Mar 5, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Rory McIlroy walks on the 14th green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

When the Masters tees off Thursday, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will be present at Augusta National for the first time since 1994.

There’s something symbolic about the two best players of their generation, now in their 50s, being simultaneously absent. It isn’t goodbye forever — Mickelson, for example, is out as he attends to a private family health matter, but he has rarely factored into the majors since the LIV Golf schism.

As for Woods, well, that’s another column. His fourth car accident and subsequent vow to seek treatment for recurrent painkiller abuse has engendered pity and exhaustion of patience in equal measure.

But the younger generation(s) of golfers have taken over, and the spotlight at the year’s first major will focus on them even more without Woods or Mickelson walking the property.

Let’s rank the five biggest names to watch at the Masters — not necessarily in terms of their odds to win, but the five whose play this week could shape both the leaderboard and the storylines that follow.

1. Rory McIlroy

How do you follow up a career-defining, stomach-turning, all-time Masters triumph that vanquished a 10-year major drought and earned you the career Grand Slam? How about by winning another? Anything McIlroy does this week will be headline news; he’s the main character in a way Woods and few others have experienced. McIlroy’s stumbling block may be the back tweak he picked up at the Arnold Palmer; he hasn’t competed since going four rounds at The Players Championship, where he never shot better than 71.

2. Scottie Scheffler

Jan 25, 2026; La Quinta, California, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of The American Express golf tournament at Pete Dye Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The fact that the 2022 and 2024 Masters champ won 20 PGA Tour events in a four-year span is an immense credit to the man. But let’s see how Scheffler fares at Augusta after experiencing a touch of adversity to begin the year. A string of slow starts eventually ended his lengthy top-10 streak, and now he’s entering major season with just one sub-70 round in his past eight. (Scheffler also missed his Masters tune-up, the Valero Texas Open, as his wife gave birth to their second child.)

3. Bryson DeChambeau

Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images

In an alternate universe, we’re discussing DeChambeau as the defending champ this week. He’s grown better at Augusta with wisdom and reps, but in 2025 he wilted late and turned an early lead on Sunday into a disappointing T5. The face of LIV Golf couldn’t ask for better pre-Masters results, winning back-to-back weeks in Singapore and South Africa. 

Does it translate into a DeChambeau dub? (Imagine the YouTube content he could make …)

4. Patrick Reed

Apr 13, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Patrick Reed plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

You’re forgiven if you’ve lost track of Reed since he went to LIV. 

He has actually left LIV and in his best form since 2018, when Captain America donned his green jacket. Playing a DP World Tour schedule before his inevitable return to the PGA, Reed went win-T2-win in a three-start stretch this winter. He’s finding greens, making putts and returning to one of his best courses (five Masters top-10s, including third last year). That’s someone who can shake up a weekend leaderboard.

5. Tommy Fleetwood

There’s a number of ways we can go with the final spot to meet our self-imposed limit of five. Jon Rahm? Owner of a green jacket and the best form on LIV Golf apart from DeChambeau. Brooks Koepka? A five-time major winner, sure, but he’s in pretty “meh” form in his first year back on the PGA Tour. Jordan Spieth? If he can just go out in 30 on Sunday …

I’m going to zag and take Fleetwood, arguably the third-best player on the PGA Tour and certainly the best player without a major title. Fleetwood never had a signature win until his breakthrough at the 2025 Tour Championship. But he has top-fived at every major, including T3 at Augusta in 2024. Watch what the consistent Englishman does this week. It may be his time.