Augusta-Bound: Who's Punching Their Ticket to the 2026 Masters (and How!)
Forget the formal invite lists and stiff press releases—the road to the 2026 Masters has already turned into a bit of a wild ride. While we’re still waiting on the final few names to punch their tickets, the field for April is looking stacked, surprising, and very international.
Here’s the lowdown on who’s heading to Augusta National and how they got there.
The "Defending" Storyline
The biggest headline? Rory McIlroy is finally heading to Augusta as a Masters champion. After ending his decade-long major drought last year, he’s no longer the guy chasing the Grand Slam—he’s the guy trying to keep the jacket. He’ll be joined by the usual heavy hitters like Scottie Scheffler (who’s basically winning everything lately), Jon Rahm, and Xander Schauffele.
The New Global Route
Augusta National shook things up for 2026 by adding a new way to get in: winning specific National Opens. This "international flavor" has opened the door for some fresh faces who might have otherwise been watching from the couch:
Tom McKibbin (Hong Kong Open)
Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan Open)
Marco Penge (Spanish Open)
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Australian Open)
LIV Golf & The Big Names
The tension between tours has cooled slightly, but the LIV presence is still strong. Because they’ve won recently or are past champs, guys like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, and Tyrrell Hatton are all locked in. And yes, the "Old Guard" past champions like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Sergio Garcia will be back for their annual dinner and a shot at the title.
The "Last Minute" Club
Right around the end of 2025, a group of 13 players pulled off a holiday miracle by sliding into the Top 50 of the world rankings. Michael Kim, Si Woo Kim, and Min Woo Lee secured their spots, while Ryan Gerard basically lived on a plane, flying 10,000 miles to Mauritius just to grab the ranking points he needed to sneak in at No. 46.
The Amateurs (The "Just Happy to Be Here" Crew)
Keep an eye on the kids. Mason Howell (U.S. Amateur Champ) and Jackson Herrington (Runner-up) will be trying to survive the nerves of Amen Corner, alongside other amateur invitees like Ethan Fang and Fifa Laopakdee.
Who’s Still Missing?
The gate isn't totally closed yet. There are still two ways to get an invite before April:
Win a PGA Tour event (one that carries full FedEx Cup points).
Crack the Top 50 in the world rankings by the end of March.
Between Rory’s title defense, the new international qualifiers, and a very hungry Scottie Scheffler, the 2026 Masters is shaping up to be less of a polite garden party and more of a heavyweight fight. Stay tuned—the final few spots are going to be a scramble.
