The men in the top-10 on the Official World Golf Ranking will have the bulk of the support going into this year’s Masters and with the likes of Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland all on stellar form, beating the world’s very best will be a tough ask at Augusta.
But, flying under the radar a little could be a benefit to those just a bit further down the current pecking order. Here we consider five players who might just surprise the biggest star names and win The Masters.
Will Zalatoris
Will Zalatoris
Will Zalatoris was a runner-up last year and he looked supremely comfortable around Augusta. A good finish in the American Express and then a runner-up placing at the Farmers Insurance Open shows he’s still got the touch with the putter.
Thomas Pieters
Thomas Pieters
Back towards his best with victory in Abu Dhabi, following up a win in the Portugal Masters in November of last year. The Belgian was tied fourth in the 2017 Masters and has the all-round game to be a Major winner.
Lucas Herbert
Lucas Herbert
Lucas Herbert stepped up a level with PGA Tour victory in Bermuda. The Australian is a superb putter, a strength required at Augusta.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Matt Fitzpatrick
Another man who’s brilliant with the flat-stick. Matt Fitzpatrick has made the cut for six years running at Augusta, including a tie for seventh place in 2016. He’s shown some good form in the USA with top-10 finishes at Pebble Beach and in Phoenix.
Joaquin Niemann
Joaquin Niemann
The young Chilean has great potential. A former winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, he has the game to contend at Augusta. He recently won at Riviera, another testing course.
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