Majors Value Meter: Masters Rankings

Majors Value Meter: Masters Rankings

This article is part of our Major Power Rankings series.

The 2021 Masters are just around the corner, and below are RotoWire's rankings for the field.

This list is geared toward winner-take-all leagues and leagues that reward the lowest aggregate score, but it can serve other leagues and DFS players as well, no matter the nuance.

The 85th Masters is taking place only five months after the 84th, which was played in autumn for the first time.

There is a field of 88, down from 92 in November. The group includes three amateurs and eight "legacy" champions, or golfers who don't play on the PGA Tour any longer. There's a chance some of those 13 amateurs/legacy champs will make the cut – perhaps a Bernhard Langer  or a Fred Couples – but the number will be small, and come Sunday, their impact on the leaderboard will likely be minimal. That leaves 78 others, with the top 50 and ties making the cut.

Thus, the list is broken down into six categories:

  • Favorites
  • Contenders
  • Making the Cut
  • Borderline
  • Long Shots
  • Legacy Champions
  • Amateurs

As a reminder, this is a par-72 track at 7,475 yards, and it shouldn't play as long as it did in November. The forecast calls for high temperatures in the 80s, with moderate winds and a chance of rain increasing every day. But the first round is still a long way out, and the weather surely could change. 

These rankings were determined before the completion of the Valero Texas Open. The winner of that event, if not already

The 2021 Masters are just around the corner, and below are RotoWire's rankings for the field.

This list is geared toward winner-take-all leagues and leagues that reward the lowest aggregate score, but it can serve other leagues and DFS players as well, no matter the nuance.

The 85th Masters is taking place only five months after the 84th, which was played in autumn for the first time.

There is a field of 88, down from 92 in November. The group includes three amateurs and eight "legacy" champions, or golfers who don't play on the PGA Tour any longer. There's a chance some of those 13 amateurs/legacy champs will make the cut – perhaps a Bernhard Langer  or a Fred Couples – but the number will be small, and come Sunday, their impact on the leaderboard will likely be minimal. That leaves 78 others, with the top 50 and ties making the cut.

Thus, the list is broken down into six categories:

  • Favorites
  • Contenders
  • Making the Cut
  • Borderline
  • Long Shots
  • Legacy Champions
  • Amateurs

As a reminder, this is a par-72 track at 7,475 yards, and it shouldn't play as long as it did in November. The forecast calls for high temperatures in the 80s, with moderate winds and a chance of rain increasing every day. But the first round is still a long way out, and the weather surely could change. 

These rankings were determined before the completion of the Valero Texas Open. The winner of that event, if not already in the Masters field, will earn a ticket to Augusta. We will update any field changes or news in the comments section at the bottom.

FAVORITES

1) Dustin Johnson
After years of trying, Johnson finally won both his first Masters and second major with a fantastic performance in November. That followed a runner-up at the PGA and a tie for sixth at the U.S. Open, a run that gave him a firm grasp on the world No. 1 ranking. He's even won again since Augusta, in Saudi Arabia, but he hasn't been great his past three outings at the two WGC events and THE PLAYERS. It's a very small sample size but still a bit concerning. Johnson was a late entry to the Valero Texas Open field, but he did an about-face and bowed out Monday. As such, his final preparations came at his own pace.

2) Justin Thomas
He's been in five Masters and has gotten better every time, with his solo fourth in November being his best. There's not really much higher to go without winning, right? Thomas had a rough start to 2021 for various reasons, but that all seemed to wash away with his brilliant win at THE PLAYERS. Looking for a second major, a win this week would establish Thomas as the world's top player, if not in the world rankings then at least in the court of public opinion.

3) Bryson DeChambeau
After his mind-boggling triumph at the U.S. Open, all eyes were on DeChambeau at the Masters. It didn't go well and he tied for 34th, citing dizziness and other discomfort. Lately, though, he's won at Bay Hill, tied for third at THE PLAYERS and appears ready to go this week. However, there's still the thorny little issue of having never finished top-25 in his three visits to Augusta as a pro. He tied for 21st as an amateur in 2016.

4) Jon Rahm
Rahm is still young at 26 but has now played 18 majors without a win or even a runner-up. Perhaps that's unfair to lead with that. He has been great in his past three Masters, tying for seventh in November, for ninth in 2019 and finishing solo fourth the year before. He has five top-10s in 2021 but hasn't really contended for a title. It doesn't sound possible, but he's still looking for a big, signature victory. His biggest wins in terms of world rankings points have been the 2020 Memorial and 2020 BMW Championship.

5) Jordan Spieth
Spieth is ranked 53rd in the world but remains No. 1 in the hearts of so many golf fans. And so far in 2021, he's close to being back to his old self, making him a real threat for a second Green Jacket. He was only T46 last year and T21 the year before, but in his first five trips, he tallied a win, two runners-up, a third and a tie for 11th. What a story it would be if he winds up atop the leaderboard.

6) Patrick Reed
He tied for 10th at the November Masters and of course won it all in 2018. He recently won at Torrey Pines and, as we say over and over, has perhaps the best short game -- wedge/putter -- in all of golf, making him a threat to win every year at Augusta.

7) Rory McIlroy
Well, here we go again. A win at Augusta and it's the Career Grand Slam. Rory tied for fifth last year, giving him six top-10s in the past seven Masters. But he has been somewhat off since then, at least for mere mortals, and has fallen outside the top 10 in the world. He finished top-10 at Bay Hill but missed the cut at THE PLAYERS.

8) Xander Schauffele
He's not in Tony Finau territory yet, but Schauffele is now more than two years removed since his last win. He had close calls earlier this year with runners-up at Torrey Pines and in Phoenix, but he didn't notch a top-10 in his past four starts and hasn't looked great, missing the cut at THE PLAYERS. Still, he was 17th at the Masters in November and has five top-5s in 14 career majors, including a runner-up result alongside Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka at the 2019 Masters won by Tiger Woods.

9) Tony Finau
He has a great track record in the Masters and other majors, with the caveat being he has never won. That said, he was only T38 in November after top-10s in his first two trips. He also was fourth at the PGA Championship over the summer and eighth at the U.S. Open. He has finished top-10 in eight of his 18 career majors and ran off three straight worldwide runners-up earlier this year -- but again, repeat after us, did not take home a title. He was the favorite at the Valero Texas Open but missed the cut.

10) Patrick Cantlay
He's one of the best golfers in the world, but his next birthday will be his 30th and he has only one top-5 and one other-10 in 15 career majors. He tied for 17th at the Masters in November -- good but not great -- after a tie for ninth in 2019. His best major result is a T3 at the 2019 PGA Championship. He finished second at The American Express and third at Pebble Beach earlier this year.

CONTENDERS

11) Cameron Smith
Smith has played in four Masters and has two top-5s, including a co-runner-up in November and a tie for fifth in 2018. Not too shabby. He has another recent top-5, at Riviera, plus top-20s at the WGC-Workday Championship and THE PLAYERS. As you see, he's just outside the top tier, but a real argument could be made he belongs inside it.

12) Webb Simpson
He may finally be getting the hang of Augusta, with a tie for 10th in November and a tie for fifth in 2019. Before that, Simpson had made only four of seven cuts with one top-20. He has been decent but not great so far in 2021, with top-10s at The Sony Open and WGC-Workday Championship.

13) Paul Casey
The 43-year-old did not add to his great track record at the Masters with a tie for 38th in November. But he has five top-10s and three other top-20s in 14 Augusta starts, and is now back in form after a down 2020. He won in Dubai and was top-5 at both Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass.

14) Sungjae Im
Im just turned 23 last week and this will already be his eighth major. He never fared better than at his first Masters in November, finishing co-runner-up. He has not missed a cut in 10 starts in 2021, but also has yet to threaten for a title, with a best of T5 at the lid-lifting Tournament of Champions. He was also T8 at The Honda Classic.

15) Lee Westwood
This will be his 20th Masters and, while he has a great track record here, is speeding toward the all-time record of most majors played without a win. With four more this year, he would break Jay Haas' record of 87. At Augusta, he has two runners-up, six top-10s and 10 top-25s, though he was T38 last year. The 47-year-old has been on fire of late, with consecutive runners-up at Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS. As a result, he has again cracked the top 20 of the OWGR.

16) Louis Oosthuizen
He's won one major, the 2010 Open Championship, and is always a threat to sniff the top of major leaderboards. He's famously finished second in all four, including Augusta in 2012. He was solo third at the U.S. Open last summer before tying for 23rd at the Masters, his sixth top-25 in 12 starts at Augusta. He recently tied for sixth at the WGC-Workday.

17) Matthew Fitzpatrick
He tied for 46th at the November Masters. His best result ever in a major remains a tie for seventh at the 2016 Masters and he tied for 21st in 2019. He's playing his best golf ever on the PGA Tour of late, with four straight top-11s at Riviera, the Workday, Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS.

18) Brooks Koepka
He's in the field – for now. He won at Phoenix, then was runner-up at the WGC-Workday, then shockingly announced he had undergone another knee surgery, this time on the right knee after overcoming all those problems with the left. He has not played since February, can always show up, give it a try during practice and see if he can make it to Thursday. Who knows what kind of Koepka we'd see, but you have to respect his ability to perform in this tournament. He was T7 in November, T2 behind Tiger Woods in 2019, T11 in 2017. Still, a win would be remarkable.

MAKING THE CUT

19) Scottie Scheffler
He delivered a T19 in his first Masters in November and has continued his great play, up to an including his runner-up at the Match Play. He also tied for fourth at the PGA last summer but unfortunately had to withdraw before the U.S. Open after testing positive. He also tied for fifth at the year's first WGC, the Workday. He was in the field at the Valero Texas Open.

20) Collin Morikawa
He had won three times on Tour, including a major, by the time he played his first Masters in November. He tied for 44th. Since then, he's won again, at the WGC-Workday. Curiously, that's his only top-40 result in his past five worldwide starts. His irons are laser-like. It's all about the putter, making Augusta a tough nut to crack.

21) Viktor Hovland
He tied for 32nd as low amateur at the 2019 Masters but didn't qualify last year. He made the cut at the both the PGA and U.S. Open, tying for 13th in the latter. He had four straight worldwide top-6s earlier this year, including runners-up at the Farmers and WGC-Workday, but has tailed off in his past three starts and missed the cut at THE PLAYERs.

22) Daniel Berger
He was dealt a bad hand in being so highly ranked but still unable to get into the Masters field in November. He's played in three – T10 in 2016, T27 in 2017 and T32 in 2018. He also tied for 13th at last summer's PGA. He has four top-10s in 2021, including his win at Pebble Beach.

23) Matt Kuchar
His game has fallen off over the past year – before his great run to the semifinals of the Match Play. He had a string of 10 straight made Masters cuts end in November. They included four top-8s and seven top-25s And also last year he missed at both the PGA and U.S. Open. But he looked awesome at the Match Play and through two rounds of the Valero Texas Open.

24) Tommy Fleetwood
His best U.S.-based finish in an underwhelming second half of 2020 was a tie for 19th at the Masters. He also tied for 17th in 2018. He's shown improving form of late with a top-10 at Bay Hill and a quarterfinal berth at the Match Play.

25) Abraham Ancer
He handled himself beautifully in his first Masters, tying for 13th. And that was after making the cut at the PGA and U.S. Open. He has continued to play well since Augusta, with six top-25s in nine events, though his world ranking has dipped from the low 20s to 31st. He was in the field at the Valero Texas Open.

26) Hideki Matsuyama
He tied for 13th at the November Masters but has not had a better finish on Tour since then. He did have recent top-20s at the WGC-Workday and Arnold Palmer Invitational, though. He has missed the cut just once in nine Masters, but it seems that without good putting, top-25 results are his limit, not top-10s. He also was top-25 at the PGA and U.S. Open last year. He was playing at the Valero Texas Open.

27) Adam Scott
The 2013 Masters winner has played 19 of them with 10 top-25s and only two missed cuts. And those were more than a decade ago. He tied for 34th last year. He has only one top-10 since then, at Torrey Pines, and has seen his world ranking slip from No. 10 during the FedEx Cup playoffs to No. 29 right now.

28) Jason Day
Hanging on for dear life in the top-50 OWGR, he is 48th. Thankfully for him, a top-4 at the PGA over the summer gained him entry to Augusta even if he had fallen from the top-50. He missed a Masters cut for the first time in November (also WD in 2012) but has a great history in the majors well beyond winning the 2015 PGA. He has four top-10s in nine Masters, including a runner-up in 2011 and tie for fifth in 2019. He had a top-10 at Pebble Beach, where he usually delivers, but it's otherwise been a down year.

29) Joaquin Niemann
Still only 22, he's set for his eighth major and second Masters, having missed the cut in 2018. He tied for 23rd last summer at the U.S. Open. He finished second at both legs of the Hawaii Swing in January and hasn't missed a cut since the FedEx Cup playoffs.

30) Corey Conners
He tied for 10th at the November Masters to earn a return trip, and he has continued to play great golf as he recently cracked the top 50 of the OWGR for the first time. He's had three more top-10s since Augusta, including a tie for third at Bay Hill and a tie for seventh at THE PLAYERS. He was in the field as defending champion at the Valero Texas Open.

31) Ian Poulter
He finished 2020 in the top 50 of the OWGR to qualify for his 16th Masters but has since fallen outside the top-60. He tied for 25th last year, giving him nine top-25s, along with three top-10s, through the years. Remarkably, he's missed only one Masters cut. Now 45, he just made it through to the round of 16 at the WGC-Match Play, looking every bit the Ryder Cup warrior of the best decade.

32) Kevin Na
This will be his 10th Masters and he's coming off a tie for 13th in November, just behind a pair of T12s in 2012 and 2015. He won the Sony Open in January, his lone top-10 since Augusta. He was in the field at the Valero Texas Open.

33) Si Woo Kim
He is only 25 but this will be his fifth Masters, and he finished top-25 two years running before trying for 34th in November. Since then, he's won the Amex, which was his entry back to Augusta. Kim is such a hard guy to gauge. Since the Amex, he's made seven starts, missed three cuts, withdrew once – and tied for ninth at THE PLAYERS.

34) Victor Perez
The Frenchman is now up to 30th in the world and is coming off an impressive run through the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, where he finish fourth. He made two of three major cuts last year, including T46 at Augusta and a top-25 at the PGA.

35) Justin Rose
Now 40 with a ranking almost to match, Rose mustered a tie for 23rd in November to extend a great history at Augusta. He's missed only one cut in 15 starts, with two runners-up, three top-10s and a whopping 12 top-25s. But he's played only twice in the States in all of 2021, and he hasn't played since withdrawing from Bay Hill with back problems.

36) Billy Horschel
Fresh off the biggest win of his career at the Match Play, he made the cut in all three majors last year, albeit without a high finish. He was T38 at the Masters and his best finish in six visits to Augusta is T17 in 2016. 

37) Marc Leishman
He tied for 13th at the November Masters, one of his few good finishes since the pandemic struck. He missed the cut at the other two 2020 majors. He has two top-10s in eight visits to Augusta, lastly in 2018. He doesn't have a top-25 in his past five starts and has fallen to 38th in the world rankings.

38) Bubba Watson
The two-time champ is always one of the big wild cards in the field, capable of winning but also of placing 57th like last year. That's said, he's missed only one cut in 12 Augusta visits and made all three major cuts last year. But there were no high finishes and not many this year, though he did reach the round of 16 at the Match Play.

39) Kevin Kisner
He missed the cut in the November Masters after making it the previous four years, with a tie for 21st in 2019. He is a tough guy to handicap. He's 36th in the world rankings but props that up with a handful of very high finishes mixed in with lots of mediocrity. He didn't deliver at the Match Play as he normally does.

40) Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Since making the cut at both the U.S. Open and Masters last year, he won twice in his native South Africa and is now ranked in the 30s in the OWGR. He's played four times in the States in 2021, with a best of T7 at Bay Hill.

41) Bernd Wiesberger
The veteran Austrian made it five cashes in five Masters last November with his tie for 58th. He has a pair of top-25s. His success in Europe has never fully crossed the Atlantic; in four starts in the States this year he's failed to crack the top-30. He missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open.

42) Phil Mickelson
The 50-year-old made it to the weekend back at the November Masters, the 25th time in 28 Masters he has made the cut. It's remarkable, even though it was a tie for 55th. While he has since fallen outside the top-100 in the world, he made the cut at THE PLAYERS and tied for 25th at the Honda before missing the cut at the Valero Texas Open. If there's one course where he can stave off Father Time, you figure it has to be Augusta.

43) Sergio Garcia
After winning the Masters in 2017, he missed the cut the next two years then tested positive before the 2020 tournament. And that came after missed cuts at the PGA and U.S. Open. Since that 2017 Masters, he's missed nine cuts in 13 majors. But we saw at THE PLAYERS (T9) and Match Play (quarterfinalist) that the world-class ball-striking is still there. Seemingly, it's all in his head.

44) Charl Schwartzel
The 2011 champion tied for 25th last November after two straight missed Masters cuts. He was solo third in 2017. He's made the cut in seven of 11 trips to Augusta. He tied for 18th at the Amex in January, his only top-50 in seven starts in 2021.

45) Zach Johnson
Now 45, his tie for 51st in November was his 12th made cut in his past 14 majors. He's adept at making cuts year-round without many high finishes, hence his ranking outside the top-100. But he did have a top-10 at the U.S. Open last year. The 2007 Masters winner has made 10 Augusta cuts in 16 tries with only three top-25s. He missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open.

46) Max Homa
He missed the cut in his first Masters in November, then qualified for this year's tournament by winning at Riviera in February. He has had three top-25s in four starts since the win, at two WGCs and Bay Hill.

47) Ryan Palmer
He's 44 and hard to believe this will be his first Masters since 2015, when he tied for 33rd. His best in five tries is a tie for 10th in 2011. He's had some great results in 2021 – a top-5 at Kapalua, a runner-up at Torrey Pines and a top-20 at THE PLAYERS.

48) Dylan Frittelli
He won the John Deere in July 2019, then had to wait until November 2020 to play in his second Masters. It was worth the wait, as the South African tied for fifth to earn a return invite. He notched a top-25 at THE PLAYERS and made it to the round of 16 at the WGC-Match Play.

49) Jason Kokrak
At 35, he missed the cut in his first Masters last November – just weeks after qualifying for this year's tournament thanks to winning the CJ Cup. He had a recent string of three straight top-10s – WGC- Workday, Bay Hill, PLAYERS.

50) Will Zalatoris
The rising sensation is set for his first Masters thanks to being in the top 50 of the OWGR. He's been in two majors, both U.S. Opens, and shined with a tie for sixth last September. He's made 11 straight cuts since autumn with three top-10s and four other top-25s. Can he continue his stellar play at Augusta?

BORDERLINE 

51) Tyrrell Hatton
Ranked eighth in the world, this is perplexing. He went zero for three at the 2020 majors, missing all three cuts. He has gone MC-T44-T56-MC in his four Masters starts. He won at Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the year but has not had a high finish in the States in 2021.

52) Shane Lowry
The still-reigning Champion Golfer of the Year tied for 25th at the November Masters, his best finish in five trips to Augusta and only his second made cut. He tied for eighth at THE PLAYERS, but that's been his lone top-30 in five U.S. starts in 2021.

53) Matthew Wolff
Still 21 for another couple of weeks, he finished top-5 in his first two career majors last year but missed the cut at the Masters. He has done next to nothing since, plagued for a little while by a hand injury that still may be an issue, though he did appear fine at the Match Play.

54) Harris English
He's back for his third career Masters thanks to a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open. For good measure, he went out and won at Kapalua to kick off 2021. His game has fallen way off since then, with zero top-25s in six starts. He tied for 42nd at the 2016 Masters.

55) Lanto Griffin
He missed the cut in his first Masters in November and is now back thanks to reaching the Tour Championship last year. He made the cut in both other majors last year, including a top-20 at the PGA. He's continued to play well since Augusta with four top-25s in nine subsequent starts and only one missed cut.

56) Brian Harman
He battled his way into the top 50 of the OWGR at the last possible moment to qualify for his third Masters. He tied for fifth at the WGC-Match Play following a tie for third at THE PLAYERS. At the Masters, he missed the cut in 2015 and tied for 44th in 2018. His lone top-10 at a major was a tie for second at the 2017 U.S. Open.

57) Sebastian Munoz
He tied for 19th in his first Masters in November, by which time he had already qualified for this year's tournament thanks to reaching the Tour Championship. He has not kept up his strong play since Augusta, with just one top-25 in 10 subsequent starts.

58) Jimmy Walker
The gift that keeps on giving is his five-year exemption for stunningly winning the PGA in 2016. It ends this year. He's now ranked in the 500s in the OWGR. That said, he has never missed a cut at the Masters, making it seven in a row last November. He made the cut at the Valero Texas Open.

59) Gary Woodland
He had a terrible end to 2020, missing the cut at the U.S. Open and the Masters. Now he's fallen to 59th in the world, and just missed another cut at THE PLAYERS. He has only one top-25 and zero top-10s since August. He had back trouble last year, withdrew from the Honda last month after testing positive and also has been slowed by a torn labrum in his right hip. Other than that, things are great. He was playing in the Valero Texas Open.

60) Francesco Molinari
It's been two years since he splashed into Rae's Creek while leading on Sunday, and it has not gone well for him since then. He missed the cut last year and has tumbled outside the top-100 in the world rankings. He appeared to turn a corner with three top-10s early this year, including at Torrey Pines and Riviera, but he's missed the cut in his past two starts.

LONG SHOTS

61) Danny Willett
As the years go by, it appears his 2016 win will become one of the great outliers in Masters history. He basically fell off the golf map afterward, though he's now back inside the top-100 in the world rankings and even tied for 25th at the November Masters. He had not missed a cut in five worldwide starts in 2021 until at the Valero Texas Open.

62) Brendon Todd
The second act of his career – triggered by two wins in the fall of 2019 – netted a second Masters invite. He missed the cut in November. But that followed top-25s at the PGA and U.S. Open. He has made nine of 10 cuts since Augusta, with four top-25s.

63) C.T. Pan
This is quite a story. He won the 2019 RBC Heritage the week after the 2019 Masters, then had a 19-month wait for his first trip to Augusta – and he tied for seventh! So that got him back again this time. Pan promptly missed six of eight cuts right after the Masters – and then he tied for third at The Honda Classic. Golf is an odd game.

64) Stewart Cink
Now 47, Cink used to be a Masters perennial. His tie for fourth at the 2018 PGA got him into the 2019 Masters after a four-year absence, then he won for the first time 11 years at the Safeway to qualify for what will his 19th trip down Magnolia Lane. Impressively, he has finished in the top-25 nine times among his 12 made cuts, with a best of T3 in 2008. He's coming off a top-20 at the Honda.

65) Robert MacIntyre
The 24-year-old Scottish left-hander is ranked in the top-50 in advance of his first Masters. He's played once each in the other three majors, tying for sixth at the Open Championship in 2019. MacIntyre just reached the round of 16 at the Match Play, tying Dustin Johnson in group play.

66) Carlos Ortiz
He is set for his first Masters and fourth career major after winning the Houston Open in the fall. He's continued to play well, with two top-10s and two other top-25s in nine subsequent starts, including a tie for fourth at Phoenix. He missed the cut at the 2020 PGA.

67) Mackenzie Hughes
A berth in the Tour Championship brings him to Augusta for the second time. He missed the cut in 2017. He's made only one cut in six career majors, a tie for 58th at last year's PGA. Until reaching the round of 16 at the Match Play, he had struggled in 2021 with just one other top-25.

68) Matt Wallace
He had the very good fortune for 2020 to end with him having fallen to exactly 50th in the world rankings. Otherwise, he would not be here. This will be the Englishman's third Masters; he tied for 46th in November. He has started to play better of late, including a top-20 at Bay Hill. His best major was the 2019 PGA in which he tied for third. He was in the field for the Valero Texas Open.

69) Henrik Stenson
This could very well be the 45-year-old's final Masters. He has fallen not only out of the top-50 in the world but out of the top-100 and is in his 16th Masters solely on the basis of winning the 2016 Open Championship. That five-year exemption ends this year. He has seven career top-25s at Augusta but only one top-10 and he missed the cut in November. He's also missed six straight cuts overall coming in, including the Valero Texas Open.

70) Matt Jones
The 40-year-old Australian missed the cut in his only Masters in 2014. He just won the Honda a few weeks back to return. He's been in 16 careers majors and made only seven cuts, and only in the PGA and Open Championship. He has played well this season outside of the Honda, tying for eighth at Riviera with two other top-25s in 2021.

71) Cameron Champ
He is ranked 87th in the world, not far from his personal best of 67th, but that doesn't tell the story. He has struggled mightily of late. He's missed five of his seven cuts in 2021. That said, he made his Masters debut last November and tied for 19th. He was playing in the Valero Texas Open.

72) Martin Laird
The 38-year-old Scotsman won the Shriners last fall to reach his fourth Masters and first since 2013. He tied for 20th in 2011. He is coming of made cuts at Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS. He was playing in the Valero Texas Open.

73) Robert Streb
He won the RSM Classic last year to qualify for his third Masters after missing the cut in 2015-16. He had missed six straight cuts this season until tying for 13th at the Honda.

74) Brian Gay
The 49-year-old probably thought his chance for another Masters was long past. But he won the 2020 Bermuda Championship in a year in which it was designated as a full-points event for one time only. He's made two prior Augusta starts, tying for 38th in his last visit in 2013. He's made five of nine cuts since Bermuda, with zero top-25s. He missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open.

75) Michael Thompson
He's back for his third Masters and first since 2013, when he tied for 25th, thanks to winning the 3M Open last year. He has made 11 of his past 13 cuts, including a tie for 19th at the Honda.

76) Hudson Swafford
He had the good fortune of winning the Dominican Republic tournament last September when it was classified one time only as a full-points event. It will be his second Masters after a missed cut in 2017. He just tied for sixth at this year's D.R. event, breaking a stretch of five straight missed cuts.

77) Jim Herman
The out-of-nowhere winner of last year's Wyndham will play in his second Masters after a missed cut in 2016. The 43-year-old ended a stretch of five straight missed cuts at the Honda.

LEGACY CHAMPIONS

In order of predicted finish

Bernhard Langer
Even though he is listed here, make no mistake that he can and often does make the cut, even now in his 60s.  He tied for 29th at age 63 back in November, when conditions made Augusta play even longer. He's made the cut the past three years and this will be his 38th Masters start. He won twice in 1985 and 1993. 

Mike Weir
The Champions Tour rookie had not made a Masters cut since 2014 until tying for 51st last November. He won the Masters in 2003.

Fred Couples
The 1992 champion had impressively made the cut almost annually the past decade but, now age 61, has missed the past two.

Vijay Singh
Now 58, the 2000 champion has made the cut only once the past five years. Last year, he withdrew.

Larry Mize
The 62-year-old Augusta native famously beat both Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros in a playoff in 1987. Now back for his 38th Masters start, he last made the cut in 2017.

Jose Maria Olazabal
The two-time champion (1994, '99) will tee it up for the 31st time. Now 55, the Spaniard last made the cut in 2014.

Sandy Lyle
This will be the 63-year-old Englishman's 40th trip to Augusta. He won the Green Jacket in 1988. He's made the cut only 17 times and hasn't done so since 2014.

Ian Woosnam
The 63-year-old champion from 1991 has made one cut since 2000 (2008), called it quits after 2019 and didn't play last year. But now he's back.

AMATEURS

In order of predicted finish

The U.S. Mid-Amateur, Latin America Amateur and Asia-Pacific Amateur tournaments were not held in 2020 due to the pandemic, so this will be one of the smallest amateur contingents in Masters history.

Tyler Strafaci
The 2020 U.S. Amateur champion at Bandon Dunes and 22-year-old Georgia Tech grad will turn pro right after the Walker Cup next month. He played in the U.S. Open and Valspar Championship in 2018 and missed the cut in both.

Joe Long
The 23-year-old Englishman won the 2020 British Amateur at Royal Birkdale and is also eligible for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and the Open Championship at Royal St. George's.

Ollie Osborne
The 2020 U.S. Amateur runner-up is a 21-year-old junior at Southern Methodist. He played in the 2019 Barracuda Championship at his home course in Reno, NV but missed the cut.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Len Hochberg
Len Hochberg has covered golf for RotoWire since 2013. A veteran sports journalist, he was an editor and reporter at The Washington Post for nine years. Len is a three-time winner of the FSWA DFS Writer of the Year Award (2020, '22 and '23) and a five-time nominee (2019-23). He is also a writer and editor for MLB Advanced Media.
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