The Masters Top 10 Power Rankings: Is Tiger Woods Ready To Don The Green Jacket At Augusta Again?

The Masters Top 10 Power Rankings: Is Tiger Woods Ready To Don The Green Jacket At Augusta Again?
12:46, 31 Mar 2019

The first golf major of the year is less than two weeks away as The Masters takes centre stage at Augusta from Thursday 11 April and Patrick Reed will bid to become the first defending champion to win back-to-back titles in Georgia since a certain Tiger Woods in 2002.

Woods features prominently in our Top-10 Power Rankings for The Masters this year. What do you make of our picks?

Rory McIlroy (1)
There are signs that Rory McIlroy is ready for a big year as his victory at The Players Championship - the unofficial 'fifth major' - was his first victory since last season's Arnold Palmer Invitational and it was a huge statement of intent from a player who has arguably fallen behind some of the big guns in the sport of late.

McIlroy has recorded five successive top-ten finishes at Augusta and he is the No.1 pick for our Power Rankings. Can this be the year he completes the career 'Grand Slam' of major tournament wins by landing that elusive first green jacket?
Best Masters Result: 4th in 2015.

Dustin Johnson (2)
In at number two is Dustin Johnson, who has finished in the top-ten at Augusta on three occasions. Having won in Saudi Arabia and Mexico already in 2019, Johnson has now won 12 titles since the start of 2016, including his maiden major win at the US Open three years ago. 

Could DJ be the first world number one ranked player to win The Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002?
Best Masters Result: T4 in 2016.

Tiger Woods (3)
Speaking of Tiger Woods, two years ago it would have been unthinkable to have the four-time Masters winner at number three in our Power Rankings but he has stormed back to become a force to be reckoned with once more. He ended his five-year wait for a PGA Tour title with victory at the Tour Championship towards the back end of last season and he has been solid this term.

Interestingly, Woods prospered in major tournaments last season, tying for 6th at The Open Championship and finishing runner-up at the US PGA. He is primed for a big showing at Augusta.
Best Masters Result: Four-time champion in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005

Justin Rose (4)
Justin Rose has never missed a cut at Augusta, finishing in the top-25 in 11 of his 13 visits, although he has suffered his fair share of heartbreak in Georgia, not least when losing out to Sergio Garcia in a thrilling finale to the 2017 tournament. 
Best Masters Result: Runner-up in 2017.

Rickie Fowler (5)
The best player never to win a major. The 30-year-old finished runner-up to Patrick Reed twelve months ago and surely a first major win will come soon for a player who has picked up eight top-five finishes in 36 appearances at major events.
Best Masters Result: Runner-up in 2018.

Jon Rahm (6)
In at No. 6 in our Power Rankings is the big-hitting Jon Rahm, who finished 4th in only his second appearance at Augusta last year. The Spaniard has been in good form since winning the Hero World Challenge at the end of 2018, collecting six top-tens in eight starts during 2019.
Best Masters Result: 4th in 2018.

Brooks Koepka (7)
Brooks Koepka boasts a relatively modest record at Augusta as his best finish was a tie for 11th in 2017, although you simply cannot rule out the three-time major winner. He secured back-to-back US Opens with victory in New York last year before following up to win the US PGA Championship. His best result of a tough 2019 has been a tie for 2nd at the Honda Classic.
Best Masters Result: T11 in 2017.

Francesco Molinari (8)
The popular European Ryder Cup hero is going well at the WGC Match Play at the time of writing and he sneaks in at No. 8 in our Power Rankings. The Italian has a new-found confidence since plying his trade on the PGA Tour and his victory at The Open Championship in 2018 is testament to that self-belief. Molinari should have the game to prosper at Augusta, where his best result is a tie for 19th in 2012.
Best Masters Result: T19 in 2012.

Jordan Spieth (9)
The 2015 Masters champion has endured a torrid year so far and he faces a battle to get his game in order before a return to an Augusta course that will provoke mixed emotions. His record at Augusta reads: 2nd-1st-2nd-11th-3rd but those numbers only tell part of the story. His horrendous collapse when snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in 2016 will have left its mark and one wonders whether he can overcome those mental scars when bidding to don the famous green jacket for a second time.
Best Masters Result: Champion in 2015

Justin Thomas (10)
Finally, Justin Thomas has been in good touch this year - three top-three finishes - and he is another player who should have a better record at Augusta than he does currently
Best Masters Result: T17 in 2018.

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