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The Masters 2020: Top 10 Potential First-Time Winners

By Tim Letcher

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: The gates are locked at the entrance of Magnolia Lane that leads to the clubhouse of Augusta National as the coronavirus pandemic causes closures of venues and nonessential businesses on March 30, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: The gates are locked at the entrance of Magnolia Lane that leads to the clubhouse of Augusta National as the coronavirus pandemic causes closures of venues and nonessential businesses on March 30, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Virtually none of the current top golfers in the world have won the Masters. That’s why it seems likely there will be a first-time champ this year. But who?

As the 2020 Masters approaches, most of the players who are considered favorites have never won the event before. That’s largely due to the fact that the world’s best players have not yet conquered Augusta National.

This doesn’t mean they won’t, maybe as soon as this year. A first-time winner, especially one of the players on this list, would definitely not come as a surprise.

Need more proof? How about this – none of the top 10 players in the current Official World Golf Rankings have ever won the Masters. Patrick Reed, currently ranked 11th, is the highest-ranked player in the world, at this moment, who has ever won the event.

So it only makes sense that the Masters will have a first-time winner this year. However, as the Masters has proven over the years, certain players have a liking for this course and annually play well here, sometimes even winning. A player like Larry Mize, who only won four PGA Tour events in his career, won at the Masters in 1987. Danny Willett has only one win in the United States, and it happened to come at the 2016 Masters.

However, this season, the list of players who haven’t won at Augusta National just seems to be overwhelming, with the biggest names in the game at this moment. But which of these players will it be? Take your pick because any of the following 10 could be wearing the green jacket on Sunday. Here are the 10 players who could win their first Masters titles this year.

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Patrick Cantlay of the United States celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the Zozo Championship @ Sherwood on October 25, 2020 in Thousand Oaks, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Patrick Cantlay of the United States celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the Zozo Championship @ Sherwood on October 25, 2020 in Thousand Oaks, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

No. 10 – Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay is one of the brightest young stars in the game. Just a couple of weeks ago, he showed that he can go head-to-head with some of his fellow 20-somethings and win, as he did at the Zozo Championship when he outdueled Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm down the stretch to win his third PGA Tour title.

Cantlay has played the Masters three times. In 2012, as a player at UCLA, Cantlay made the cut in his first trip to Augusta and ended up in a tie for 47th place. He was the low amateur at that event.

He didn’t play in another Masters until 2018, when he missed the cut. However, he returned last year and made quite a splash. Cantlay finished in a tie for ninth which was, at the time, his best finish in a major. He seemed comfortable on the course last year and there’s no doubt that his experience played a factor.

Cantlay is the number 10 player in the world and is trying to take that jump into the elite category. If he were to beat a field that includes nearly all of the world’s best players, he could make the jump. And he has proven that he is more than capable.

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