With nine of the last 12 Majors being won by first-time champions, we look at who is most likely to continue the trend at The Masters this year...
Potential First-Time Major Champions At Augusta
Last year’s Masters Tournament saw Patrick Reed win his first Major, following on from Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett and Jordan Spieth all winning their first Major at Augusta.
Augusta National is often the location for many players looking to open their account in the Majors – so could it be a first-timer again this year?
Below, we look at some who could pick up a Green Jacket this year…
Potential First-Time Major Champions At Augusta:
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele is having a great 2019 season, most recently with his stunning Tournament of Champions victory, which was his fourth PGA Tour title and saw him move to 6th in the world.
That came just after his WGC-HSBC Champions triumph and he has another three top-15s this year as well.
The American made the cut in his Masters debut last year and looks to be a certain Major winner for the future.
Tommy Fleetwood
The Englishman was 2nd at last year’s US Open and has asserted himself as one of the world’s finest players over the past few seasons.
Fleetwood is coming into Augusta in decent form, with T3 and T5 finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship.
He was T17th at Augusta last year after missing the cut in his Augusta debut in 2017.
Paul Casey
Casey is playing some of the best golf of his career at the moment, having won his 3rd PGA Tour title with his successful Valspar Championship defence last month.
He was also 2nd at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, T3rd at the WGC-Mexico Championship and made it to the quarter finals at the WGC-Match Play.
This will be his 13th Masters appearance, and he comes into this year’s event after a run of T6-T4-6-T15.
Rickie Fowler
‘When will Rickie win?’ is a question that is asked every time one of golf’s big four come around. Ever since a flurry of top fives at all four Majors in 2014, the 30-year-old has been seen as a future Major champion.
He comes into this year’s tournament as the Waste Management Phoenix Open champion, perhaps that victory in Scottsdale can help him at Augusta.
Rickie was also 2nd last year after an excellent final round 67.
Bryson DeChambeau
Now comfortably one of the world’s finest players, DeChambeau won four times on the PGA Tour last season and has already won on the European Tour this year in Dubai.
The Golfing Scientist was the low amateur at Augusta in 2016 and was T38th last season in his first Masters start as a pro.
Marc Leishman
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
An Aussie has won The Masters just once before – Adam Scott in 2013.
Leishman has the pedigree of a Major winner and has finished inside the top 20 in all four, including a tie for fourth here in 2013 and a runners-up spot at The Open in 2015.
He is a four-time PGA Tour winner, most recently at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia last October.
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Matt Kuchar
Kuchar, like Casey, is playing some of the best golf of his career right now in his 40s.
He has won twice in this year’s PGA Tour season already – at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and Sony Open.
He very nearly won The Open in 2017 and since 2010 he has featured just once outside of the top 30 at The Masters.
His best finishes of T3 (2012) and T4 (2017) show he is almost certainly a player when it comes to Augusta.
Jon Rahm
The Spaniard had a very good tournament last year, finishing 4th.
Rahm is one of the very best players without a Major victory right now and comes into Augusta in imperious form – he has six top-10s already in 2019.
Hideki Matsuyama
The Japanese star has been fairly quiet in recent times but definitely has the game to win around Augusta and become the tournament’s first ever Asian winner.
Matsuyama was 5th in 2015, T7th in 2016, T11th in 2017 and 19th last year. He was also low amateur in 2011.
Ian Poulter
The Englishman plays in his 14th Masters this season and has a very decent record around Augusta with three top-10s.
Poulter finished T3rd at this year’s WGC-Mexico and T3rd at the Dubai Desert Classic too.
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This is one of the most exclusive golf…
US Masters Golf Betting Tips 2019 – Pre Tournament Picks
Check out who we think we be wearing…
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10 Things You Can’t Do At Augusta National
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