TIme flies when you're having fun, and another edition of The Masters has now passed us by with a scintillating finish on the final day.
After taking a co-lead into the final round, Rory McIlroy was looking to go wire-to-wire and become only the fourth player to ever retain the Masters title. Despite Cameron Young matching McIlroy on day three, it was Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler who put up the strongest challenge in round four.
But, in the end, McIlroy stood firm and asserted his dominance once more to cement his status as one of the ultimate legends of the game.
We know that every golfer who finishes in the top 12 (including ties) at this year's Masters will get the invitation to return next year.
So, here are the players who have just booked their place at The Masters for 2027 thanks to their performance in this year's event (excluding those who already had exemption status)...
Justin Rose
Deep down, most neutrals would admit they wanted Justin Rose to finally end his Masters hoodoo and claim the Green Jacket this year. And, to be fair to him, he gave it a brilliant effort, but it just wasn't enough.
Ultimately, bogeys on 11, 12, and 17 cost the 45-year-old dearly and he ended up on -10 and a tie for third place. He'll be back next year to give it another go.
Tyrrell Hatton
After shooting +2 on the opening day, many had written Tyrrell Hatton off. However, he shot 66 on Friday and again on Sunday to put himself right in contention with a final score of -10.
That included an incredible run of four birdies from 13 through 16 to give Hatton the clubhouse lead for a while. It wasn't enough to win the day, but it guarantees the Englishman a return to Augusta next year.
Russell Henley
Russell Henley came out of nowhere on the final day at Augusta to surge up the leaderboard and end up with a tie for third.
A solid -4 for the day on Sunday was enough to see the 37-year-old finish on -10 and he'll be another one to watch next year.
Sam Burns
After shooting five-under on Thursday and four-under on Saturday, Sam Burns gave himself a great chance of challenging for the title this weekend.
However, a +1 on Sunday saw him slip out of contention and he'll have to settle for a T7 finish and an invite to The Masters for next year.
Max Homa
Max Homa played some pretty flawless golf this week at Augusta, with a 72-70-71-67 scorecard across the four rounds.
That final round of -5 was the second best of the day, with only Tyrrrell Hatton beating him.
Jake Knapp
Returning to Augusta this year for only his second Masters, Jake Knapp impressed many with his consistency.
He shot 73-69-69-70 to end up at -7 for the week and land in the top 12, meaning he will be back in 2027.
Jason Day
The best-dressed player in the field had a strong week, ending up on -5 overall and landing a place in the top 12, albeit tied with five other golfers.
Incredibly, a final round of +3 wasn't enough to push Jason Day out of the invitation spots.
Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay had solo 12th place right until the final hole on Sunday, but a bogey on 18 opened up the field and allowed five other golfers to join him on -5.
Position |
Player |
Total |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Rory McIlroy |
-12 |
2 |
Scottie Scheffler |
-11 |
T3 |
Justin Rose |
-10 |
T3 |
Cameron Young |
-10 |
T3 |
Tyrrell Hatton |
-10 |
T3 |
Russell Henley |
-10 |
T7 |
Sam Burns |
-9 |
T7 |
Collin Morikawa |
-9 |
T9 |
Max Homa |
-8 |
T9 |
Xander Schauffele |
-8 |
11 |
Jake Knapp |
-7 |
T12 |
Jason Day |
-5 |
T12 |
Patrick Reed |
-5 |
T12 |
Hideki Matsuyama |
-5 |
T12 |
Patrick Cantlay |
-5 |
T12 |
Jordan Spieth |
-5 |
T12 |
Brooks Koepka |
-5 |
Obviously, past Masters champions have exemption status for life, so Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler already knew they'd be back next year, as did the likes of Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Reed, who all finished in the top 12.
Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, and Collin Morikawa also have exemption status thanks to winning the US Open.
