2020 Masters: Top 10 power rankings at Augusta National

If anyone this year is going to be the first first-time Masters winner since 1979, I’ve got it being Matthew Wolff. Mind you, it was a virtual coin flip for me between Wolff and Collin Morikawa who won the PGA Championship but has struggled the last couple months.

Wolff contended at both majors in 2020, which doubled as the first two of his career. He earned T-4th at the PGA thanks to a hot final round at TPC Harding Park. Wolff was the 54-hole leader at the U.S. Open before falling to solo second at Winged Foot.

The former top amateur at Oklahoma State did all this despite being a bit loose off the tee. There’s still trouble to be found in the trees and pine straw of Augusta National, but it’s also a place where recovery shots are very much possible.

Wolff followed up his U.S. Open effort was another runner up at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He was a little shaky in his last two starts in California, though I expect he used these last three weeks off to retool.

The 21-year-old Californian was 12th on the PGA Tour last season in strokes gained off the tee (.607) thanks mostly to his ability to torch the ball. He was ninth in driving distance (311.6).

Wolff had positive SG marks on approach and putting, too.

The guy clearly isn’t afraid of the big moment as he won right away at the 2019 3M Open before he even had full PGA Tour status. Going back to his amateur career, Wolff was a top junior and parlayed that into winning an individual NCAA title by five shots.

I envision Wolff and his unique swing “settling” for a career-worst 10th place finish in a major this week in Georgia.