2026 Masters odds: Scottie Scheffler leads favorites to win with Jon Rahm surging as practice begins

The No. 1 golfer in the world leads the field into the first major championship of the 2026 season as practice rounds get underway at Augusat National Golf Club

By Robby Kalland Apr 6, 2026 at 12:38 pm ET • 3 min read

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Scottie Scheffler has looked more mortal than golf fans have become accustomed to seeing from the world's No. 1-ranked player. Despite a relative dip in performance from the four-time major champion, Scheffler nevertheless enters the 2026 Masters as the strong favorite to capture a third green jacket.

While neither Scheffler nor reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy has played since The Players Championship, they are considered among most likely victors at Augusta National Golf Club -- and each has history on the line. The Scheffler family welcomed its second child two weeks before the start of the first major of the season. Now a father of two, Scheffler hopes a month off and a return to one of his favorite courses in the world will provide a refresh and allow him to make some history this weekend as the fourth player in Masters history to win three green jackets in five years, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. McIlroy, of course, aims to become the first repeat green jacket winner since Woods.

Leading the chase pack are a trio of major champions. Jon Rahm, the 2023 champion, has moved into second in the pre-tournament odds, as he's played extremely well during the LIV Golf season and has been a fixture on the first page of the Masters leaderboard for years. McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau are tied for third, which is somewhat fitting for the pair that dueled on the weekend last year as The Ulsterman completed the career grand slam.

DeChambeau comes in white hot, winner of two straight LIV Golf events, while McIlroy enters with questions about his back and a long layoff. However, McIlroy no longer has to sit through questions of whether he can get it done at Augusta National; those queries shift to DeChambeau, who is the only one of the top four on the odds list without a green jacket to his name.

The next tier are all stars hoping to become a first-time Masters champion. Ludvig Åberg has two top 10s in as many trips to Augusta National, while Xander Schauffele has been in the hunt on Sunday multiple times in his career. Cameron Young, fresh off a win at The Players, has two top 10s himself at the Masters, and Tommy Fleetwood is still searching for his long-awaited major championship breakthrough.

There is no shortage of talent making its way to Augusta National this week. With the dominance of that top four in recent years, there are some opportunities to cash in on significant value further down the odds sheet if someone can topple that quartet of stars and slip into the green jacket on Sunday afternoon.