The 2026 Masters finally arrives on Thursday. So far, the week at Augusta National has been low on tension now that Rory McIlroy has gotten the monkey off his back. So we asked our staff: What’s the best story heading into the 2026 Masters?
Sean Zak, old writer (@sean_zak): The best story in the Masters is whether the most famous (active) golfer in the world can become somehow more famous with a green jacket on his shoulder. Can Bryson DeChambeau – who has cracked the game ever – crack Augusta National’s code? I suppose he claims, but winning is such a different animal. As I know very well…
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Bryson is a good call in what is otherwise a Masters without a dramatic center history. Next, I would probably add the question: How serious is Scottie Scheffler’s slump? No doubt he’s off to a slow start to 2026 by his standards. But how far is he really? How stubborn are the issues? There is no better litmus test than this.
Alan Bastable, executive editor (@alan_bastable): Umm…no way Rory STILL be the best story? Now that he has the monkey in the green jacket off his back, I’m fascinated to see how he plays. History is not on his side – in the last 19 Masters, only three defending champions have finished in the top 10 the following year – but McIlroy has he has said all the right things and seems calm. I fully expect him to be in the mix again.
Josh Schrock, news editor (@schrock_and_awe): Agree with Alan. For me, it’s now that Rory has won, does he set him free at Augusta, as we’ve all assumed for years? If I were to choose an option B, it would be the wide opening of this Masters. For the past few years, the Masters has come with one or two of the world’s best players firing on all cylinders. This year, we have questions about Scottie’s iron game, how to rate Bryson and Rahm’s good play at LIV, and what to expect from Rory with the monkey off his back. Patrick Reed said there could be 10-12 players who could win. The real number could be higher.
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@josh_berhow): I’m interested to see if Scottie finds that extra gear for the first major part of the season and picks up right where he left off last year. He could have three Masters and five majors before he turns 30, which would make for a fun summer to see how deep he can take it. Besides that? I’m curious to see who joins Tuesday’s Champions Dinner first. JT? Bryson? Xander? Many good players still do not have this on their resume.
