AUGUSTA, Ga. — It happens every year, for just about every major team sport — in the U.S., at least.
Toward the end of the season, a list of all-stars — or all-pros, or all-Americans — will be announced and almost immediately, critics start grousing about the snubs from this list.
This is almost always a fair argument, that there are other players who “deserve” such accolades.
The flip side, of course, is that only a finite number of these spots exist. That means that if we’d like to add a player to one of these lists, we must also subtract a similarly deserving player.
Why did I just spend four paragraphs writing about this during Masters week? Great question.
The answer is that you’re about to read my annual 2023 Masters power ranking of the entire field. Invariably, you’re going to see players whom you believe are way too low on my ranking — the snubs, so to speak. I get it. In fact, I feel the same way.
As I’ve been saying on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio for the past few weeks, I feel like I need 10 spots for my top-five, 20 spots for my top-10 and 40 spots for my top-20.
It’s like trying to squeeze the proverbial 10 pounds of poop into a 5-pound bag. (That’s not a direct analogy or anything.)
You think this is going to be a chalky week? That’s possible, but it’s extremely unlikely that we won’t have a longshot or two somewhere in the mix. Think the LIV players will struggle in a return to 72-hole play? Maybe, though it’s tough to believe that at least a few of those 18 players won’t find themselves on the leaderboard.
All of which is a much too long-winded way of warning you there are going to be snubs in this ranking. There has to be. After all, it’s a numbers game. So, let’s get on with it.
2023 Masters Preview: Power Ranking the Entire Field (Plus Odds to Win)
Pick: Jon Rahm +950 |
1. Jon Rahm (+950)
There are legitimately 20-30 players who could sit atop a ranking this week as a viable selection.
For me, it came down to the question: Which player are you most afraid to fade? Rahm has always excelled in every aspect of the game, but he’s excelling even more this season.
For our experts' 2023 Masters bets bets, check out 2023 Masters Odds: Best Bets, Picks for Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay, More.
2. Patrick Cantlay (+2000)
Perhaps you haven’t heard his name much this year since he’s yet to seriously contend for a title, but Cantlay’s metrics are through the roof once again, especially his tee-to-green ball-striking numbers.
3. Jordan Spieth (+1800)
Spoiler alert: Whatever he does, however he finishes, it’s going to be a hell of a ride. Spieth has made a recent habit of holing short-sided pitch shots or 50-foot putts, but just as easily can miss a 5-footer.
4. Scottie Scheffler (+650)
It’s not often that a player can be ranked fourth and it feels way too low, but Scheffler is riding a heater. More importantly, in three title defenses so far, he’s finished 1st-4th-4th. Serious course horse vibes.
5. Sungjae Im (+4500)
Over the past few months, it’s often felt like Im is building toward something special very soon. He’s finished 21st or better in six of his last eight starts and owns a runner-up and eighth place among his last three Masters starts.
6. Rory McIlroy (+750)
He’s tried to win when it means everything. He’s tried to trick himself into believing it’s not that important. McIlroy has spent the past decade attempting to find new ways of approaching this tournament. Perhaps he’ll figure it out this time. A softer, soggy golf course couldn’t hurt.
7. Tony Finau (+2000)
In previous years, a top-10 ranking for Finau might’ve sounded like a backhanded compliment, but this one isn’t. Now armed with the experience of winning multiple PGA Tour events, he’s ready to win a major.
8. Patrick Reed (+9000)
With LIV players embracing the role of villain this week, keep an eye out for the player who most embodies this role. Fresh off a third-place finish last week, the 2018 champion could be peaking at the right time.
9. Xander Schauffele (+2500)
Another who’s admittedly too talented to be this low, Schauffele owns top-three results in two of the last four Masters.
10. Collin Morikawa (+2800)
The iron game is always on-point. If the putter heats up, Morikawa could claim the third leg of the career slam.
11. Corey Conners (+5000)
Speaking of coming in hot, the Valero Texas Open champion owns three straight top-10s here.
12. Justin Thomas (+2200)
The first of many who seem way too low in this ranking, J.T. has just one finish better than 10th in eight starts this season.
13. Shane Lowry (+5500)
Ever since his Open Championship win at Royal Portrush, Lowry has seemed to unlock some Masters secrets, as well.
14. Cameron Young (+3500)
Most young players need a few other professional victories before a major, but Young could be the outlier here.
15. Cameron Smith (+3500)
He hasn’t been ripping it up on the LIV circuit, but Smith can get up and down from anywhere at Augusta.
16. Brooks Koepka (+4000)
There might not be many similarities between Orange County National and Augusta National, but a win is a win. Last week's LIV victory certainly won’t hurt the confidence of a player who’s famous for flipping the switch and bringing his A-game to major championships.
17. Max Homa (+2800)
A six-time winner on the PGA Tour, it’s time for his next progression toward becoming a major contender.
18. Talor Gooch (+13000)
A high-floor player who’s finished in the top one-third on the leaderboard at all three LIV events this season.
19. Tom Hoge (+10000)
On a second-shot course, don’t overlook the player who leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach shots.
20. Sam Burns (+4500)
After a brief period of struggles, the WGC-Match Play champion should be brimming with confidence now.
21. Justin Rose (+5000)
Nobody in the history of this tournament has ever led after more Masters rounds without winning than Rose.
22. Jason Day (+2200)
Gradually gaining steam with every solid performance, the Aussie is playing some of his best golf in years.
23. Dustin Johnson (+2200)
The 2020 champion has posted six finishes of 12th or better in his last seven starts at Augusta National.
24. Keegan Bradley (+12000)
He’s won a major, a WGC and a playoff event, so you know Bradley can beat the best if he’s on. At 110-1, worth a small ticket to see if it can happen again.
25. Tommy Fleetwood (+5500)
Past results show that if he’s ever going to win a big one, it’ll more likely be the U.S. Open or Open Championship.
26. Will Zalatoris (+4500)
Finishes of 2nd-6th the past two years will draw some interest, but it’s difficult to believe he’s fully healthy right now.
27. Matt Fitzpatrick (+5000)
Reigning U.S. Open champion has just one top-25 result in his last seven starts.
28. Adam Scott (+10000)
Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his Masters win, Scott believes he still has at least one more big victory left in him.
29. Si Woo Kim (+9000)
Always having owned a reputation as a high-ceiling/low-floor option, Kim has become much more consistent in the past two years.
30. Mito Pereira (+8000)
This is hard to fathom, with 18 LIV players here and only 48 in their events, but Pereira is the lone Masters-qualified LIVer with multiple top-10s this year.
31. Sahith Theegala (+12000)
Someday, folks – maybe someday soon – Theegala will be a serious threat here, but this week is just a step in that process.
32. Tom Kim (+8000)
Last year’s all-everything phenom hasn’t finished inside the top-30 in his last five starts.
33. Viktor Hovland (+4000)
Hovland has done his best to convince us that he’s improved from around the greens, but the tight lies on this course are certainly not his strength.
34. Keith Mitchell (+9000)
Mitchell ranks No. 1 in total driving on the PGA Tour this season – and by a wide margin over Cantlay in second place.
35. Kurt Kitayama (+13000)
The recent Arnold Palmer Invitational champion has shown tremendous upside when he’s on his game, with six top-five finishes since the beginning of last year.
36. Hideki Matsuyama (+4500)
Over the past year, the 2021 champion has posted an amalgam of MCs, WDs and, yes, even solid finishes – usually when we least expect it.
37. Tyrrell Hatton (+5000)
Currently ranks ninth in SG: Off the Tee and 11th in SG: Approach for a strong ball-striking combination.
38.Gordon Sargent (+30000)
Remember the name. The No. 1-ranked amateur in the world could lead this week’s field in driving distance.
39. Alex Noren (+18000)
Noren has gained strokes with his irons in three straight starts and seven of his last 10.
40. Tiger Woods (+8000)
My original favorite Tiger play this week was a top-40, but Saturday’s awful weather forecast has me opting for a make-the-cut prop instead.
41. Joaquin Niemann (+5500)
Finished outside the top 30 in each of his last two LIV starts, which is uncharacteristic for one of the game’s better young talents.
42. Jason Kokrak (+25000)
Kokrak's T-14 finish at last year’s Masters ranks as his best result in 22 career major starts.
43. Russell Henley (+13000)
One of the PGA Tour’s better iron players, Henley has finished 31st or better here in his last five starts.
44. Chris Kirk (+13000)
The winner of the recent Honda Classic knows how to deal with some potentially windy conditions coming this weekend.
45. Adrian Meronk (+30000)
Nicknamed the “Tall Pole,” the 6-foot-6 native of Poland won the Irish Open and Australian Open last year.
46. Sepp Straka (+30000)
A hole-in-one at Augusta National is magical anytime, even if Straka’s Monday’s practice round didn't actually count.
47. Seamus Power (+15000)
Played each of the four majors for a first time last year – and finished 27th or better in three of them.
48. Adam Svensson (+30000)
Coming into his own this season, with a victory and five top-25s against only three MCs in 16 starts so far.
49. Mackenzie Hughes (+30000)
One of the game’s better fast-greens putters, the Canadian has made the cut here each of the past two years.
50. Harris English (+25000)
A runner-up finish at the Arnold Palmer and T-12 at the Genesis each suggest his poor run of form is only temporary.
51. Ryan Fox (+20000)
Fox has won 14 times around the world and played 14 career majors, which makes it hard to believe that this week marks Fox’s first Masters start.
52. Min Woo Lee (+6500)
Lee showed the world his talent and offensive firepower while getting into contention at The Players last month.
53. Abraham Ancer (+11000)
Ancer is a solid ball-striker who’s been just average on LIV this year. His lack of distance off the tee could hurt here.
54. Thomas Pieters (+13000)
Nothing better than a 16th-place finish in his first three LIV starts, but we do know he can make some birdies in bunches.
55. Louis Oosthuizen (+11000)
Often mistaken as an Augusta National specialist, Oosthuizen's 14 career starts includes just a single top-10, which was a playoff loss in 2012.
56. Billy Horschel (+20000)
After plenty of early struggles, a group stage advancement at the WGC-Match Play could portend impending improvement.
57. Bryson DeChambeau (+11000)
DeChambeau once called Augusta National a “par-67,” then said this week he doesn’t regret it, but he can “learn from all my mistakes.”
58. Kevin Na (+30000)
In 45 career major starts, he owns just two top-10s, but that doesn’t tell the entire story, as he’s finished between 12th and 14th in each of his last three Masters starts.
59. J.T. Poston (+25000)
Poston has one top-40 finish and nothing else better than 60th place in eight previous major-championship appearances.
60. Gary Woodland (+20000)
In 10 career Masters starts, Woodland has only four made cuts with a best finish of T-24 in his debut back in 2011.
61. Harold Varner III (+20000)
Finished T-23 in his Masters debut last year and currently ranks fourth in greens in regulation on LIV.
62. Danny Willett (+13000)
Since his 2016 victory, Willett has missed the cut four times in six Masters starts, though he was T-12 last year.
63. Scott Stallings (+35000)
You’ll hear plenty this week about how the “other Scott Stallings” accidentally received the initial Masters invitation.
64. Sergio Garcia (+15000)
Once famously said he’d never win a Masters, then won a Masters, and now has three MCs in his four Masters starts since then.
65. K.H. Lee (+30000)
Lee has played eight career major championships, with just two missed cuts and a best finish of T-37.
66. Phil Mickelson (+35000)
It's hard to believe he won a major championship title less than two years ago, as Lefty doesn’t even have a top-25 on LIV this season.
67. Brian Harman (+18000)
Harman hasn’t finished inside the top 30 in his last seven stroke-play events, including four missed cuts in that span.
68. Taylor Moore (+20000)
The recent winner of the Valspar Championship isn’t just making his Masters debut; it’ll be his first start at a major.
69. Bernhard Langer (+100000)
At 65, he’s still crushing it on PGA Tour Champions, but this is a long course for Langer, who’s now missed two cuts in a row.
70. Bubba Watson (+25000)
Injured for much of last year, the two-time champion has a season-best T-20 on LIV, sandwiched by a pair of 40th-place results.
71. Kevin Kisner (+50000)
In seven starts so far this year, he’s missed the cut four times and doesn’t have any result inside the top-30.
72. Francesco Molinari (+30000)
From 2017-19, Molinari was at the peak of his ball-striking powers, but it’s difficult to believe he’ll reach that level once again.
73. Zach Johnson (+60000)
Since his 2007 victory, Johnson has made 15 Masters starts and owns just one top-10 against seven missed cuts.
74. Sam Bennett (+100000)
The reigning U.S. Amateur champion is the sixth-ranked amateur in the world and won a collegiate event just two months ago.
75. Charl Schwartzel (+30000)
The last champion to win at pre-tournament triple-digit odds, Schwartzel hasn’t finished better than 16th on LIV this season.
76. Vijay Singh (+250000)
In the decade beginning in 2000, he had a win, six top-10s and nothing worse than 30th, but the 60-year-old now has just one made cut in his last seven starts here.
77. Fred Couples (+150000)
Couples turned 50 and immediately finished 6th-15th-12th-13th-20th. Now 63, he’s missed four straight cuts.
78. Kazuki Higa (+60000)
A special exemption into his second career major, Higa won four times on the Japan Tour last year.
79. Cameron Champ (+25000)
A notoriously lengthy hitter, Champ owns just two made cuts in 11 starts so far this season.
80. Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira (+250000)
The Latin America Amateur winner followed that up with a win and two other top-10s in his next four collegiate starts.
81. Mike Weir (+250000)
The Canadian has made only one cut here in the past eight years, but he does have a pair of top-10 results in five PGA Tour Champions starts this season.
82. Harrison Crowe (+250000)
The 21-year-old Australian has played five professional events around the world since October, with a best finish of T-29 a few weeks ago.
83. Ben Carr (+250000)
A senior at Georgia Southern, he’s finished 1st-2nd in his last two collegiate starts.
84. Larry Mize (+500000)
Since 2010, the 1987 champion has made 13 Masters starts, with just three made cuts and no results inside the top-50.
85. Aldrich Potgieter (+200000)
Last year’s winner of The Amateur Championship has since added titles at the African Amateur Stroke Play and the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.
86. Matthew McClean (+500000)
Caddie numbers this week are given by registration. The defending champion gets No. 1 and McClean, the 70th-ranked amateur was the first to arrive on-site, so he gets No. 2.
87. Jose Maria Olazabal (+500000)
Two-time champion has played just three PGA Tour Champions events this year, with a top finish of T-52.
88. Sandy Lyle (+500000)
No matter his final position on the leaderboard, this week should serve as a celebration for Lyle, who is expected to make this his final Masters appearance.
