Who will lead after 18 holes at Augusta? Masters first-round leader forecast, picks

We’re less than four days away from the greatest four days on the golf calendar.

And if we’re being totally honest, nothing really compares to that first morning sighting of Augusta National on Thursday.

A week from now, we’ll have a new Masters champion. Who will it be? Before we look too far ahead though, let’s focus on the first 18 holes.

Masters 2026: Odds, favorites for Augusta National

Scottie Scheffler is looking for his third green jacket. Rory McIlroy wants to be the first back-to-back champ at Augusta since Tiger Woods. Here’s who the oddsmakers have pegged as the favorite at the 2026 Masters.

• Steve Coulter,

• Steve Coulter,

2026 Masters first-round leader odds (as of Monday afternoon, courtesy of DraftKings)

• Scottie Scheffler (+1325)
• Jon Rahm (+1900)
• Bryson DeChambeau (+1950)
• Rory McIlroy (+2100)
• Ludvig Åberg (+2400)
• Xander Schauffele (+2900)
• Cameron Young (+3000)
• Matt Fitzpatrick (+3200)
• Tommy Fleetwood (+3300)
• Justin Rose (+3500)
• Brooks Koepka (+3500)
• Hideki Matsuyama (+3500)
• Collin Morikawa (+3700)
• Min Woo Lee (+3800)
• Chris Gotterup (+3900)
• Robert MacIntyre (+3900)
• Viktor Hovland (+4100)
• Jordan Spieth (+4100)
• Patrick Reed (+4100)

• Justin Thomas (+4800)

  

  Masters 2026: Ranking the entire 91-player field at a wide-open first major

  One could argue that this is the most wide-open Masters in recent memory, and here is a ranking of all 91 players in the field at Augusta National.

  • Brentley Romine,

  • Brentley Romine,

Masters first-round leader prediction

Collin Morikawa was an attractive option until a slew of withdraws left questions looming over his health. If you have a high-risk tolerance, go for it. We’ll stay safe and offer Cameron Young at +3000.

The reigning Players Championship winner is getting a nice number here. By most metrics, he’s playing better than Scheffler and McIlroy right now, and you have to think he holds a mental edge over Åberg after the Swede’s pair of recent weekend collapses.

Masters decade by decade: Six key anniversaries at Augusta National

With the 2026 Masters upon us, a look back at milestone moments from the last 60 years of Augusta National history.

• Steve Coulter,

• Steve Coulter,

Round 1 leader longshot pick for Augusta

Jake Knapp and Casey Jarvis were handed out earlier and fit the bill as longshots, so there’s two right off the bat without lifting a finger.

But the beauty of this is the generosity, why hoard? One more name that is blinking in addition to Knapp and Jarvis is Si Woo Kim, who at +4700 is indeed not a favorite for this field.

Kim finished T-10 at the Valero Texas Open after a strong, 5-under 67 final round in San Antonio. The 30-year-old South Korean has finished T-13 or better six times this year and has flirted with the first-round lead at Pebble Beach and Coachella Valley.

How much would it cost to recreate Rory McIlroy’s Masters Champions Dinner menu

The 2026 Masters Champions Dinner is set for Tuesday, April 7. Here’s what you need to prepare grilled elk sliders, peach and ricotta flatbread, and Wagyu filet mignon like Rory McIlroy and some of the world’s greatest players will be eating in Augusta.

• Steve Coulter,

• Steve Coulter,

2026 Masters best bet for Round 1

DraftKings has such a wide-ranging board that we’d be remiss not to try one or two of the first-round props offered. How about Justin Rose to be bogey-free through 18 holes at +2250? Where’s the handshake emoji when you need it.

And just because we don’t have him on the card anywhere else and it’s sitting there for the taking: Jon Rahm to make three birdies in a row during Round 1 at +305.

It’s fun to have some stakes, even if these won’t last until Sunday.