2024 Masters Contenders

Contenders Masters 2024

By Chris Gay

Martin Miller/Augusta National Golf Club

1. Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)

2024 QUALIFICATIONS

2. U.S. Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)

3. British Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)

4. PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)

5. Winners of The Players Championship (Three years)

6. Current Olympic Gold Medalist (One year)

7. Current US Amateur Champion (7-A) (Honorary, non-competing after 1 year) and the runner-up (7-B) to the 2021 US Amateur Champion

8. Current British Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after 1 year)

9. Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion

10. Current Latin America Amateur Champion

11. Current US Mid-Amateur Champion

12. Current NCAA Division I Men’s Individual champion

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

Tommy Aaron

Ángel Cabrera

Charles Coody

Ben Crenshaw

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

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

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

17. Winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from the previous Masters to current Masters

18. Those qualifying for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship

19. The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year

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

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

PAST CHAMPIONS NOT PLAYING IN 2024 MASTERS

Nick Faldo

Raymond Floyd

Trevor Immelman

Contenders as of April 5, 2024

Qualification: 17, 19

Age: 24

Residence:

Lubbock, Texas

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters Finish: DNP

Ludvig Åberg (Sweden)

Bernard Langer

Sandy Lyle

Larry Mize

Åberg made golf history in 2023 by finishing first in the PGA Tour University Class of 2023, turning professional and joining the PGA Tour following the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. He became the first player to join the Tour directly from college via PGA Tour University. In his senior season at Texas Tech University, Åberg posted a 68.78 scoring average and was ranked the No. 1 collegiate golfer. Last fall, he was chosen to play for the European team in The Ryder Cup, where he won two points to help defeat the United States. Last November, Åberg closed The RSM Classic with weekend rounds of 61-61 for a four-shot victory, his first PGA Tour title.

Jack Nicklaus

Mark O’Meara

Gary Player

Qualification: 17, 18, 19

Age: 37

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters Finish: T-23

Keegan Bradley

Craig Stadler

Tom Watson

Ian Woosnam

Fuzzy Zoeller

Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, posted his greatest season on the PGA Tour during the 2022-23 campaign. Not only did he claim his fifth PGA Tour title in the ZOZO Championship in 2022, Bradley added career win No. 6 in June when he opened the Travelers Championship with rounds of 62-63 en route to a three-shot victory. He finished ninth in the FexExCup standings, earning more than $9 million, while also extending his fully-exempt status through 2026. At the 2023 Masters, Bradley recorded his secondlowest finish in Augusta with his tie for 23rd place.

Qualification: 18, 19

Age: 27

Residence:

Choudrant, La.

Masters Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: T-29

Sam Burns

Burns has been one of the tour’s top golfers the past three seasons. During that stretch, he’s played in 76 tournaments and earned more than $19 million. After winning twice in 2021 and winning twice again in 2022, Burns added PGA Tour victory No. 5 at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event, when he bested Cameron Young, 6 and 5, in the final match. Burns opened the 2023 Masters with rounds of 68-71 to find himself within striking distance of the leaders. A third-round 78, capped by a triple-bogey 7 at No. 18, led to Burns falling off the pace.

Qualification:

18, 19

Age: 32

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters Finish: T-14

Qualification:

2, 14, 17, 18, 19

Age: 30

Residence: Denver, Colo.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters Finish: DNP

Wyndham Clark

Clark is making his first Masters appearance after coming out of nowhere to win the 2023 U.S. Open in his seventh major appearance. Before that victory, he missed the cut twice at the U.S. Open, added two other missed cuts and never finished better than 75th in a major. Clark took a one-shot lead into the final round over Rory McIlroy. After McIlroy bogeyed the par-5 14th and Clark recorded a birdie, the lead expanded to three shots with four holes to play. While Clark bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16, he made two clutch pars on the final two holes to secure a one-shot victory for his first major championship.

Qualification: 19

Age: 35

Residence: Tequesta, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Patrick Cantlay

During his 2022-23 PGA Tour campaign, Cantlay earned the most money he’s won in a season, collecting more than $10 million. And he did this without winning a tournament for the first time since 2020. So how did he earn more money than he did when he won four times in 2021? Cantlay finished runner-up twice, third twice and added six more top-10 finishes. One of those finishes was a fifthplace showing at the TOUR Championship, which earned him $3 million. At the 2023 Masters, Cantlay entered the final round in the next-to-last pairing, five shots off the lead. A short approach at No. 1 led to an opening bogey and an eventual 75. Cantlay went on to tie for ninth at the PGA Championship, while also tying for 14th place at the U.S. Open.

Eric Cole

Cole’s name might not sound familiar to the casual golf fan, but golf is in his blood. His mother, Laura Baugh, won the 1971 U.S. Women’s Amateur and played for almost three decades on the Ladies Professional Golf Assoication (LPGA) Tour. His father, Bobby Cole, won on the PGA Tour in 1977, capturing the Buick Open title. Cole played for years on the Minor League Golf Tour before making his way to the Korn Ferry Tour, where he finished tied for third at the 2022 TOUR Championship to earn his PGA Tour card. He entered 2023 ranked just inside the top 400 in the world, but his two runner-up finishes, two third and three other top-10 showings helped him climb all the way to No. 41 after The RSM Classic in November.

Qualification:

18, 19

Age: 32

Residence:

Listowel, Ontario

Masters Appearance:

Seventh 2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Corey Conners (Canada)

After a string of three consecutive top-10 finishes at the Masters, Conners shockingly missed the cut after opening with rounds of 73-79. In the second round, he was one shot inside the cut line before shooting 6 over on his final five holes. Despite his Masters showing, Conners recorded his best season on the PGA Tour last season. He won for the second time at the Valero Texas Open, posted four other top-10 finishes and won more than $5.5 million.

Qualification: 1

Age: 64

Residence:

Newport Beach, Calif.

Masters

Appearance: 39th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-50

Qualification: 16, 19

Age: 29

Residence: Seattle, Wash.

Masters Appearance: Second

2023 Masters Finish: DNP

Cameron Davis (Australia)

Davis is making his second Masters appearance in three years thanks to his play at the 2023 PGA Championship. Davis posted a final-round 65 to climb into a tie for fourth-place with Kurt Kitayama and Bryson DeChambeau, finishing six shots behind champion Brooks Koepka. While he didn’t record a victory in the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, Davis finished in the top-10 eight times en route to earning more than $5 million, his most winnings in a PGA Tour season.

Qualification:

15, 17, 18, 19

Age: 36

Residence:

Forest Lake, Queensland; Columbus, Ohio

Masters Appearance: 13th

2023 Masters Finish: T-39

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 us 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 in October. He posted rounds of 68-68-60 for a six-shot victory. He made the Masters cut last year for the first time since 2018.

Jason Day (Australia)

Day won on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2018 when he claimed the AT&T Byron Nelson event in May. Day closed the tournament with a final-round 62 to capture his 13th career PGA Tour title. After finishing 124th in the FedExCup standings one season earlier, Day recorded 13 top-25 finishes and earned more than $6.9 million en route to a top-30 finish in the FedExCup standings. Day sat at 3 under through three rounds of the 2023 Masters, but he recorded four double bogeys during a five-hole stretch in the final round on his way to a closing 80 which dropped him down the leaderboard.

Qualification: 10

Age: 22

Residence: Houston, Texas

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Santiago De La Fuente (Mexico)

De La Fuente is a senior golfer at the University of Houston. He became the second Mexican to win the Latin America Amateur Championship after posting a final-round 64 in January for a one-shot victory. The win earned De La Fuente a spot in the 2024 Masters, U.S. Open and British Open. In his junior season at Houston, he led the team with a 70.71 scoring average en route to winning All-America honors.

Qualification: 2, 16

Age: 30

Residence: Dallas, Texas

Masters

Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Qualification: 7-A, 17

Age: 20

Residence: Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Nick Dunlap

After a successful freshman campaign at the University of Alabama when he led his team with a 70.35 stroke average and earned all-conference honors, Dunlap continued his success throughout the summer. The No. 1-ranked junior golfer in 2022, Dunlap found himself in elite company after he won the U.S. Amateur in August. Dunlap defeated Neal Shipley not only to win the U.S. Amateur, but he became just the second golfer to win the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship. The first? Tiger Woods. In January, Dunlap rolled in a six-foot par putt on the final hole to win the American Express Championship, becoming the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991.

Qualification: 19

Age: 34

Residence:

Sea Island, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-43

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau is playing on the fourth year of a five-year Masters Tournament exemption for winning the 2020 U.S. Open. Despite the strength and bulk he gained during the Covid pandemic in 2020, DeChambeau’s best finish at the Masters so far is a tie for 21st place in 2016 when he was an amateur. Last year, he missed the cut for the second time, posting consecutive rounds of 74-74 to miss the weekend by one shot. In 2022, DeChambeau joined the LIV Golf tour for a rumored sum of more than $125 million through the 2026 season. In 13 LIV Golf events in 2023, he recorded a pair of individual titles, including a win at The Greenbrier Classic, where he shot 58 in the final round for a six-shot victory.

Harris English

English underwent hip surgery in 2022 and missed five months on the PGA Tour. He rebounded with a fantastic season in 202223, recording five top-10 finishes and earning more than $5.6 million. English finished the year ranked No. 38 in the FedExCup standings. His tie for third at the Wells Fargo Championship moved him to No. 36 in the world, solidifying his spot in the top 50 for the rest of the year. English has made three cuts at the Masters, but he has yet to contend for a Green Jacket.

Qualification:

17, 18, 19

Age: 34

Residence:

Lehi, Utah

Masters Appearance:

Seventh

2023 Masters

Finish: T-26

Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) Tony Finau

While Finau hasn’t found much success the past two years in Augusta, he has made his mark on the PGA Tour. Finau has won four PGA Tour tournaments the past two years, including wins at the Houston Open at the beginning of the 2022-23 season and at the Mexico Open in April. Finau has made the cut in each of his previous six Masters appearances, though he hasn’t made a top-10 showing since 2021. Last year, Finau opened with 69, but that was his only under-par round as he finished at even-par 288. Finau and his wife, Alayna, have five children: Jraice, Leilene Aiaga, Tony, Sage and Sienna-Vee.

Qualification:

2, 13, 17, 18, 19

Age: 29

Residence:

Sheffield, England

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-10

Qualification: 18, 19

Age: 33

Residence:

Southport, England

Masters

Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters

Finish: 33rd

Tommy Fleetwood (England)

In the 2022-23 season, Fleetwood made his most starts in a PGA Tour season since becoming a regular member in 2018. That extra play paid big dividends as Fleetwood made the cut in 18 of 21 events, finishing in the top-10 nine times. While he didn’t win a tournament, Fleetwood recorded a runner-up showing and two thirds en route to more than $6.5 million in winnings. In the fall, Fleetwood went 3-1-0 in the Ryder Cup, posting the clinching point by defeating Rickie Fowler, 3 and 1, in singles play for Team Europe’s victory over the United States.

Qualification: 17, 18, 19

Age: 35

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 11th

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Fitzpatrick continues to play exceptional golf on the PGA Tour after winning the 2022 U.S. Open. Last spring, he got hot in time to post his second career top-10 finish at the Masters. The following week, he birdied the third sudden-death playoff to defeat Jordan Spieth to win the RBC Heritage. Later, he placed runner-up at the BMW Championship, eventually finishing with more than $8 million in winnings. Fitzpatrick has found success in Augusta, making eight consecutive cuts. Last year’s finish was his best Masters showing since 2016, when he tied for seventh place.

Rickie Fowler

Fowler is back in Augusta, making his first Masters appearance since 2020. From 20142020, Fowler finished tied for 12th or better five times in the Masters. After finishing outside of the top 125 in the FedExCup standings in the previous two seasons, Fowler kicked off his 2022-23 season on the PGA Tour season with a tie for sixth place at the Fortinet Championship. One month later, he tied for second at the ZOZO Championship, climbing 54 spots to No. 106 in the world rankings. Fowler continued his solid play into late spring, when he kicked off a run of three consecutive top-10 finishes at the Charles Scwab Challenge. At the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Fowler birdied the first sudden-death playoff hole to defeat Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin for his first PGA Tour win since 2019.

Qualification: 19

Age: 37

Residence:

London; Auckland, New Zealand

Masters

Appearance: Second

2023 Masters

Finish: T-26

Ryan Fox (New Zealand)

Fox played a mix of golf tournaments around the world last season. While he didn’t find much luck in 13 PGA Tour starts, Fox continued his winning ways on the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour). At the BMW PGA Championship in September, Fox recorded four rounds in the 60s and defeated Tyrrell Hatton and Aaron Rai by one shot for his fourth DP World Tour victory, third in two years. In his first Masters appearance last year, Fox opened with rounds of 70-71, but he fell back after making three double bogeys in his final 21 holes. He made the cut in all four of his 2023 major tournament appearances.

Qualification: 1

Age: 44

Residence: Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Masters

Appearance: 25th

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Qualification: 17, 18, 19

Age: 44

Residence:

Tequesta, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Lucas Glover

After missing the Masters last year, Glover is back in the field coming off a hot stretch in August. He fired a third-round 62 in the third round of the Wyndham Championship for an eventual two-shot victory, his fifth PGA Tour win. One week later, he defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff. The back-to-back victories helped him accumulate more than $6.3 million in winnings last season. It also gave him fully-exempt status through 2026. Glover tied for 30th place in his previous Masters appearance in 2022.

Qualification: 17, 18, 19

Age: 31

Residence:

San Diego, Calif.

Masters

Appearance: Fourth

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Sergio García (Spain)

García played in 13 LIV Golf events during the 2022-23 season, his best finish coming in late April in Singapore. He finished runnerup after falling to Talor Gooch in a playoff. García’s Fireballs GC team won twice on tour last season. At the 2023 Masters, García shot 74-77 to miss the cut for the fourth time since 2018. In the 2017 Masters, he won the Green Jacket after rolling in a 14-foot eagle putt in the final round and making a suddendeath playoff with Justin Rose. García rolled in a birdie putt at No. 18 to win the Masters, his first major championship.

Emiliano Grillo (Argentina)

Grillo is returning to the Masters for the first time since 2019. He played in 33 PGA Tour events in the 2022-23 season, making 23 cuts and recording eight top-10 finishes. Grillo captured his second career PGA Tour victory last season, first since 2015, but it wasn’t easy. He carried a two-shot lead into the final hole of the Charles Scwab Challenge, but his drive landed in a creek. He went on to make double bogey and faced Adam Schenk in a playoff. Grillo birdied the second extra hole for the victory. He finished the season with more than $5.4 million in winnings.

Qualification: 19

Age: 36

Residence:

Abbotsford, British Columbia Masters

Appearance: Fourth

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Adam Hadwin (Canada)

Hadwin is back in the Masters for the first time since 2020. He climbed 10 spots in the world rankings to No. 46 after his runner-up showing in the Shriners Children’s Open in late fall. He was able to end the year ranked No. 49, with the top 50 players in the world qualified for Augusta. Hadwin finished second three times in 2023 and added three other top-10 finishes to earn more than $4.7 million, his highest-earning season on the PGA Tour.

Qualification: 11

Age: 32

Residence: Newport Beach, Calif.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Qualification: 3, 18, 19

Age: 37

Residence: St. Simons Island, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: Sixth

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Brian Harman

While Harman has found little luck in his time playing the Masters, he found another major tournament suited his game well in 2023. At the British Open at Royal Liverpool, Harman opened with rounds of 67-65 and cruised to a six-shot victory for his first major title. Harman became just the third left-handed golfer to win the British Open. He finished the 2022-23 season with more than $9 million in earnings thanks to three runner-up finishes and three additional top-10 showings. At the 2023 Masters, Harman bogeyed four of the first seven holes en route to an opening 77 and his second consecutive missed cut at the Masters.

Qualification: 18, 19

Age: 32

Residence: Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Masters

Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-34

Stewart Hagestad

Hagestad won his third U.S. Mid-Amateur Golf Championship last summer when he defeated Evan Beck, 3 and 2, in the final match. He returns to Augusta for the first time since 2022, when he missed the Masters cut. In 2017, Hagestad became the first U.S. Mid-Amateur champion to make a Masters cut, earning low amateur honors with his tie for 36th place. He will celebrate his 33rd birthday during the Wednesday of the Par-3 Contest.

Tyrrell Hatton (England)

While Hatton failed to win on the PGA Tour in 2023, he still earned more than $8 million. Hatton played consistently good golf throughout the year, making the cut in 20 of 21 events. Of those 20 made cuts, he turned in seven top-10 finishes. Hatton finished solo second at THE PLAYERS Championship to take home $2.725 million. He made the cut in all four majors, posting top-20 finishes at the PGA Championship and British Open. At the 2023 Masters, Hatton opened with 71, his lone under-par round of the tournament.

Qualification:

13, 18, 19

Age: 34

Residence: Columbus, Ga.

Masters Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-4

Russell Henley

Henley, a Georgia native and former Georgia Bulldog, played his way to his best Masters finish yet, when he tied for fourth last year, finishing five shots behind champion Jon Rahm. After opening with 73, Henley rebounded with rounds of 67-71-70. While he found 50 of 56 fairways in the tournament and had zero three-putt greens, Henley could’ve contended for a Green Jacket had he been able to score better on the back nine. In the final two rounds, he recorded 17 pars and one birdie on holes 10-18. Still, he recorded his best finish in a major. Henley ended the 2022-23 season with more than $6.3 million in earnings, his best PGA Tour year to date.

Qualification: 17

Age: 28

Residence: Athens, Ala.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Lee Hodges

Hodges made the most of his second full season on the PGA Tour in 2022-23. At the 3M Open, he opened with rounds of 63-64 and never looked back. He became that tournament’s first wire-to-wire winner, posting a seven-shot victory. He added two eagles in the final round as the exclamation point to his first PGA Tour victory. Hodges, a former University of Alabama golfer who lists duck hunting and sports card collecting as two of his hobbies, earned more than $3.7 million last year. He will be making his fourth major tournament appearance, first in Augusta.

Qualification: 19

Age: 23

Residence: Aarhus, Denmark

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Nicolai Højgaard (Denmark)

Højgaard qualified for the 2024 Masters by finishing 2023 ranked No. 50 in the World Golf Rankings. He began the year ranked outside of the top 100 and didn’t make a big move until late in the year while playing on the DP World Tour. After finishing second at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, he climbed to No. 70. The next week, Højgaard claimed his biggest victory to date. He closed the DP World Tour Championship with 64 for a two-shot victory. The win pushed him up 20 spots in the world rankings to No. 50 where he remained to end the year.

Qualification: 18, 19

Age: 33

Residence: Scottsdale, Ariz.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-43

Max Homa

Homa has been one of the PGA Tour’s hottest golfers lately. In the past three years, Homa has won five tournaments and earned almost $20 million. During the 2022-23 season, Homa won twice, added 11 more top-10 finishes and earned more than $10 million. He kicked off the 2023-24 season by winning the DP World Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge. Homa was even through three rounds of the 2023 Masters before closing with 78. Later in the year, he posted his best major finish when he tied for 10th place at the British Open.

Qualification:

13, 16, 17, 18, 19

Age: 26

Residence: Stillwater, Okla.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-7

Viktor Hovland (Norway)

What a season it was in 2022-23 for Viktor Hovland. He not only finished tied for 13th or better in all four majors, Hovland also won three events. He made the cut in all 23 tournaments he entered, posted nine top-10 finishes and after winning the BMW Championship he traveled to the TOUR Championship with the No. 1 ranking. At East Lake, Hovland finished in first at 27-under for an $18 million payday. At the 2023 Masters, Hovland entered the final round three shots off the lead before recording a final-round 74. Hovland later finished tied for second at the PGA Championship. He enters this year’s Masters seeking his first major tournament victory.

Qualification: 18, 19

Age: 25

Residence:

Jeju, South Korea

Masters

Appearance: Fourth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-16

Qualification: 1

Age: 39

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: 14th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-48

Dustin Johnson

Johnson became another high-profile player who left the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf tour in 2022. In 13 LIV Golf events in 2023, Johnson won the Tulsa event in a playoff and added two team victories. In 2020, the South Carolina native set the Masters Tournament’s 72-hole scoring record at 20-under (6570-65-68) to win a rare fall Green Jacket. Johnson, the 2016 U.S. Open champion, is halfway to the career Grand Slam. Last year, he tied for 10th at the U.S. Open, his best finish in a 2023 major. Johnson opened the 2023 Masters with rounds of 71-72 before closing with rounds of 78-75. The tie for 48th place was his worst four-round finish in Augusta.

Qualification: 1

Age: 48

Residence:

St. Simons Island, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: 20th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-34

Sungjae Im (Korea)

Im posted his third top-20 finish in the Masters last year, a second-round 76 preventing him from getting into contention. Despite his play in Augusta, Im had another solid year on the PGA Tour, with nine top-10 finishes for more than $6.6 million. At THE PLAYERS Championship, Im opened with 75 but rallied to finish tied for sixth. Despite failing to win on the PGA Tour last year, Im traveled to South Korea and won the Woori Financial Group Championship after shooting a final-round 68 for a one-shot victory.

Zach Johnson

Johnson owns 12 career PGA Tour victories and has accumulated more than $48 million in earnings. For the second consecutive year, Johnson failed to record a top-10 finish during a season. Despite finishing No. 154 in the FedExCup standings, Johnson received status this season by being in the top 50 in career money on tour. He is the owner of two major titles — the 2007 Masters and the 2015 British Open. In 2007, he closed with 69 to win the Green Jacket by two shots, his first major victory. In 2015, he rode a fiveweek hot stretch during the summer to his second major championship. During that run, Johnson posted four top-six finishes, including a victory at the British Open. He and his wife, Kim Barclay, have three children (Will, Wyatt and Abby Jane).

Qualification: 18, 19

Age: 28

Residence: Dallas, Texas

Masters

Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-29

Si Woo Kim

Kim recorded his fourth PGA Tour win last year when he shot four rounds in the 60s to take home the Sony Open title. He posted 11 top25 finishes throughout the 2022-23 season and won more than $5.5 million. He shot 63 in the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson to tie for second place. After missing the cut in the 2017 Masters, Kim has posted four top30 finishes in Augusta. He is still seeking his first top-10 finish in a major.

Qualification: 15, 17, 18, 19

Age: 21

Residence:

Dallas, Texas

Masters

Appearance: Second

2023 Masters

Finish: T-16

Qualification: 17

Age: 38

Residence: Athens, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-23

Chris Kirk

Kirk kicked off 2024 in the way every golfer wants — by winning the first tournament of the year. Kirk shot 67-65-66-65 to win The Sentry by one shot over Sahith Theegala. It was Kirk’s sixth PGA Tour victory, second in 11 months. In February 2023, he won the Honda Classic in a playoff over Eric Cole. Kirk finished the 2022-23 season with more than $4.1 million in winnings. Last year, he played in Augusta for the first time in seven years. Despite opening with two bogeys and a double bogey in the first five holes, Kirk rebounded to post 2-under-par 70 in the first round. He went on to post his second-best Masters finish.

Qualification: 16, 19

Age: 31

Residence: Henderson, Nev.

Masters

Appearance: Second

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Tom Kim (Korea)

In less than two years, Kim has earned his PGA Tour card, collected three tour victories and recorded two top-10 finishes in the majors. And he won’t turn 22 until June.

After shooting 24-under to win the Shriners Children’s Open to kick off the 2022-23 season, he turned around and won it again this past October. With those two wins, he earned more than $7.7 million in 2023. Kim played well in his first Masters appearance, posting rounds of 70-72-74-70. Later in the year, he tied for eighth at the U.S. Open before tying for second at the British Open.

Kurt Kitayama

Kitayama earned his first career PGA Tour victory in 2023. Despite closing the Arnold Palmer International with consecutive rounds of 72, he held on for a one-shot victory. Kitayama added a runner-up finish and two other top-10 showings for more than $6.8 million in earnings during the 202223 season. Kitayama fired a final-round 65 to surge into a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship, his first top-10 finish in a major. In his first Masters appearance last year, Kitayama posted rounds of 75-77 for an early exit.

Qualification:

4, 13, 19

Age: 33

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: Ninth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-2

Brooks Koepka

Last year marked a return to form for Koepka, who was ranked No. 1 in the world for 47 weeks between 2018 and 2020. He suffered his worst year in the major championships in 2022, failing to post a top-10 finish for the first time since 2013, and he plummeted out of the top 100 in the world rankings. Also in 2022, he joined the LIV Golf tour. On the major scene, he proved himself once again by almost winning his first Masters title before bringing home his fifth major title when he won the PGA Championship by two shots over Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland. Koepka also added two titles on the LIV Golf tour in 2023. At the 2023 Masters, Koepka recorded his second runner-up showing in five years. He opened with rounds of 65-67 for a two-shot lead over Jon Rahm at the halfway mark. Both players shot 73 in the raindelayed third round, then Koepka entered the final round on top. After posting three bogeys on the first nine, Koepka slipped back and finished with 75.

Qualification: 19

Age: 25

Residence:

Perth, Australia

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Qualification: 8

Age: 23

Residence: Atlanta, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Min Woo Lee (Australia)

Lee splits his time playing around the world. He won his third DP World Tour when he shot an opening 64 at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship for an eventual three-shot victory. In the 2022-23 season, he played in 14 PGA Tour tournaments, recording four top10 finishes. While Lee missed the cut at the 2023 Masters, he made the cut in the other three majors. He recorded his best major finish at the U.S. Open when he finished tied for fifth.

Qualification: 17

Age: 39

Residence:

Augusta, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Christo Lamprecht (South Africa)

Lamprecht, a senior golfer at Georgia Tech Institute of Technology, played his way to an invitation down I-20 by becoming the third South African in six years to win the British Amateur Championship with a 3 and 2 victory over Ronan Kleu. The 6-foot-8 Lamprecht entered 2024 as the No. 2 amateur in the world. He earned first-team, All-America honors after recording eight top-10 finishes during the 2022-23 college golf season.

Luke List

List, a native Georgian who played college golf at Vanderbilt University, will compete in the Masters for the second time in three years after making his first appearance in 2005 as an amateur. List, who lives in Augusta with his wife, Chloe, and their two children, won his second career PGA Tour event in two years in October. In a five-way playoff, List rolled in a long birdie putt to claim the title. In 32 events in the 2022-23 seasons, List recorded nine top-25 finishes and earned more than $3 million.

Qualification:

3, 19

Age: 37

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-16

Shane Lowry (Ireland)

In 2023, Lowry recorded 11 top-20 finishes across the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Three of those top-20 finishes came in major events. He opened the 2023 Masters with 68, but that was his only round under par in the tournament. Lowry is playing on the final year of his five-year exemption for winning the 2019 British Open. He also qualified by finishing in the top 50 in the world rankings, though he started 2023 ranked No. 20 and had fallen more than 20 spots by early January 2024.

Qualification:

1, 19

Age: 32

Residence: Sendai, Japan

Masters

Appearance: 13th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-16

Qualification: 19

Age: 31

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Denny McCarthy

It’s been a slow and steady climb in the world rankings for McCarthy, who ended 2021 ranked No. 179. He recorded five top-10 finishes in 2022, including a tie for seventh at the U.S. Open, which helped him end the year ranked No. 80. He continued to progress in 2023, posting eight top-10 showings, including a solo second at the Memorial Tournament. With more than $6.6 million in winnings last season, McCarthy finished 2023 ranked No. 34 in the world.

Qualification:

14, 17, 18, 19

Age: 34

Residence:

Holywood, Northern Ireland

Masters

Appearance: 16th

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

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 was in contention midway through the 2022 Masters before turning in a third-round 77. Last year, he was six shots off the lead entering the final round, when he closed with 75. Matsuyama played in 26 PGA Tour events in the 2022-23 season. While he didn’t bring home a title after winning twice the previous season, the golfer posted two top-10 finishes, including a solo fifth at THE PLAYERS Championship. He earned more than $3.8 million.

Rory McIlory (Northern Ireland)

As McIlroy seeks his first Green Jacket to complete the career Grand Slam, the question is: which Rory will show up in Augusta? The one who contended from 201422, with seven top-10 Masters finishes? Or the one who missed the cut two of the past three years in Augusta? McIlroy remains one of the game’s best golfers. Despite having not won a major title since 2014, he recorded three top-10 major finishes in 2023. During his season, he won twice, finished second twice, placed third twice and earned more than $13.9 million, his highest-earning season ever on the PGA Tour. Now, the 24time PGA Tour winner is seeking to complete his major quest after winning the 2011 U.S. Open, the 2012 PGA Championship, the 2014 British Open and the 2014 PGA Championship titles.

Qualification: 19

Age: 30

Residence: Poland

Masters

Appearance: Second

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Adrian Meronk (Poland)

Meronk played in all four majors for the first time in 2023, a tie for 23rd at the British Open as his best major finish. Meronk won three times during the 2022-23 season on the DP World Tour to finish first in the Race to Dubai Rankings, which secured him a PGA Tour card for the 2023-24 season. He also received an exemption into THE PLAYERS Championship. More importantly, Meronk finished inside the top 50 in the world rankings to qualify again for Augusta. Meronk shot 4-over on the par-5 holes in his first Masters appearance to miss the cut by two shots. A double bogey at No. 13 and then a bogey at No. 15 led to a second-round 76 and a plane ticket out of Augusta.

Qualification: 1, 4, 13

Age: 53

Residence:

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Masters

Appearance: 31st

2023 Masters

Finish: T-2

Phil Mickelson

After not playing in the 2022 Masters amidst the LIV Golf controversy and his eventual membership on the new tour, Mickelson roared back in vintage Augusta style last year. The three-time Masters champion birdied five of the final seven holes for a closing 65, the lowest round on Sunday, for his best finish since tying for second in 2015. Mickelson recorded his 45th career win on the PGA Tour when he brought home the 2021 PGA Championship, becoming the oldest player to win a major tournament. He later added wins in October and November on the Champions TOUR to cap off his 2021. In 2022, he joined the LIV Golf tour for a reported $200 million. Through 13 LIV tournaments in 2023, Mickelson recorded just one top-10 finish.

Qualification: 18

Age: 30

Residence: Dallas, Texas

Masters

Appearance: Second

2023 Masters

Finish: T-39

Taylor Moore

Moore was a late entry into the 2023 Masters after he claimed his first PGA Tour victory in March at the Valspar Championship. Moore closed with 67, including a five-foot par putt on the final hole, for a one-shot victory. Moore made three other top-10 finishes in 2023 and won more than $5 million. More importantly, he finished just inside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings to qualify for the TOUR Championship, which got him back into the Masters. In 2023, he was 1 under through three rounds at the Masters until posting a final-round 78.

Qualification: 3, 4, 13, 17, 18, 19

Age: 27

Residence: Las Vegas, Nev.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-20

Collin Morikawa

After winning four times in 2020 and 2021, Morikawa failed to post a victory in 2022. He returned to his winning ways, though, in 2023. He shot 66-63 on the weekend to close the ZOZO Championship with a six-shot victory. Morikawa finished the year with seven top-10 finishes for more than $7 million in winnings. He posted his only top-10 major finish of the season in the Masters, where he tied for fifth the previous year. In 2023, he opened the Masters with consecutive rounds of 69 and sat six shots off the lead before a third-round 74 dropped him out of contention.

Qualification: 17

Age: 30

Residence: Raleigh, N.C.

Masters

Appearance: First

2022 Masters

Finish: DNP

Grayson Murray

Murray is making his first Augusta appearance after winning the Sony Open in January. He shot a career-low 63 in the second round and then needed some late magic for the victory. He fired a wedge to three feet for a birdie on the final hole of regulation to make a three-way playoff. On the first extra hole, Murray rolled in a 39-foot birdie putt for his second career PGA Tour victory. With his check for $1.49 million from his Sony Open victory, Murray won more than he had in the previous five seasons combined on the PGA Tour. In 2017, he won the Barbasol Championship, a win that didn’t qualify him for the Masters.

Qualification: 1

Age: 58

Residence: Fuenterrabia, Spain

Masters

Appearance: 35th

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

José María Olazábal (Spain)

The winner of the 1994 and 1999 Masters, Olazábal has posted eight top-10 showings in Augusta. In 1999, he made a triumphant comeback after what was initially thought to be a foot injury (later treated as a lower back injury), forcing 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. The golfer last contended in the Masters in 2006, with a tie for third place, although he hasn’t won a tournament since 2005. He captained the European Ryder Cup team to a one-point victory over the United States in 2012. Olazábal missed the cut at the 2023 Masters after posting rounds of 77-77.

Tournament Week Specials Available: April 8 - 15, 2024

Qualification: 17

Age: 31

Residence:

Encamp, Andorra

Masters

Appearance: First

2022 Masters

Finish: DNP

Matthieu Pavon (Andorra)

Pavon has made a meteoric rise in the golf ranks since the fall of 2023. In October, he won the Acciona Open de España on the DP World Tour. With his 15th place in that tour’s Road to Dubai, he earned PGA Tour status for 2024. After tying for seventh in the Sony Open, Pavon tied for 39th place at the American Express event. In his third tournament, he opened the Farmers Insurance Open with rounds of 69-65 and held on for a one-shot victory. Born in France, Pavon lives between Spain and France in the tiny country of Andorra.

Qualification: 19

Age: 30

Residence:

St. Simons Island, Ga.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: T-34

Qualification:

1, 2, 15, 17, 18, 19

Age: 29

Residence:

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Masters Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters Finish: Won

Jon Rahm (Spain)

In 2023, Rahm won four PGA Tour events to push his career victory total to 11. More importantly, he finally broke through in Augusta. Despite opening with a double bogey on the first hole in the first round, Rahm rallied with seven birdies and an eagle for a first-round 65. Tied with Brooks Koepka entering the final round, Rahm shot 1 under on the front nine while Koepka jumped on the bogey train and couldn’t get off. Rahm clinched his first Green Jacket after making birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, cruising to a fourshot victory. He finished the season with more than $16 million in earnings. At the end of 2023, Rahm signed on to play on the LIV Golf tour for 2024, though he didn’t plan to resign from the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.

Qualification: 1, 13

Age: 33

Residence:

Spring, Texas

Masters

Appearance: 11th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-4

J.T. Poston

Midway through 2023, Poston fell to No. 62 in the world rankings. He bounced back with four top-10 finishes over the next five weeks, including a tie for second place at the 3M Open. He closed the year ranked No. 43 in the world. Poston didn’t win in 2023, but thanks to eight top-10 finishes he earned more than $3.6 million. At the 2023 Masters, he extended his stay to the weekend thanks to his play down the stretch in the second round. On the wrong side of the cut line, Poston birdied No. 12, eagled No. 13, added another birdie at No. 15 and finished with 72 to make the cut by two shots. He closed with his best round of the tournament, a finalround 70.

Patrick Reed

The 2018 Masters champion, Reed continues to be a force in Augusta. After winning the Green Jacket, he has made the Masters cut five times since, recording three top-10 finishes. In 2023, Reed closed with 68 for his second-best Masters finish. He would’ve finished solo second if not for a double bogey at the par-5 second hole, which he birdied the previous three rounds. Reed departed the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf tour in 2022. He posted five top-five finishes in 13 events, his team (4 Aces GC) winning two events. Reed, along with PGA Tour pro Henrik Norlander, helped Augusta University win back-to-back NCAA Division I Championships in 2010 and 2011.

Qualification: 19

Age: 43

Residence: London, England

Masters

Appearance: 19th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-16

Justin Rose (England)

Rose captured his 11th career PGA Tour victory last season, first since 2019, when he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He shot four rounds in the 60s for a three-shot victory. The 2013 U.S. Open champion, Rose had a mixed year in the majors in 2023. He opened the Masters with rounds of 69-71 before posting consecutive 73s to finish. The following month, he tied for ninth at the PGA Championship before missing the cut at the U.S. Open and the British Open. In 20 PGA Tour events in the 2022-23 season, Rose recorded five top-10 finishes and earned more than $4.6 million.

Qualification:

13, 18, 19

Age: 30

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Seventh

2023 Masters

Finish: T-10

Qualification:

1, 5, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19

Age: 27

Residence:

Dallas, Texas

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-10

Scottie Scheffler

After consecutive top-20 finishes at the Masters, Scheffler finally broke through in the 2023 Masters. The 6-foot-3 Texan won three times on the PGA Tour in the two months prior to the Masters and entered as the No. 1 player in the world. Scheffler opened with rounds of 69-67 to take a lead into the weekend. In the final round, he posted 71 for a three-shot lead over Cameron Smith entering Sunday. Scheffler’s lead quickly evaporated when he parred the first two holes and Smith birdied both to pull with one. Facing a potential bogey after leaving his second shot short at No. 3, Scheffler chipped in for birdie from below the hole. After Smith recorded bogey at No. 3, Scheffler’s lead returned to three and he never looked back. At the 2023 Masters, he opened with 68 before a second-round 75 dropped him out of contention for winning a second consecutive Green Jacket. Scheffler posted an unbelievable season on the PGA Tour, winning the WM Phoenix Open and THE PLAYERS Championship, adding two runner-up finishes, five third-place showings and eight more top-10 finishes for more than $21 million in winnings.

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele (pronounced Shaw-fa-lay) has been about as consistent as they come on the golf course. Not only did he make the cut in all 23 events he entered in 2022-23, he also extended his top-20 streak in the majors. After missing the cut for the first time in Augusta last year, Schauffele opened the 2023 Masters with 68. Unfortunately, his double bogey at the third hole in the second round led to 74 and bounced him out of contention before tying for 10th place. He also tied for 10th at the U.S. Open, tied for 17th at the British Open and tied for 18th at the PGA Championship. He enters this year’s Masters with seven consecutive top20 finishes in the majors. In the 2022-23 season, Schauffele finished second in the FedExCup standings with more than $8.4 million in earnings. Despite not winning last season on the PGA Tour, he recorded 11 top10 finishes.

Qualification: 18, 19

Age: 32

Residence: Vincennes, Ind.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Adam Schenk

Schenk is making his first Masters appearance thanks to his stellar play in 2023. While he didn’t record a win on the PGA Tour, Schenk recorded two runner-up finishes and five other top-10 finishes for almost $5 million in winnings. He began 2023 well outside the top 100 in the world rankings, but his secondplace finish at the Valspar Championship helped him climb from No. 143 to No. 91. His second-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge vaulted him 31 spots to No. 60. Schenk recorded four top-10 finishes in his final seven events of the season, including a tie for sixth at the TOUR Championship to climb to No. 42 in the world. He remained inside the top 50 at year’s end to receive his first Augusta invitation.

Qualification:

1

Age: 39

Residence: Vereeniging, South Africa

Masters

Appearance: 15th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-50

Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)

Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, posted his best Masters finish since 2017 when opened the 2022 Masters with rounds of 72-69 and was in the final pairing Saturday. In the third round, he spun a 136-yard shot at the par-4 10th back into the hole for eagle to pull within five shots of Scheffler. Schwartzel bogeyed four of the final eight holes and fell out of contention. After joining the LIV Golf tour in 2022, Schwartzel won the tour’s first event, his first victory in six years. He added two other top-10 finishes in seven events on the LIV Golf tour. In 2023, Schwartzel recorded one top-10 finish in 13 LIV Golf events.

Qualification:

1, 19

Age: 43

Residence:

Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland

Masters

Appearance: 23rd

2023 Masters

Finish: T-39

Adam Scott (Australia)

Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, extended his consecutive Masters cut streak to 14 last year after opening with a 4-under-par 68, his only round under par. Scott recorded five top-10 finishes in 19 PGA Tour events during the 2022-23 season, earning more than $3.3 million. Scott won his only major championship to date at the 2013 Masters. That year, he birdied the 18th hole in the final round to take a one-shot lead into the clubhouse. Ángel Cabrera later birdied No. 18 to force a playoff. On the second hole of their sudden-death playoff at No. 10, Scott rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt to claim the Green Jacket. He and his wife, Marie Kojzar, have three children: Bo Vera, Byron and Bjorn.

Qualification:

7-b

Age: 22

Residence: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Neal Shipley

The 6-foot-3 Shipley fought his way to a Masters invitation with his stellar play in the 2023 U.S. Amateur semifinals. Three down with eight holes to play in his match against John Marshall Butler, Shipley won five of the next seven holes for a 2-up victory and appearance in the U.S. Amateur Championship match, where he eventually fell to Nick Dunlap. Shipley helped his school team, Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, to a pair of state championships before winning the 2020 Pittsburgh State Amateur title. Shipley played his first three years of college golf at James Madison University before transferring in 2022 to Ohio State.

Qualification: 1

Age: 61

Residence:

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 31st

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Qualification: 3, 5, 14, 19

Age: 30

Residence: Jacksonville, Fla.

Masters Appearance: Eighth

2023 Masters Finish: T-34

Cameron Smith (Australia)

Smith, the 2022 British Open champion, joined the LIV Golf tour in 2022. At the time, he was ranked No. 2 in the world. He had fallen to No. 30 by mid-January 2024. In 13 LIV Golf events in 2023, Smith recorded two wins and added four top-10 finishes. He played in all four major tournaments last year, finishing fourth at the U.S. Open and tied for ninth at the PGA Championship. At the 2023 Masters, Smith finished outside of the top 10 for the first time since 2019. He opened with 70, but he finished with rounds of 72-75-75 to fall off the pace.

Qualification:

1, 13, 18, 19

Age: 30

Residence:

Dallas, Texas

Masters

Appearance: 11th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-4

Vijay Singh (Fiji)

Singh is seeking his first Masters cut since 2018. 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. Singh has earned more than $71 million in PGA Tour career earnings. In his seventh Masters appearance in 2000, Singh shot rounds of 72-67-70-69 to defeat Ernie Els by three shots. At the 2023 Masters, he posted consecutive rounds of 75 to miss the cut by three shots. Both days, he opened with a bogey at No. 1. Singh recorded four 3-putt greens during his two rounds.

Jordan Spieth

After missing the Masters cut for the first time in 2022, Spieth reverted back to his old Augusta ways. He opened last year’s tournament with 69 despite making a double at the par-5 13th hole. He posted a second-round 70 and sat seven shots back of 36-hole leader Brooks Koepka. In nasty third-round conditions, Spieth recorded 76. It was vintage Spieth in the final round as he recorded nine birdies en route to a closing 66 for a tie for fourth, his sixth Masters finish of fourth or better. While Spieth didn’t record a victory in the PGA Tour in the 2022-23 season, he did post seven top-10 finishes for more than $7.2 million in winnings. He and his wife, Annie Verret, have a son, Samuel, and they welcomed their second child, Sophie, in September.

Qualification: 15, 17, 18, 19

Age: 30

Residence: Birmingham, Ala.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: T-46

Sepp Straka (Austria)

Straka graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016 with a business management degree. He played his way into the 2022 Masters by winning the Honda Classic two months prior. Straka added his second career PGA Tour victory last year when he closed out the John Deere Classic with 62 for a two-shot victory. Building on that momentum, Straka finished tied for second behind fellow Bulldog Brian Harman at the British Open. Straka recorded two top-10 major finishes in 2023 to add to his victory for more than $5.2 million in winnings.

Qualification: 9

Age: 22

Residence: Australia

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Qualification: 17, 18

Age: 35

Residence: Abbotsford, British Columbia

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Nick Taylor (Canada)

Taylor is making his first Masters appearance thanks to his play in his home country. In July, at the RBC Canadian Open, Taylor rebounded from an opening 75 with rounds of 67-63-66 to force a playoff with Tommy Fleetwood. On the fourth playoff hole, Taylor rolled in a 72foot eagle putt to become the first Canadian to win his country’s national tournament since 1954. He also added two runner-up finishes during the 2022-23 season and earned more than $6.2 million a season after failing to earn $1 million on tour.

Qualification: 13, 17, 19

Age: 26

Residence:

Spring, Texas

Masters

Appearance: Second

2023 Masters

Finish: Ninth

Jasper Stubbs (Australia)

Stubbs earned a Masters invitation by winning the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Stubbs began the final day six shots off the pace. In windy conditions, though, the Australian who lives mere minutes from the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, where the tournament took place, used his home-course advantage to his advantage. He shot 2-under-par 69 to make his way into a sudden-death playoff with China’s Wenyi Ding and Sampson Zheng. On the second extra hole, Stubbs two-putted from 60 feet to claim the title. He received an invitation to Augusta’s Masters and another to the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon Golf Club.

Sahith Theegala

A California native, Theegala won the Haskins Award, Ben Hogan Award and Jack Nicklaus Award in 2020 as the top collegiate player playing for the No. 1 college team in the nation, Pepperdine University. In his first full season on the PGA Tour in 2021-22, Theegala recorded a runner-up finish, third-place showing and three other top-10 finishes en route to more than $3.1 million in earnings. As an encore, he posted eight top 10-finishes, including a win, during the 2022-23 season for more than $7.2 million in winnings. At the 2023 Masters, Theegala posted a strong ninth-place showing after shooting 10 under on the par-5 holes in the tournament. If he figures out how to play the par-4 17th hole (he recorded a par, two bogeys and a double bogey there during the tournament), Theegala might be one to watch.

Qualification:

4, 19

Age: 30

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Ninth

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Justin Thomas

Thomas was cruising along at 2 under for the 2023 Masters with eight holes left in the second round when his game suddenly went south. After making a double, he bogeyed four of the final seven holes, including Nos. 17 and 18, to miss the cut by one shot. It was his first missed cut in eight Masters appearances. He won 15 times in the previous seven years on the PGA Tour, including two major championships, but he failed to bring home a victory in 2023. Despite failing to win and falling all the way to 71st in the FedExCup standings after staying in the top 10 the previous six seasons, Thomas still earned more than $3.5 million.

Qualification: 17

Age: 33

Residence:

Johannesburg, South Africa

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Qualification: 17

Age: 42

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters Appearance: Seventh 2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Camilo Villegas (Colombia)

Villegas is the comeback story of the 2024 Masters. When he tees it up in the first round, he will be playing in his first major tournament since 2015. Villegas (pronounced “Bee-JAYgus”) and his wife, Maria, suffered a tragic loss in July 2020 when their 22-month-old daughter, Mia, died after a four-month cancer battle. In December 2021, Maria gave birth to their son, Mateo. Villegas last finished inside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings in 2017. While he played a full slate of tournaments in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, he only played in 13 events last season and was well out of the FedExCup standings when he finished second at the World Wide Technology Championship. A week later, he closed the Butterfield Bermuda Championship with 65 for a two-shot victory, marking his first PGA Tour win since 2014 and his fifth overall.

Qualification: 1

Age: 45

Residence: Orlando, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 16th

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Erik van Rooyen (South Africa)

Van Rooyen saved his best for last in 2023. About to lose his fully-exempt status on the PGA Tour with mere weeks left in the season, van Rooyen closed out the World Wide Technology Championship event with a birdiebirdie-eagle finish for a final-round 63 and a two-shot victory. He earned his second PGA Tour in two years and a trip back to Augusta. In his inaugural visit to the Masters in 2020, he withdrew after the first round because of an injury. He missed the cut in the 2020 Masters. Van Rooyen is seeking his first top-10 finish in a major since the 2019 PGA Championship.

Bubba Watson

After winning three times in 2018 on the PGA Tour, Watson was still seeking his next victory entering 2023. During the 2021-22 season, Watson recorded one top-10 finish in 9 events, cutting his season short due to knee surgery. In 2022, the two-time Masters champion joined the LIV Golf tour. He posted one top-10 finish in 13 LIV Golf events in 2023. 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 threeshot victory. He 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.

Qualification:

1

Age: 53

Residence:

Sandy, Utah

Masters

Appearance: 25th

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

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. In 2015, he announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from golf. He spent that fall spending time with his daughters, Elle Marisa and Lili. Weir entered 2016 using a mixture of major and minor medical extensions to get into PGA Tour events after suffering a litany of ailments in recent years (elbow, ribs). He saw a resurgence in his game on the Champions Tour during the 2020-21 campaign, winning the Insperity Invitational, adding four runnerup finishes and earning more than $2 million. Last season, he posted three top-10 finishes in 19 starts on the Champions TOUR.

Qualification: 1

Age: 36

Residence:

Sheffield, England

Masters

Appearance: 10th

2023 Masters

Finish: MC

Qualification: 2

Age: 39

Residence:

Delray Beach, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 12th

2023 Masters

Finish: T-14

Gary Woodland

Woodland is playing in the Masters in the final year of his five-year exemption after he claimed his first major title when he broke through at the U.S. Open in 2019. Woodland opened with rounds of 68-65 and cruised to a three-shot victory. He is still seeking to break through in Augusta. Last year, Woodland opened with 68 but could not continue his momentum. His tie for 14th place was his best finish in Augusta. During the 2022-23 season, Woodland posted six top-25 finishes and won more than $2.2 million to finish 94th in the FedExCup standings. Woodland and his wife, Gabby, have three children (Jaxson Lynn, Maddox Jean and Lennox Lee).

Qualification: 1

Age: 48

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: 26th

2023 Masters

Finish: Withdrew

Danny Willett (England)

Willett played his most PGA Tour events in a season in 2022-23, and the extra work paid off. He posted three top-25 finishes in 22 tournaments, posting his second-most winnings in a season on the PGA Tour with more than $1.7 million. Willett became the first Englishman in 20 years to win the Masters in 2016 after posting a final-round 67. One week before Willett teed it up in the 2016 Masters, Nicole Willett had their first of two sons, Zachariah James. He enters this year’s Masters seeking his first top-10 in a major since tying for sixth place at the 2019 British Open.

Tiger Woods

Woods tried to play through the nasty weather in the third round of the 2023 Masters. After making the cut on the number, he was 9 over for the tournament when he withdrew after seven holes. He later cited reaggravating his plantar fasciitis as the reason for the withdrawal. In 2019, the golfer made a comeback for the ages at the Masters. Tiger shot 67 in the third round to pull within two 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. He will be vying for his sixth Green Jacket to tie Jack Nicklaus when he tees it up this year in Augusta. Woods previously won Masters titles in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005.

Qualification: 13, 19

Age: 26

Residence:

Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: T-7

Will Zalatoris Cameron Young

In his first two seasons on the PGA Tour in 2021-22 and 2022-23, Young didn’t post a victory. Instead, he recorded a combined six runner-up finishes, two thirds, and won more than $11.9 million. Also in the past two season, Young has made his presence known in the majors, with four top-10 finishes. He opened the 2023 Masters with 67 and sat two shots off the lead. Despite posting 72-75 in the second and third rounds, the golfer closed with 68. The finish marked the first of two top-10 major finishes in 2023. He later tied for eighth at the British Open.

Qualification: 19

Age: 27

Residence:

Dallas, Texas

Masters

Appearance: Third

2023 Masters

Finish: Withdrew

Zalatoris withdrew before the first round of the 2023 Masters and had back surgery two days later. He missed the rest of the season, returning for his first action at the limitedfield Hero World Challenge in late November. He opened 2024 by playing in the Sony Open, where he missed the cut. Zalatoris almost became the first player since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win the Masters in his first appearance in 2021. Entering the final round in the third-to-last pairing, Zalatoris birdied the first two holes. Despite a mid-round stumble, he birdied Nos. 15 and 17 and fell one shot short of Hideki Matsuyama. Zalatoris followed up his Masters debut by posting a tie for sixth at the 2022 Masters before finishing runnerup at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open later in the year.

Martin Miller/Augusta National Golf Club

HOLE 5

Qualification: 17

Age: 25

Residence: Edmond, Okla.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Austin Eckroat

Austin Eckroat won in Palm Beach Gardens in March to earn his first career PGA Tour win. In 2023 as a rookie on the PGA Tour, he had four top-10 finishes, including runner-up in the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas, fifth in the Dominican Republic, T-8 in St. Simons Island and T-10 in the U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club. Eckroat’s top-10 performance in the U.S. Open included shooting a first-nine 29 in the final round to tie the championship record for lowest nine-hole score.

Qualification: Special Invitation

Age: 21

Residence: Okayama, Japan

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Qualification: 18

Age: 29

Residence:

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Masters

Appearance: First

2023 Masters

Finish: DNP

Jake Knapp

This is Jake Knapp’s second majorchampionship start and first since he competed in the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay as an amateur. He won the Mexico Open in February for his first career PGA Tour win and also finished T-3 in San Diego in January and T-4 in Palm Beach Gardens in March. Last year, he earned his PGA Tour card after finishing inside the top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour’s season-long points list with 10 top-10 finishes. Knapp won three PGA Tour Canada events in 2019-2022.

Qualification: Special Invitation

Age: 25

Residence: Jupiter, Fla.

Masters

Appearance: Fifth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-16

Ryo Hisatsune (Japan)

Ryo Hisatsune is making his first Masters appearance and his major championship debut. He finished T-11 in La Quinta in January and became the first Japanese player to be named the DP World Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. In 2023, Hisatsune won the French Open and recorded top-10 finishes in events in Oman, India, Kenya, Belgium, Denmark, California, Japan, South Africa and Australia. He was one of 10 players to earn 2024 PGA Tour membership through his performance on the DP World Tour last year.

Joaquîn Niemann (Chile)

Joaquîn Niemann made his Masters debut in 2018 as both the reigning Latin America Amateur champion and the top-ranked amateur in the world. He T-4 in Dubai in January and third in Oman in February. Late last year, Neimann finished fifth in the Australian PGA Championship and then won the Australian Open.

Qualification:

Special Invitation

Age: 34

Residence:

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Masters

Appearance: Fourth

2023 Masters

Finish: T-6

Thorbjørn Olesen (Denmark)

Thorbjørn Olesen is making his fourth Masters appearance, his first since 2019. He has made the cut in each of his previous three starts at Augusta National and finished T-6 in his debut in 2013. Olesen won the DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the United Arab Emirates in February. Last year, he won the Thailand Classic and recorded additional top-10 finishes in events in the United Arab Emirates, India, Belgium, France, Spain, Qatar and South Africa. Olesen was one of 10 players to earn 2024 PGA Tour membership through his performance on the DP World Tour in 2023. He recorded top-12 finishes in The Open in both 2012 and 2018 and was a member of the winning European Ryder Cup team in Paris in 2018.