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Golf Monthly

Sport

Paul Higham

Why One Of These 5 Masters Debutants From A Star Rookie Class Could End 47-Year Augusta Curse

Augusta (Organization) Masters Rory McIlroy Ben Griffin Chris Gotterup Jacob Bridgeman Marco Penge Tom McKibbin Augusta National PGA Tour

Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman and Ben Griffin are three star rookies in the 2026 Masters field hoping to break the first-timer curse.

There are 22 rookies in The Masters taking on Augusta National for the first time in anger - but can one of them break the 47-year debutant curse?

One of the most widely known stats about The Masters is that nobody has won the tournament on their first appearance since Fuzzy Zoeller back in 1979.

Not all Masters rookies are the same though, as there's a world of difference between a young or inexperienced amateur champion and a PGA Tour winner with a few seasons under his belt.

And this year's rookie class has a stellar list of achievements already on their collective CVs - with one a Ryder Cup player, one in the top 10 in the world and another the current FedEx Cup leader.

And so if there's any year when a player could slip on a Green Jacket at the first time of asking, then it's the 2026 Masters.

We all know course knowledge reigns supreme at Augusta National, but recent history suggests the right rookie can hit the ground running - just as Ludivg Aberg did in 2024 when he finished second on his Masters debut.

And he's not the only one, with the likes of Will Zalatoris in 2021 and Sungjae Im in 2020 finishing runner-up on debut, while a young Jordan Spieth finished second in his Augusta debut in 2014 and with just one PGA Tour win to his name at that time did not have as strong a case as some of our contenders here.

So who are the debutants most likely to challenge for history?

Chris Gotterup

Masters odds: +5000 (50/1) with BetMGM

It's not often a Masters rookie is already in the world's top 10, but Chris Gotterup is sat in ninth thanks to two victories already this year at the Sony Open and WM Phoenix Open.

Throw in his Scottish Open success and only Scottie Scheffler can match those three wins since last July - so the 26-year-old is the real deal.

He's got a big advantage off the tee as he can really send it and he's top 30 in approach play on the PGA Tour so only an inconsistent short game can stop him from really launching a challenge.

The raw materials are there though and if he can produced his 'A' game with the wedges then it'll be no surprise to see him up there on the leaderboard.

Jacob Bridgeman

Masters Odds: + 6600 (66/1) with BetMGM

Jacob Bridgeman is the current leader in the FedEx Cup who won the Genesis Invitational - two important factors as the last four winners of The Masters all led the FedEx Cup heading to Augusta National.

The 26-year-old's victory at Riviera is signficant as there's a known correlation between the two venues - while fending off Rory McIlroy to win such a high-profile event also can't be bad for confidence.

He's super consistent, with a lowest finish of 18th in any tournament this year and even his game measures up well for Augusta with his iron play and putting two strengths of his, while having his driving being a weakness is easier to overcome.

Marco Penge

Masters Odds: +8000 (80/1) with BetMGM

Marco Penge has had a lot to deal with in 2026, making his PGA Tour debut, moving to the United States and welcoming a new baby into the family - so it's understandable why he's been a bit erratic.

Penge has only made three cuts in seven starts but he's challenged at the Genesis and Valspar thanks to his awesome power that sees him 22 yards longer than the PGA Tour average off the tee.

Unsurprisingly he leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and although that's not the telling stat at Augusta it's a great springboard for a challenge if the rest of his game is working well.

He's been very much all-or-nothing so far in 2026, wouldn't Augusta be a perfect venue for him to put it all together?

Ben Griffin

Masters Odds: +12500 (125/1) with BetMGM

Next up is our Ryder Cup man Ben Griffin who enjoyed a huge breakthrough campaign with three wins and a place on Keegan Bradley's Team USA at Bethpage Black last year.

The 29-year-old has plenty of experience so he should be able to handle the occasion, as even teeing it up in The Masters for the first time can't be much more nerve-wracking then those first tee nerves at the Ryder Cup.

But his main issue is his 2026 form hasn't been anywhere near as good as last year, missing three of four cuts heading to Augusta, where good form is essential to performing well.

So Griffin's chances here rely on him rediscovering the elite ball striking he showcased last year.

Tom McKibbin

Masters Odds: +25000 (250/1) with BetMGM

Harry Hall's putter could make him dangerous and a Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen challenge wouldn't surprise me, but maybe there's something in the Northern Ireland connection that can spur Tom McKibbin on this week.

Hailing from Rory McIlroy's home club in Holywood, Northern Ireland, wouldn't it be incredible if two players from that same venue ended up back-to-back Masters champions?

It sounds a little like the heart ruling the head with the 22-year-old struggling on LIV Golf so far this year, but he did win the Hong Kong Open last year and Augusta National does funny things to golfers sometimes.

He's been dubbed the new McIlroy for some time and with the Grand Slam champion and his LIV Golf teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to lean on for advice he should be well equipped if his game takes to Augusta National as well as McIlroy's.