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2017 Masters: Ranking First-Time Competitors’ Chances to Win

By Mike Randleman

Mar 4, 2017; Mexico City, MEX; Thomas Pieters lines up a putt on the 16th green during the third round of the WGC - Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Mexico City, MEX; Thomas Pieters lines up a putt on the 16th green during the third round of the WGC - Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 Masters
Apr 4, 2016; Augusta, GA, USA; Paul Chaplet, a 16-year-old high school senior from Costa Rica watches his tee shot on the 3rd hole during a practice round for the 2016 Masters at Augusta National GC. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 16 Toto Gana (a)

Tomas “Toto” Gana, a 19-year-old from Chile, is in this week’s field thanks to a playoff victory at the Latin America Amateur Championship. Without sounding too cynical, winning the LAAC is probably the weakest point of entry into the Masters field. The tournament has been around only since 2015. Gana has a higher World Amateur Golf Ranking (No. 161) than the next man on this list, but he lacks the pedigree of his fellow amateurs. He joined Division-II Lynn University, where his best finish in three collegiate starts is a T6.

It will be easy to pull for Gana, who outlasted WAGR No. 5 Joaquin Niemann, among others, to advance to Augusta. With that said, just making it to Saturday at the 2017 Masters will be a tall task for Toto.

Gana follows in the footsteps of Paul Chaplet, pictured above, who won the LAAC in 2016.

Odds to win: +100000

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