championship… The 26-year-old owns four top-20s, including three top-10s, in his last five major starts.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T12
Last 6: 62, 36, 19, 58, 22, 10
Last 6 Majors: 13, 19, 2, 7, 4, MC
Best at The Masters: T7 (2023)
Major Wins: 0
14. Dustin Johnson
Fully healed from an injury which hampered his game last season, DJ started LIV Golf’s 2024 season on fire with two top-5 finishes including a win in Las Vegas. Since, though, he’s failed to finish inside the top 20 in three straight starts… The longtime world No.1 and 2020 Masters winner holds the tournament record (-20) at Augusta National and is always a threat anywhere he tees it up.
Odds: 40-1
Book Rank: T17
Last 6: 25, 21, 28, 1, 5, MC
Last 6 Majors: MC, 10, 55, 48, 6, 24
Best at The Masters: 1st (2020)
Major Wins: 2
13. Patrick Cantlay
The world No. 7 has not been particularly stellar in majors, with just four top-10s in 24 starts… He’s finished T14 or better in five of his last six major starts but is rarely in contention, producing more backdoor top finishes… On the season, the newly-married Cantlay has mostly struggled (what a surprise – see Thomas, Fowler, Spieth, Smith, etc), posting just one top-10 result.
Odds: 30-1
Book Rank: 11th
Last 6: 68, 36, 4, 11, 56, 52
Last 6 Majors: 33, 14, 9, 14, 8, 14
Best at The Masters: T9 (2019)
Major Wins: 0
12. Wyndham Clark
Clark enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, winning twice on tour, including the U.S. Open… In 2024 he’s been even better with another win (Pebble Beach) and two runner-up finishes (both elevated events)… Incredibly, the 30-year-old reigning U.S. Open champ and the world No. 4 is making his debut at the Masters.
Odds: 25-1
Book Rank: T9
Last 6: 31, 2, 2, MC, 41, 1
Last 6 Majors: 33, 1, MC, 76, MC
Best at The Masters: Debut (2024)
Major Wins: 1
11. Ludvig Aberg
The 24-year-old Swede is a former world No.1 amateur and 2023 winner of the Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Haskins awards as the best collegiate golfer in America… After finishing college at Texas Tech, Aberg immediately won as a pro – first on the DP World Tour, leading to a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, then on the PGA Tour at the RSM Classic… Aberg enters off three top-10 finishes in his last six starts.
Odds: 22-1
Book Rank: 8th
Last 6: 14, 8, 25, 19, 2, 9
Last 6 Majors: DNP
Best at The Masters: Debut (2024)
Major Wins: 0
10. Joaquin Niemann
The young Chilean joined the LIV Golf league as a two-time PGA Tour winner at just 23, while holding a world ranking of 16. But after the OWGR denied world ranking points to LIV, Niemann entered four OWGR-accredited events (DP World Tour and Asian Tour) in the offseason in an attempt to secure world-ranking points. He finished in the top 5 in all four, highlighted by a win at the Australian PGA, a signature event. The 25-year-old star then racked up two wins in his first three starts to 2024 season on LIV… With three wins and six top-5s in his seven most recent starts, the golf establishment was essentially forced to invite Niemann to the Masters.
Odds: 25-1
Book Rank: T9
Last 6: 11, 4, 1, 33, 1, 3
Last 6 Majors: MC, 32, MC, 16, 53, 47
Best at The Masters: T16 (2023)
Major Wins: 0
9. Cameron Smith
The 30-year-old Aussie got married in the offseason and, well, you know how that goes (ask Speith, Fowler, Thomas, Cantlay, etc). Considered one of the greatest putters on the planet, Smith enters Augusta National in less-than-ideal form via LIV, with just two top-10s and a WD last week in Miami… In his last six starts at the Masters, though, Smith owns four top-10 finishes including three top-5s.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T12
Last 6: WD, 3, 43, 20, 10, 17
Last 6 Majors: 33, 4, 9, 34, 1, MC
Best at The Masters: T2 (2020)
Major Wins: 1
8. Jordan Spieth
After two consecutive missed-cuts, Spieth rebounded with a T10 at last week’s Texas Open… The one-time “Golden Child” never quite lived up to the hype following his record-setting three-season run from 2015-2017 when at just 23-years-old he was a 14-time worldwide winner and three-time major champion… Now 30-years-old, Spieth remarkably has won just twice since 2017, spanning parts of seven seasons, and is now considered more of a second-tier threat at the majors — except at Augusta where in 10 career starts, the Texan owns six top-4 results (T2, 1st, T3, 3rd, T3, T4), including two in the last three editions.
Odds: 20-1
Book Rank: T6
Last 6: 10, MC, MC, 30, DQ, 6
Last 6 Majors: 23, MC, 29, 4, 8, 37
Best at The Masters: 1st (2015)
Major Wins: 3
7. Bryson DeChambeau
After a year or two reworking his body, and losing the bulk, the 2020 U.S. Open champ appears close to prime form, ala 2018-2020… Through this transformation, the now 30-year-old has maintained his crazy swing speed… DeChambeau enters with some solid results on the LIV tour: three straight top-7 finishes… The California native has not played particularly well at Augusta with a T21 as an amateur (low am in 2016) his best finish. But he seems due.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T12
Last 6: 7, 7, 4, 11, 26, 60
Last 6 Majors: 60, 20, 4, MC, 8, 56
Best at The Masters: T21 (2016)
Major Wins: 1
6. Xander Schauffele
The reigning Olympic gold medalist enters in good form, including six top-10s in his last eight PGA Tour starts… While he has yet to win a major, Schauffele has consistently fared well on the biggest stages, with 19 top-20s in 26 major starts, including 11 top-10s and six top-5s… Schauffele, Hovland, and Cantlay are considered the best players in the world without a major… Looking for a lock to make the cut? Schauffele brings forward a streak of 40 consecutive cuts-made on the PGA Tour…
Odds: 18-1
Book Rank: 5th
Last 6: 5, 2, 25, 4, 54, 9
Last 6 Majors: 17, 10, 18, 10, 15, 14
Best at The Masters: T2 (2019)
Major Wins: 0
5. Brooks Koepka
The Florida State product does not need help getting himself hyped for majors, as he’s consistently excelled on the biggest stages. In a three-season blitzkrieg (2017-2019), Koepka won four times while finishing runner-up twice more. Starting in 2020, though, Koepka battled through a multitude of injuries which limited his play and hampered his once-dominant style. Now injury free, Koepka returned to the major stage last April and finished T2 at the Masters. He chased it with a win at the PGA – his fifth career major. Despite being a critic of L.A.C.C., he finished T17 at the U.S. Open… Ignore his LIV (and before that his PGA Tour) results. No one is better on the major stage than Brooks Koepka.
Odds: 14-1
Book Rank: 4th
Last 6: 46, 28, 12, 13, 7, 64
Last 6 Majors: 64, 17, 1, 2, MC, 55
Best at The Masters: T2 (2019, 2023)
Major Wins: 5
4. Hideki Matsuyama
The 2021 Masters champion enters Georgia in peak form, with four straight top-12 finishes on the tour, highlighted by a win at Riviera… In his last nine starts at Augusta National, going back to 2015, Matsuyama has finished in the top 20 an incredible eight times. His average finish over this time is 13.11.
Odds: 20-1
Book Rank: T6
Last 6: 7, 6, 12, 1, 22, MC
Last 6 Majors: 35, MC, 16, 19, 5, 14
Best at The Masters: 1st (2021)
Major Wins: 1
3. Rory McIlroy
The Northern Irishman posted a back door solo third spot at last week’s Texas Open… It was his first top-10 finish of the 2024 season… McIlroy will enter Augusta still chasing that elusive fifth major and first Masters title to complete the career Grand Slam… It’s kind of shocking that the 34-year-old has not won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship, which came a month after he’d won the British Open… He’s been far from a no-show on the major stage, though – producing twenty top-10s since 2015 (averaging more than two per season), including seven in his eight most recent major starts – four of those being top-5s.
Odds: 11-1
Book Rank: 2nd
Last 6: 3, 19, 21, 21, 24, 66
Last 6 Majors: 6, 2, 7, MC, 3, 5
Best at The Masters: 2nd (2022)
Major Wins: 4
2. Jon Rahm
The Spaniard enters off fifth place finish in Miami – his fourth top-10 finish of the season on the LIV tour… Before that he posted three straight top-10s on the DP World Tour, including a solo 4 at Wentworth and T5 in Dubai… Rahm is seeking to become the first repeat winner at Augusta since Tiger Woods (2001-02)… In just seven career Masters starts, Rahm already owns five top-10 results, including three top-5s.
Odds: 12-1
Book Rank: 3rd
Last 6: 5, 14, 5, 8, 3, 5
Last 6 Majors: 2, 10, 50, 1, 34, 12
Best at The Masters: 1st (2023)
Major Wins: 2
1. Scottie Scheffler
The world No. 1 enters in tip-top form, with six consecutive top-10 finishes, including a current streak of three straight top-2s (T2, 1st, 1st)… In his last 11 major starts, the Texan owns eight top-10 finishes, including four top-3s (meaning he’s regularly contending)… Scheffler leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: overall, tee to green, off the tee and approach.
Odds: 4-1
Book Rank: 1st
Last 6: 2, 1, 1, 10, 3, 6
Last 6 Majors: 23, 3, 2, 10, 21, 2
Best at The Masters: 1st (2022)
Major Wins: 1
Eight More: Tom Kim, Max Homa, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley
Joel Cook contributed.
