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2026 Masters: Four big names who won't win the green jacket
Rory McIlroy. Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

2026 Masters: Four big names who won't win the green jacket

By Jack Dougherty  |  Last updated Apr 8, 2026 11:23 AM ET

You typically don't need to look far down the board to find the Masters champion. Augusta National Golf Club is such a unique, challenging test that causes the cream to rise to the top, but we're already crossing off some top-tier players before the tournament gets underway.

Here are four big names who won't win the 2026 Masters. 

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy finally got the Masters monkey off his back last year, but don't expect him to repeat in 2026. Only three players have ever won the Masters in back-to-back starts, and it hasn't been done since Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002. 

Even if history was on his side, McIlroy finished T46 in his last start at the Players Championship and withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a back injury the week prior. His current form isn't even close to what it was leading into last year's Masters. 

Collin Morikawa

If Morikawa were healthy, he would likely be a top-five favorite to win the green jacket this year. Unfortunately for the two-time major champion, that's not the case.

Morikawa tweaked his back in the first round of the Players Championship and hasn't played since. He's on the grounds at Augusta hoping to give it a go this week, but he doesn't seem confident that he'll even be able to play 72 holes. 

"The honest truth is I'm taking it day by day," Morikawa said this week, per Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek. "It's not exactly where I want to be, and it's unfortunate, but that's just the body, and I can't push it. It's been a little bit of a mental battle, I think, just trying to trust with where it's at. The back actually feels fine. It's just other parts of the body not cooperating a little bit how I want."

Morikawa also said he's formulating a "different game plan" this week due to his body's limitations, which should tell you all you need to know.

Jordan Spieth

Spieth will always be a popular pick at Augusta National due to his win and two runner-up finishes in his first three starts here, but he's not even close to the same player anymore. The 32-year-old hasn't won a tournament since the 2022 RBC Heritage, and he hasn't contended in a major in three years. 

Spieth has played decent golf in 2026—highlighted by improved iron play and some spike putting weeks—but he's not consistent enough to trust at a difficult course like Augusta, even with his sparkling history around this place.

Justin Thomas

Thomas' triumph at the 2022 PGA Championship doesn't seem too long ago, but his major championship record since then has been abysmal. In 14 major starts since that win, Thomas has seven missed cuts and only one finish better than T31. 

The American has made only three starts since undergoing back surgery in the offseason, and although his T8 at the Players Championship was encouraging, he's not ready to contend for a green jacket just yet. 

Jack Dougherty
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Jack Dougherty has been writing professionally since 2015, contributing to publications such as GoPSUSports. com, Centre Daily Times, Associated Press, and Sportscasting. com

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