US Masters 2024: Player Guide

All eyes are on Augusta as the US Masters inches ever closer…

Star Sports golf expert LARA KUIPERS has cast her eye down the field and offered her analysis with a Star Rating (scale of 1 to 6 ⭐ depending on confidence) on the top 30 players to watch as Jon Rahm bids to retain his title! 👇

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Scottie Scheffler ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 27 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish WON, 2022 Data Golf Ranking 1
Scheffler is the clear favourite with two convincing wins over strong fields (The Players, Arnold Palmer Invitational) and five additional top-10 finishes so far this year. When the 27-year-old has his A-Game, it’s hard to find a weakness – he’s currently ranked 1st on the PGA Tour in SG: Total, as well as SG: Approach to Green. He won at Augusta in 2022, and had a solid performance in 2023, ultimately finishing T10.
Rory McIlroy ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 34 Nationality: 🇬🇧 Best Masters Finish 2, 2022 Data Golf Ranking 3
McIlroy won four major championships early on in his career, but it’s been nearly 10 years since his last major title, and the 34-year-old is still searching for his maiden Masters victory to complete the career Grand Slam. He has come close twice in the past four years (T5 in 2020 and 2nd in 2022), but he missed the cut in 2023 and has just one top-10 finish through six starts on the PGA Tour in 2024, despite currently being ranked 4th in SG: Off the Tee.
Jon Rahm ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 29 Nationality: 🇪🇸 Best Masters Finish WON, 2023 Data Golf Ranking 4
Rahm is this year’s defending champion after winning by four strokes last year for his first Masters title and second major victory. It marked his 5th time finishing inside the top 10 at The Masters. He also had two more top-10 finishes at other majors last year (US Open: T10, Open Championship: T2). He’s currently ranked second in the LIV Golf player standings.
Brooks Koepka ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 33 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 2, 2019 Data Golf Ranking 44
Brooks Koepka notoriously performs well at the majors, with five major victories at the age of 33. His 5th major title came at last year’s PGA Championship, which he won just a month after he finished T2 at The Masters. It was the second time he’d finished runner-up at Augusta, and his third top-10 finish at the major. However, he’s had a quiet start to the 2024 LIV Golf season and is currently ranked 18th in their player standings.
Jordan Spieth ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 30 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish WON, 2015 Data Golf Ranking 20
Spieth is a three-time major winner, which includes winning The Masters back in 2015. Additionally, he’s logged five other top-5 finishes at Augusta National. The 30-year-old does not have much momentum entering the tournament this year, having missed the cut in both of his last two starts. However, he is ranked 12th on the PGA Tour in SG: Putting, which could bode well at a course like Augusta.
Viktor Hovland ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 26 Nationality: 🇳🇴 Best Masters Finish T7, 2023 Data Golf Ranking 5
Hovland has had a mediocre start to the 2024 season, with his top finish coming at the Genesis Invitational (T19) back in mid-February. However, there’s no denying that the 26-year-old is solid at Augusta National, finishing as low amateur back in 2019 and a career-best T7 at the tournament in 2023 where he opened the tournament with an impressive 65. He’s never missed a cut in four appearances at the tournament.
Xander Schauffele ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 30 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 2, 2019 Data Golf Ranking 2
Schauffele has already logged six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year through eight starts, including a T2 finish at The Players Championship in mid-March and T5 at the Valspar Championship a week later. He’s ranked second in SG: Total on the PGA Tour, as well as 6 th in SG: Off the Tee and 18th in SG: Approach to Green. He has two career top-5 finishes at The Masters and finished T10 at the tournament last year.
Justin Thomas ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 30 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 4, 2020 Data Golf Ranking 23
Thomas is a two-time major winner (PGA Championship 2017 & 2022), and he has logged two top-10 finishes at The Masters, however he’s entering the tournament this year off a missed cut and T64 finish in his last two starts. He’s ranked 6th in SG: Approach to Green, but 174th in SG: Putting on the PGA Tour. Additionally, he recently announced that he’s parted ways with his caddie, just eight days before the start of The Masters.
Ludvig Aberg ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 24 Nationality: 🇸🇪 Best Masters Finish N/A Data Golf Ranking 6
Aberg is no doubt one of the most exciting young players on the PGA Tour right now with three top-10 finishes and seven straight made cuts in 2024. In 2023, he won his maiden PGA Tour victory at The RSM Classic. However, this will be the 24-year-old’s first professional major championship and you have to go back to 1979 and Fuzzy Zoeller for the last player to win at Augusta on debut.
Patrick Cantlay ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 32 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 9, 2019 Data Golf Ranking 8
Cantlay has had a solid start to 2024 with seven straight made cuts on the PGA Tour and three top-15 finishes. His putting has been his strength so far this year, as he’s currently ranked 54th on the PGA Tour in SG: Putting. However, the 32-year-old has historically underperformed at major championships, with just one top-5 finish to date (PGA Championship, 2019). His best previous finish at The Masters was in 2019 when he finished T9.
Will Zalatoris ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 27 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 2, 2021 Data Golf Ranking 60
Zalatoris appears to be back to full form after dealing with a back injury since August 2022. He’s ranked 8th on the PGA Tour in SG: Approach to Green, but he’s 147th in SG: Putting which could make going low at Augusta difficult. However, the 27-year-old is known for playing well at major championships, finishing runner-up at The Masters in 2021 and T6 in 2022.
Wyndham Clark ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 30 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish N/A Data Golf Ranking 10
Clark burst onto the scene when he won the Wells Fargo Championship in May and then the US Open shortly after. Since then, he’s added a third PGA Tour win to his list and two more runner-up finishes in strong fields (Arnold Pamlmer Invitational, The Players Championship). He’s ranked third on the PGA Tour in SG: Total, 12th in SG: Off the Tee, and 15th in SG: Putting. First timers rarely win in their Masters debut, but Clark could see a solid result this year.
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Cameron Smith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 30 Nationality: 🇦🇺 Best Masters Finish 2, 2020 & 2022 Data Golf Ranking 45
Smith, currently one of the best putters in professional golf, has proven he excels at Augusta National. He’s finished inside the top-5 three times, including a tie for second in 2020. He’s also proven that he has what it takes to win a major, after winning the 2022 Open Championship at St Andrews. He already has one runner-up finish on LIV Golf so far this year and leads the circuit for putting with a 1.49 average.
Hideki Matsuyama ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 32 Nationality: 🇯🇵 Best Masters Finish WON, 2021 Data Golf Ranking 18
Matsuyama is entering The Masters with some solid momentum, with three straight top-15 finishes on the PGA Tour since mid-February, including his victory at The Genesis Invitational. He’s ranked 11th on the PGA Tour in SG: Total, however he’s 146th in SG: Putting. Though, he does have proven success at Augusta National, winning it back in 2021. Since then, he’s followed it up with two straight top-20 finishes in 2022 and 2023.
Joaquin Niemann ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 25 Nationality: 🇨🇱 Best Masters Finish 16, 2023 Data Golf Ranking 9
Niemann does not have a great major championship record, as he’s still searching for a top-10 finish at any of the four. However, the 25-year-old already has two wins through four tournaments on LIV Golf so far this season and is currently leading the circuit’s player standings. He’s ranked T10 for putting average on LIV Golf and fourth in greens in regulation, which will both be crucial to scoring low at Augusta National.
Bryson DeChambeau ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 30 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 21, 2016 Data Golf Ranking 21
DeChambeau has historically struggled at the Masters, with his career-best finish coming back in 2016 when he finished T21 as the low amateur that year. In his professional career, his best finish was back in 2019 when he finished T29. In the past two years, he’s missed the cut both times. However, he has had a solid start to the LIV Golf season, with back-to-back top-10 finishes and is currently ranked seventh in the player standings.
Cameron Young ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 26 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish T7, 2023 Data Golf Ranking 19
Young heads into The Masters with eight of eight cuts made on the PGA Tour, including two top-5 finishes. He’s ranked 30th in SG: Total, 17th in SG: Off the Tee, and 15th in SG: Approach to Green. His putting is his weakness (117th in SG: Putting), which could make Augusta National difficult. He’s only played in The Masters twice, missing the cut in 2022, however, he bounced back with a T7 in 2023.
Collin Morikawa ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 27 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 5, 2022 Data Golf Ranking 7
Morikawa has had a very up-and-down start to 2024, with two missed cuts, but three top-20 finishes. He’s currently ranked 80th in SG: Approach to Green, but 164th in SG: Putting. However, he has proven he performs well at the major championships, with two wins already (PGA Championship, Open Championship). Additionally, he has two career top-10 finishes at The Masters, both in the past two years.
Dustin Johnson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 39 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish WON, 2020 Data Golf Ranking 40
Johnson has had a solid start to the LIV Golf season, with one win and another top-5 finish through four events already. He’s tied T10 on LIV Golf’s putting average rankings and T8 for greens in regulation percentage. He also has a solid Masters record, with a win back in 2020 (he won with a record 20-under 268), and four other top-10 finishes at the major.
Tony Finau ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 34 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 5, 2019 Data Golf Ranking 24
Tony Finau has a solid Masters history with three top-10 finishes, including one top-5 finish back in 2019. He’s also made the cut every time he’s played in the tournament. So far this season, Finau has logged two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including a tie for second at the Houston Open at the end of March. He’s ranked 7th in SG: Approach to Green, but 163rd in SG: Putting.
Matt Fitzpatrick ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 29 Nationality: 🇬🇧 Best Masters Finish 7, 2016 Data Golf Ranking 16
Fitzpatrick’s PGA Tour season has been all over the place so far, with three missed cuts and four top-25 finishes through eight events. His most recent finish was his best yet – fifth at The Players Championship in mid-March. He’s currently ranked 55th in SG: Total, and 42nd in SG: Putting on the PGA Tour and he did finish T10 at The Masters last year and T14 the year prior. He’s also a major championship winner, having won the US Open back in 2022.
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Jason Day ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 36 Nationality: 🇦🇺 Best Masters Finish T2, 2011 Data Golf Ranking 37
Day has three top-10 finishes this year, however his last three starts on the PGA Tour have resulted in T36, T35, and most recently, a missed cut. He’s ranked 34th on the PGA Tour in SG: Total, 64th in SG: Off the Tee, and 43rd in SG: Putting. He’s also a major champion (PGA Championship, 2015) and has logged three career top-5 finishes at The Masters. However, last year he finished T39.
Max Homa ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 33 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish T43, 2023 Data Golf Ranking 11
Homa has had a solid start to 2024, with four top-20 finishes on the PGA Tour. He’s ranked 37th in SG: Total, 55th in SG: Approach to Green, and 51st in SG: Putting. However, his driving has been letting him down – he’s currently 118th in SG: Off the Tee. He also doesn’t have the most favourable major championship record, having made only 8 cuts through 17 starts. His career best at The Masters was in 2023, when he finished T43.
Sahith Theegala ⭐⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 26 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 9, 2023 Data Golf Ranking 13
Theegala could be an exciting player to watch at The Masters this year, having finished ninth in his professional debut at the tournament in 2023. So far this season on the PGA Tour, he’s already logged four top-10 finishes, including runner-up at The Sentry in early January. He’s currently ranked 5th in SG: Total, 14th in SG: Off the Tee, 50th in SG: Approach to Green, and 14th in SG: Putting.
Shane Lowry ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 37 Nationality: 🇮🇪 Best Masters Finish 3, 2022 Data Golf Ranking 27
After missing the cut in his first event of 2024, Lowry has bounced back with three top-20 finishes in his last three starts on the PGA Tour. Though his most recent start was on the DP World Tour, where he finished the event T29. He’s currently ranked 7th in SG: Total, and 3rd in SG: Approach to Green on the PGA Tour, however, he’s 100th in SG: Putting. In 2022, he finished T3 at The Masters and then T16 in 2023.
Brian Harman ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 37 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish 12, 2021 Data Golf Ranking 22
Harman has two top-5 finishes so far this year on the PGA Tour, including a T2 finish at The Players Championship. He’s currently ranked 20th on the PGA Tour in SG: Total and 16th in SG: Putting. However, he’s yet to log a top-10 finish at The Masters, with his career best currently a T12 back in 2021. He’s missed the cut at the tournament in both 2022 and 2023, however, he does have major championship success, having won the Open Championship in 2023.
Sam Burns ⭐⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 27 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish T29, 2023 Data Golf Ranking 14
Burns has logged four top-10 finishes so far in the 2024 PGA Tour season and is currently ranked 22nd in SG: Total and 21st in SG: Putting. However, he missed the cut in his most recent PGA Tour start and before that, he finished T45 at The Players Championship. This will mark his third Masters appearance after missing the cut in 2022 and then finishing T29 in 2023.
Tommy Fleetwood ⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 33 Nationality: 🇬🇧 Best Masters Finish 14, 2022 Data Golf Ranking 17
Fleetwood is currently ranked 74th in SG: Putting and has one top-10 finish on the PGA Tour so far this year. However, the 33-year-old has notoriously struggled in American-based tournaments and is still yet to win on the PGA Tour despite winning seven times on the DP World Tour. While he’s finished runner-up at both the US Open (2018) and the Open Championship (2019), his career-best at Augusta is T14 back in 2022.
Min Woo Lee ⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 25 Nationality: 🇦🇺 Best Masters Finish T14, 2022 Data Golf Ranking 50
Min Woo Lee has only played in the Masters twice – finishing T14 in 2022 and missing the cut in last year’s tournament. However, since then, he’s finished T5 at the US Open, won the Australian PGA Championship on the DP World Tour, and finished runner-up at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches on the PGA Tour. He’s ranked 13th on the PGA Tour in SG: Off the Tee, however, he’s also 157th in SG: Putting and 133rd in SG: Approach to Green.
Patrick Reed ⭐⭐	STARSPORTS.BET ?
	Age: 33 Nationality: 🇺🇸 Best Masters Finish WON, 2018 Data Golf Ranking 77
Reed is a past winner at Augusta National after winning The Masters back in 2018, and since then, he’s recorded three more top-10 finishes, including a T4 finish at last year’s tournament. He also attended the nearby Augusta University in the NCAA. However, Reed has struggled so far this year, only just picking up his first top-10 LIV finish of the year. As a result, he’s currently ranked 30th in the circuit’s player standings.