Best PGA Picks this Week for the 2026 Masters

Golf’s first major takes center stage next week: the 2026 Masters from Augusta National.

Current Masters odds price Scottie Scheffler (+550) as the pre-tournament favorite. With a win, Scheffler would capture his third green jacket since 2022.

Priced behind Scheffler is Bryson DeChambeau at +100. Next on the board are Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy (both +1100), Xander Schauffele (+1400) and Ludvig Aberg (+1600).

Let’s dive into the predictions. Prices are reflective at time of writing and are subject to movement.

Best Golf Picks for the 2026 Masters Tournament

Jon Rahm (+1200)

It’s a bit surprising to me that Rahm sits behind DeChambeau on the odds board. While the latter has sniffed victory at Augusta, Rahm reached the pinnacle in 2023.

Rahm struggled in his title defense, finishing T-45th in 2024. He rebounded nicely last year, finishing T-14th.

But before those finishes, Rahm posted four top-10s in five April Masters between 2018 and 2023.

This season on LIV Golf, Rahm finished inside the top five in all five starts. That sample includes a win and three additional top-two finishes.

From a strokes gained standpoint, Rahm averaged +2.23 SG: T2G this year, per Data Golf. He leads DeChambeau (+1.6) by a healthy gap.

Pair those metrics with his previous success at Augusta, and I predict Rahm contends for a second victory at this course.

Collin Morikawa (+2500)

[Writer’s Note: Analysis below was written prior to Morikawa’s withdrawal from the Valero Texas Open. It seems not all is well with Morikawa’s back injury. As a result, confidence in Morikawa takes a small hit.] 

Historically, winning a tournament in the lead-up to the Masters has proven a signal that players are capable of winning.

And yet, Morikawa – a winner at Pebble Beach – is priced behind some players lacking a victory this season. He also contended at the Masters previously, finishing T-3rd in 2024.

That marked Morikawa’s second top-five and third top-10 in his last four appearances at Augusta National.

Only two players outpace Morikawa in SG: T2G this season: Si Woo Kim and Matt Fitzpatrick. Only Kim and Adam Scott outpace him in SG: APP.

Historically, those stats correlate strongly with the final Masters leaderboard.

Since 2019, every winner at Augusta National ranked third or better in SG: T2G for the week. Since 2021, four Masters winners ranked sixth or better in SG: APP.

This season, Morikawa spiked to 5+ SG: APP in 5.6% of rounds. Second-best is Schauffele at 4%.

Pair those statistical trends with Morikawa’s close call in 2024, and I predict he earns a third major next week.

Matt Fitzpatrick (+2200)

Fitzpatrick has started 10 Masters tournaments since 2016. Never has the Englishman missed the cut at Augusta National in those 10 starts. 

If there’s a knock against Fitzpatrick, it’s that he’s never truly contended at Augusta. He finished T-7 in 2016, five shots behind Danny Willett. 

He followed it with a T-10 in 2023, eight shots worse than the winner Jon Rahm. 

Save for those trends, Fitzpatrick enters the 2026 edition fresh off a win at the Valspar. The victory followed a runner-up finish at TPC Sawgrass. 

Over the last 24 qualifying rounds, Fitzpatrick ranks second in SG: T2G. He paces the field over the last eight qualifying rounds. 

Two other factors bolster Fitzpatrick’s case. First, he ranks 12th in bogey avoidance percentage on tracks featuring “difficult” Par 3s and 4s. 

Second, he ranks 10th in Par 5 Efficiency over the last 12 months. At TPC Sawgrass, he placed second in Par 5 birdie or better percentage. 

At fifth in my model vs. eighth on the board, I predict Fitzpatrick owns higher win equity than his odds suggest. 

Tommy Fleetwood Top-10 Finish + Ties (+175)

Fleetwood seems to arrive at Augusta National flying under the radar. However, he finished 10th or better in two straight and four of five this calendar year. 

Last week, the Englishman recorded a T-10th at TPC San Antonio. It marked the second straight event where he gained over 1.9 strokes ball-striking in relation to the field. 

Before that performance, Fleetwood recorded a +8.9 SG: BS and +12.4 SG: T2G output at TPC Sawgrass. 

Over the last 24 qualifying rounds, Fleetwood ranks seventh in SG: T2G within the Masters field. 

The most encouraging aspect of Fleetwood’s profile for this tournament is his Par 5 Efficiency record. He ranks seventh in SG: Par 5s over the last 12 months. 

Fleetwood simultaneously ranks seventh in bogey avoidance on courses featuring “difficult” Par 3s and 4s. 

While he owns only one top-10 finish at Augusta, it came two years ago (T-3). Given that he places fourth in my model, I like the price on Fleetwood to replicate that success.

Nicolai Hojgaard Top-20 + Ties (+165) 

Hojgaard produced a top-20 at Augusta in his debut in 2024. While he followed it with a missed cut in 2025, he offered some encouraging signs in failure. 

Hojgaard made birdie or better five times in eight holes in 2025. In 2024, he made birdie or better 10 times in 16 Par 5s while bogeying 15 twice. 

The Dane arrives at Augusta fresh off a runner-up finish at Memorial Park. This season, he has yet to miss a cut and has recorded six top-40 finishes in seven starts. 

Over the last 24 qualifying rounds, Hojgaard ranks 14th in SG: T2G and 10th in SG: APP. He also ranks ninth in driving distance gained over the last 12 months. 

Hojgaard matches that ranking with a ninth-place finish in Par 5 Efficiency over the last 12 months. 

At a lofty price, Hojgaard places ninth in my Masters model. Only one factor brings him down – he ranks 50th in bogey avoidance on courses with “difficult” Par 3 & Par 4 scoring. 

However, he ranked sixth in bogey avoidance percentage at TPC Sawgrass, the hardest course he played this year. 

Pair that with his 2024 success, and I like Hojgaard to clear this benchmark. 

Ryan Fox Top-40 Finish + Ties (+100) 

Fox slowed his early momentum this season with a MC at Memorial Park. It ended a six-event made cut streak along with four straight top-25 finishes. 

But Fox played that event days removed from a kidney stone removal. At a bomber’s paradise, Fox lost an average of 20 yards compared to his last event. 

Time to recover should help Fox’s profile at Augusta, where he thrived in the past. In two Masters starts, Fox finished T-40th or better both times. 

Particularly encouraging is his swift ability to conquer Augusta’s Par 5s. Over those two starts, Fox finished a combined -14 on the Par 5s (-7 each time). 

Over the last 12 months, Fox ranks 34th in Par 5 Efficiency within this field. He dominated the Par 5s at Riviera – a correlative course – going -7 for the week. 

His T-7th at Riviera marked his best finish of the PGA Tour season. 

Pair those trends with his past Augusta success, and I predict Fox rediscovers his pre-operation form at the Masters.

Masters Tournament Public Data & Consensus Picks