Masters Picks: Six Elite Golfers Could Win in 2026

Masters Picks: Six Elite Golfers Could Win in 2026

The Masters is just around the corner, and the pressure is on to pick a winner. But instead of just guessing, a new segment on The Pat McAfee Show decided to use science and stats to figure out who has the best shot. They played a game called “Masters Champion Guess Who?” to narrow down the field. Think of it like the classic board game where you ask questions to find out who your opponent picked. Here, they asked questions based on past Masters winners to eliminate players.

Who’s Even in the Running?

To start, they looked at who has won a tournament in the four months before the Masters. History shows that most Masters champs have done this. This first step left them with 14 players. This means, according to the stats, one of these 14 golfers is likely to win the green jacket.

Young Guns Lead the Pack

Next, they examined the age of past winners. The average age of the last five Masters champions is about 28.8 years old. This is the youngest average age since the early 1980s, showing it’s a game for younger players right now. They used this to remove players who were too old or too young, cutting the list down to nine golfers. Some of the names still on the board include Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, and Jon Rahm.

World Rankings Matter

The next stat focused on the Official World Golf Ranking, which started in 1986. Since then, 34 out of 40 Masters winners were ranked in the top 30. Even more impressively, the last 16 champions have all been inside that top 30. This rule knocked out another player, leaving eight potential champions.

Digging Deeper into Trends

The team then looked at 19 different historical trends for the Masters, compiled by Ron Close. Fourteen of these 19 trends have been met by most past winners. By applying these trends, they were able to eliminate more players. After all the stats and trends were applied, they were left with a final group of six golfers.

The Final Six Contenders

The show didn’t reveal the exact names of the final six, but they stated that one of these players is statistically the most likely to win the Masters this weekend. AJ Hawk, one of the hosts, thought the reasoning was “pretty flawless.” He’s excited to see if one of these six players does indeed win, calling it a “pretty cool little clip” if they predicted the future correctly.

What This Means Going Forward

The hosts emphasized that this data-driven approach shows that Masters champions don’t typically come out of nowhere. These players have a history of success, are usually ranked highly, and have experience at Augusta National. While they admit anything can happen in sports, making it exciting, the stats strongly point to one of these six elite golfers lifting the trophy.

The trends at the Masters knowing who it is. Let’s go ahead and get rid of the people who do not qualify for 14 of the 19 of Ron Close.

The segment also touched on specific players. Collin Morikawa, who withdrew from a previous event, is back and practicing. Despite only hitting the driver once in a practice round, his strong iron play could be key if the course is dry and the ball travels far. The hosts noted that all the players left are well-known names, often among the top favorites for the tournament.

The excitement for this year’s Masters is palpable, with hosts discussing the possibility of attending and the growing number of private flights heading to Augusta. It’s clear that for these top golfers, performing well at the Masters isn’t just about winning; it’s about cementing their legacy in one of golf’s most prestigious events.

Source: A Foolproof, Scientific Breakdown Of Who Should Win The 2026 Masters (Maybe) | Pat McAfee Show (YouTube)