After months of eager anticipation, the Masters has finally returned to April. Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the 2021 Masters field, from competitors to amateurs, and everything in between.
2021 Masters Preview
The Masters is back, and only six months after its previous iteration. Following a brief hiatus in 2020, the Masters has come home to April in 2021, returning with blooming azaleas, dogwoods and magnolias — and some pretty good golf. Dustin Johnson will host his first-ever champions dinner, last year’s November Masters making him the shortest-tenured green jacket-holder in more than eight decades. Unless of course the World No. 1 repeats as champion, in which case he’d bring back his jacket with him for the customary length of 12 months.
Bryson DeChambeau figures to be hot on Dustin Johnson’s trail — with the big-swinging American seeking vengeance after a disappointing performance in the fall. DeChambeau enters Augusta National with just one victory since his U.S. Open triumph at Winged Foot, but a bevy of top-10 finishes. Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth — one player seeking to end a much longer winless streak, and one who recently did end a lengthy winless streak — enter the tournament on uneven notes. Spieth enters the week on a high after winning at the Valero Texas Open following a flurry of top-10 finishes in the early portion of the season, while McIlroy has struggled even after adding a new swing coach, Pete Cowen, to the mix in late-March. Of course, McIlroy is still a green jacket away from completing the career grand slam.
World No. 2 Justin Thomas enters Augusta National with the biggest win of the 2021 season to date after his blistering Sunday charge at the Players Championship in March. Thomas joins fellow world top 10 players Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele in forming the youthful contingent still in search of their first Masters win.
Who earns an invite to the Masters?
According to Masters.com, these are the following qualification requirements to earn an invite to the Masters:
Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
US Open Champions 2016 – 2020 (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
British Open Champions 2016 – 2020 (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
PGA Champions 2016 – 2020 (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
Winners of The Players Championship 2018 – 2021 (Three years)
Current Olympic Gold Medalist (One year)
2020 US Amateur Champion (7-A) (Honorary, non-competing after one year) and the runner-up (7-B) to the 2020 US Amateur Champion
2020 British Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one year)
2020 Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion
2021 Latin America Amateur Champion
2020 US Mid-Amateur Champion
The first 12 players, including ties, in the 2020 Masters Tournament
The first 4 players, including ties, in the 2020 US Open Championship
The first 4 players, including ties, in the 2020 British Open Championship
The first 4 players, including ties, in the 2020 PGA Championship
Individual winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from the originally scheduled 2020 Masters (April 9, 2020) to the 2021 Masters
Those qualifying for the 2020 Tour Championship
The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament
So, who fits the bill?
Stephen Denton
2021 Masters Field
Abraham Ancer Daniel Berger Christiaan Bezuidenhout Patrick Cantlay Paul Casey Cameron Champ Stewart Cink Corey Conners Fred Couples Jason Day Bryson DeChambeau Harris English Tony Finau Matthew Fitzpatrick Tommy Fleetwood Dylan Frittelli Sergio Garcia Brian Gay Lanto Griffin Brian Harman Tyrrell Hatton Jim Herman Max Homa Billy Horschel Viktor Hovland Mackenzie Hughes Sungjae Im Dustin Johnson Zach Johnson Matt Jones Si Woo Kim Kevin Kisner Brooks Koepka Jason Kokrak Matt Kuchar Martin Laird Bernhard Langer Marc Leishman Joe Long (A) Shane Lowry Sandy Lyle Robert MacIntyre Hideki Matsuyama Rory McIlroy Phil Mickelson Larry Mize Francesco Molinari Collin Morikawa Sebastian Munoz Kevin Na Joaquin Niemann Jose Maria Olazabal Louis Oosthuizen Carlos Ortiz Charles Osborne (A) Ryan Palmer C.T. Pan Victor Perez Ian Poulter Jon Rahm Patrick Reed Justin Rose Xander Schauffele Scottie Scheffler Charl Schwartzel Adam Scott Webb Simpson Vijay Singh Cameron Smith Jordan Spieth Henrik Stenson Tyler Strafaci (A) Robert Streb Hudson Swafford Justin Thomas Michael Thompson Brendon Todd Jimmy Walker Matt Wallace Bubba Watson Mike Weir Lee Westwood Bernd Wiesberger Danny Willett Matthew Wolff Gary Woodland Ian Woosnam Will Zalatoris
James Colgan is a news and features editor at GOLF, writing stories for the website and magazine. He manages the Hot Mic, GOLF’s media vertical, and utilizes his on-camera experience across the brand’s platforms. Prior to joining GOLF, James graduated from Syracuse University, during which time he was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from. He can be reached at james.colgan@golf.com.
