With the ceremonial opening tee shots drawing near, it's time for our annual pre-Masters power ranking. Jordan Spieth topped[1] the 2015 edition. (And rightfully so, as it turned out.) What goes into the breakdown? A look at recent play at Augusta, key statistical indicators, a golfer's last five starts and a glance at his Official World Golf Ranking[2] and Sagarin Ranking[3]. How do the Big Three stack up before heading to Augusta National Golf Club? Who fills out the top 10? Who surprises with a position in the top 25? Click through for the full ranking. With the ceremonial opening tee shots drawing near, it's time for our annual pre-Masters power ranking. Jordan Spieth topped[4] the 2015 edition. (And rightfully so, as it turned out.) What goes into the breakdown? A look at recent play at Augusta, key statistical indicators, a golfer's last five starts and a glance at his Official World Golf Ranking[5] and Sagarin Ranking[6]. How do the Big Three stack up before heading to Augusta National Golf Club? Who fills out the top 10? Who surprises with a position in the top 25? Click through for the full ranking. OWGR: 40 Best of 2016: Ryan Moore has finished inside the top 10 five times this season. His best work was a third-place finish at the Valspar Championship in March. Why He's Here: A perennial cut-maker at Augusta coming off a top-15 showing last year, Moore, 27th in the FedEx Cup ranking[7], is playing solid golf this season. At 39th in the OWGR and 28th[8] in total strokes gained, Moore seems poised to finish in the top quartile of golfers at Augusta. Masters History: Moore has made the cut in six of his seven Masters appearances. He did his best work last year, tying for 12th. OWGR: 17 Best of 2016: With a brilliant final-round 69 in gale-force winds, Brandt Snedeker won the Farmers Insurance Open in January. He's made nine cuts in 11 starts and totaled four top-10 finishes. Why He's Here: Snedeker hasn't been brilliant at Augusta. However, he's done good work this season and recorded a win. The flare-up of his rib issues is concerning for those considering a wager on the mop-haired Vanderbilt alum, but at 21st[9] in total strokes gained and with plenty of Masters experience, Sneds deserves the No. 23 spot. Masters History: In eight appearances at the Masters, Snedeker's best finish came in 2008, when he tied for third. He has totaled four top-25 finishes. OWGR: 24 Best of 2016: Jimmy Walker has made eight of nine cuts this season with five top-25 finishes. Walker has recorded three top-10 finishes, with a tie for fourth at the Farmers Insurance Open being his best effort. Why He's Here: Walker nudges out Brandt Snedeker thanks to a tie for sixth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in early March and a superior total-strokes-gained ranking (15th[10]). His top-10 finish in his maiden trip to Augusta in 2014 goes a long way as well. Masters History: Walker tied for eighth in 2014 and tied for 38th last year. OWGR: 12 Best of 2016: Global golfer Danny Willett has just four PGA Tour starts under his belt in 2016. Among those, however, Willett finished tied for third twice (WGC-HSBC Champions, WGC-Cadillac Championship). Most recently, he tied for 28th at the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship. Why He's Here: Willett is third on tour in total strokes gained. While he doesn't have a wealth of starts on the PGA Tour this season, he has been excellent. With more starts and good finishes, the Englishman would rank even higher. Masters History: Willett tied for 38th at Augusta National last year, which was his first Masters appearance. OWGR: 31 Best of 2016: Marc Leishman's best finish this season came at the Northern Trust Open, where he finished tied for fifth. The Australian has made seven of nine cuts, finishing tied for 17th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his most recent stroke-play appearance. Why He's Here: Leishman's fourth-place finish in 2013, plus his overall power game gets great weight here. Contention at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera, one of the most similar courses to Augusta National on the PGA Tour, suggests he's poised to play well in Georgia. Masters History: The Masters has been a mixed bag for Leishman: In three appearances, he's missed two cuts and finished tied for fourth once. OWGR: 28 Best of 2016: Matt Kuchar tied for ninth at the WGC-Dell Match Play in his most recent effort. His best finish this season was a tie for eighth at the Northern Trust Open. Kuchar has made eight of nine cuts with five top-25 finishes. Why He's Here: Kuch's penchant for top-25 finishes this season and his nine turns at Augusta earn the veteran the No. 19 spot. While he doesn't pummel the ball off the tee, he hits it high enough and is crafty enough to play well at ANGC, as evidenced by his 2012 performance. Masters History: Kuchar has made eight of nine cuts at the Masters, tallying five top-25 finishes. He tied for third in 2012. OWGR: 25 Best of 2016: Paul Casey has a pair of top-10 finishes in his two most recent stroke-play starts (WGC-Cadillac Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational). The Englishman has missed just one cut in eight starts. Why He's Here: His withdrawal with illness from the Dell Match Play shouldn't give pause, and he's a Masters veteran. Casey's play is solid but not spectacular—he's 18th[12] in total strokes gained. Masters History: Casey has finished inside the top 10 three times at ANGC. Making a total of six cuts in nine appearances, Casey's best finish is a pair of ties for sixth (2004, 2015). OWGR: 16 Best of 2016: In nine tour starts this season, Zach Johnson has three top-10 finishes. A fifth-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is his best work thus far. ZJ has missed just two cuts. Why He's Here: While he won the soggy 2007 Masters, Johnson simply isn't long enough off the tee (169th[13] on tour in driving distance) to consistently finish inside the top 10 at Augusta. However, he's a good bet for a top-25 showing. Masters History: Winner of the green jacket in 2007, Johnson tied for ninth last year, his first top-10 finish since the win. He's made seven cuts in 11 starts. OWGR: 19 Best of 2016: Brooks Koepka tied for third at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions—one of his three top-10 finishes this season. The native Floridian tied for 23rd at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, his most recent stroke-play event prior to the Shell Houston Open, where he missed the cut by two strokes. Why He's Here: While the missed cut gives pause, Koepka is a power player who managed to make the cut in his first Masters in 2015, which is no small feat. At ninth[14] in driving distance, Koepka could bomb his way around Augusta to the tune of a top-10 finish. Masters History: Koepka tied for 33rd last year. OWGR: 15 Best of 2016: Sergio Garcia's best showing on the PGA Tour this season is a second-place effort at the Honda Classic in February. The Spaniard has made five cuts in six starts, with a top-25 finish every time he's played the weekend. Garcia tied for 11th at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in his most recent stroke-play start before a MDF at the Shell Houston Open. Why He's Here: Great golfer. Consistently good this year. He's simply not suited for Augusta, it seems. Still, he tied for 17th last year. With similar numerical indicators this year, a repeat of that performance seems likely. At sixth[15] in total strokes gained, the Spaniard can still stand up to anyone, provided he stays out of his own way. Masters History: The 36-year-old has made 17 Masters appearances, making the cut 12 times. He tied for eighth in 2013. OWGR: 10 Best of 2016: Patrick Reed has missed only one cut in 10 starts this season. Among his ten made cuts, Reed has tallied seven top-10 finishes. He tied for seventh at the Valspar Championship in his most recent stroke-play start before the Shell Houston Open, where he tied for 10th. Why He's Here: Reed isn't a high-ball hitter, which is concerning at Augusta. He is, however, a dogged competitor with a portfolio of top-10 finishes this year. It's easy to see him improving on his 22nd-place finish from 2015. Masters History: Reed has made the cut once in two Masters starts, with the aforementioned No. 22 showing. OWGR: 20 Best of 2016: Charl Schwartzel won the Valspar Championship and hasn't missed a cut in six starts this season. The South African has totaled four top-25 finishes. Why He's Here: At seventh[16] on tour in total strokes gained, if Schwartzel had done better work outside of the Valspar win—and considering his 2011 Masters victory—he would rank inside the top 10. It's worth noting that he won the Tshwane Open on the European Tour in February, too. Masters History: A winner in 2011, Schwartzel has failed to tally another top-10 finish at Augusta. He's made the cut five of six times. OWGR: 11 Best of 2016: Louis Oosthuizen finished runner-up to Jason Day in the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship and tied for seventh at the Valspar Championship prior to that. King Louis also tied for 14th at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Why He's Here: Oosthuizen has the raw materials to tackle Augusta National. He was superb at the Dell Match Play. However, a badly missed cut at the Shell Houston Open gives pause. Masters History: Runner-up to Bubba Watson in 2012, Oosthuizen has made three of seven cuts at Augusta National. He tied for 19th last year. OWGR: 14 Best of 2016: Hideki Matsuyama won the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February in a playoff over Rickie Fowler. He's made eight of 10 cuts this season with six top-25 finishes. Why He's Here: The Japanese national has won, but he hasn't really threatened a second victory. Last year's showing at Augusta was encouraging, and at 11th[17] in total strokes gained, the under-the-radar Matsuyama could make a run at victory in Georgia. Players with more Masters experience mostly beat him. Masters History: Matsuyama was the low amateur in his first Masters in 2011. He finished fifth last year. OWGR: 8 Best of 2016: Dustin Johnson hasn't missed any cuts in seven starts on the PGA Tour this season. DJ has tallied five top-10 finishes, with a fourth-place showing at the Northern Trust Open standing as his best work of the year before the third-place showing in Houston. Why He's Here: He had a top-10 finish in his second-most recent stroke-play start and a top-10 finish in his most recent Masters. One of the longest high-ball hitters on tour, DJ is poised to tackle Augusta on paper like no golfer, save for Bubba Watson. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet translated that promise to reality, hence the No. 10 billing. Masters History: Johnson has missed the cut just once in six starts at Augusta National. He recorded his best finish last year, tying for sixth. OWGR: 18 Best of 2016: Phil Mickelson[18] has made seven of eight cuts this season with five top-25 finishes. Lefty finished second at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and fifth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, his most recent stroke-play start prior to his tie for 13th at the Shell Houston Open. Why He's Here: It's worth noting that Mickelson, with his three wins, has the best Masters pedigree of any golfer in this ranking. While he hasn't been brilliant this season, he is trending in the right direction as the Masters approaches. Mickelson is second[19] on tour in total strokes gained, an indicator of the overall quality of his play. Masters History: Mickelson tied for second at Augusta National last year. He's a three-time Masters winner, totaling 16 top-10 finishes in 23 appearances. OWGR: 9 Best of 2016: Justin Rose tied for ninth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which was the last time he teed it up in a stroke-play event. With just one missed cut in seven starts, Rose has five top-25 finishes. Why He's Here: If Rose had managed to record a victory thus far this season, he'd be in the Masters conversation that's permeating the golf world. And realistically, as a professional golfer, whether you win or finish inside the top 10, you're playing well, which Rose is. After his tied-for-second finish at ANGC last year, overlook the Englishman at your own peril. Masters History: His 2015 showing was his best finish in 10 Masters starts. Rose has never missed the cut at the season's first major. He's recorded eight top-25 finishes. OWGR: 6 Best of 2016: Henrik Stenson hasn't missed a cut on the PGA Tour this season. He tied for third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational his second-to-last time out and has totaled four top-25 finishes. Stenson finished second at the Shell Houston Open. Why He's Here: "Not quite." Those words sum up Stenson's play this season and history at Augusta National. His reputation as a prodigious ball-striker and status as one of the most solid bets to record a top-20 showing every time he tees it up make Stenson deserving of the No. 7 spot. Masters History: He has made seven of 10 cuts at the Masters with five top-25 finishes. He tied for 19th last year. OWGR: 5 Best of 2016: Rickie Fowler finished second in a playoff at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fowler has recorded top-10 finishes in six of his last seven stroke-play starts, most recently tying for eighth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and tying for 10th at the Shell Houston Open. Why He's Here: There's no doubt he's hot right now. Fowler has a solid record at Augusta National as well. For the most part, only winners on the PGA Tour this season and/or past Masters winners beat him out. Fourth[20] in total strokes gained and third in scoring average, Fowler has to be on the short list of serious Masters contenders. Masters History: He tied for fifth at Augusta National in 2014 and made the cut in all five of his appearances, tying for 12th last year. OWGR: 4 Best of 2016: Bubba Watson hasn't missed a cut this season. He won the Northern Trust Open and finished second at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Why He's Here: Clearly, Watson can win at Augusta. With superb play of late and a fifth[21]-place ranking in total strokes gained, he's peaking in time for the season's first major. A case could be made for placing Watson fourth or even third, but his hot-and-cold record at Augusta gives pause. Masters History: A two-time Masters winner (2012, 2014), Watson hasn't missed the cut at Augusta National in seven appearances. He tied for 38th last year. OWGR: 3 Best of 2016: Rory McIlroy hasn't won this season; however, he's recorded a pair of top-10 finishes, coming in third at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and fourth at the WGC-Dell Match Play. Why He's Here: Statistically, McIlroy looks good from tee to green, as per usual. The Northern Irishman is ninth[22] in strokes gained from tee to green, and he looked good at the Cadillac Championship. Golfers with stronger records have beaten him out this year, but he's a proven contender at Augusta National. Masters History: In his pursuit of the career Grand Slam, McIlroy finished fourth at the Masters last year. He's made six of seven cuts with five top-25 finishes. OWGR: 2 Best of 2016: Jordan Spieth won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in dominant fashion in January. He's made six of seven cuts with three top-10 finishes, recording a tie for 18th at the Valspar Championship in his most recent stroke-play start. Why He's Here: Last year's Masters winner has seen a slight downturn in his play in recent weeks. As demonstrated, he can win at Augusta and is an adept course manager. Still, with Spieth at 153rd[23] in greens in regulation this season, his approach play hasn't been sharp, which is concerning heading to a course that demands precision. Masters History: The reigning Masters champion, Spieth finished tied for second in his only other Masters appearance (2014). OWGR: 7 Best of 2016: Adam Scott, the second-hottest player in golf recently, won the Honda Classic and the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He also finished second at the CIMB Classic and the Northern Trust Open. The Australian hasn't missed a cut in eight starts this season. Why He's Here: An argument could be made for placing Scott first. He's a past winner at Augusta National who has been firing on all cylinders this season. The tour leader[24] in total strokes gained and second in scoring average, Scott is a premier candidate to don the green jacket. It's only the brilliant play of the gentleman in the first spot that lands Scotty here. Masters History: He has made the cut in 12 of 14 starts at Augusta National with eight top-25 finishes, including a win in 2013. OWGR: 1 Best of 2016: Jason Day has made five of six cuts this season and hasn't finished worse than 23rd when he's made the cut. He enters the Masters with wins in his last two starts (Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC-Dell Match Play Championship). Why He's Here: Day's status as winner in his last two starts, his superb play since midway through last year and a record of quality performances at Augusta National make him the No. 1 in this (and probably most other) power rankings. Masters History: Day has made the cut in four of his five Masters starts. (He withdrew with an ankle injury in 2012.) Day tied for second in 2011 and finished third in 2013. He tied for 28th last year. 
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References
- ^ topped (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Official World Golf Ranking (www.owgr.com)
- ^ Sagarin Ranking (golfweek.com)
- ^ topped (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Official World Golf Ranking (www.owgr.com)
- ^ Sagarin Ranking (golfweek.com)
- ^ FedEx Cup ranking (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 28th (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 21st (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 15th (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ third (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 18th (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 169th (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ ninth (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ sixth (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ seventh (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 11th (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ Phil Mickelson (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ second (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ Fourth (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ fifth (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ ninth (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ 153rd (www.pgatour.com)
- ^ leader (www.pgatour.com)
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