We've arrived at Augusta National for the 2026 Masters for the first of four golf majors this year.
There will be no Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson roaming the back nine on Sunday, but two-time champion Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Rory McIlroy are part of a field that includes the top 53 players in the world.
Ninety-one golfers begin the pursuit of a green jacket and golf history on Thursday, with 72 holes ahead to determine the 2026 Masters champion.
Below, we'll break down our 2026 Masters picks for Thursday's first round, including projections from the PrizePicks PGA board.
{{core_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
2026 Masters First Round Preview for Thursday
A year ago, we saw Rory McIlroy put away over a decade of near misses, winning the elusive green jacket and becoming only the sixth golfer in history to complete the career Grand Slam. This year, there are plenty of other storylines across the tall pines and shadows of Augusta National.
Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters winner, and Bryson DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open champion who fell just short last year to McIlroy, come over from the LIV Tour to mix it up with PGA Tour players. Both have had fantastic seasons at LIV, combining for the last three tournament titles.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who “only” has one win this season, looks for his third green jacket in the last five Masters. McIlroy himself seeks more history, trying to become only the fourth golfer to go back-to-back at golf’s first major.
It all starts on Thursday, where players can’t win the Masters but can easily lose it. In the last 16 Masters, only five times has the winner resided outside the top four after the completion of the first round.
2026 Masters Tournament Picks for First Round
Here are three players to consider for your 2026 Masters first-round predictions, via PrizePicks.
Adam Scott Masters First Round Projection: 72.5 Strokes
- Adam Scott is third on the PGA Tour in 2026 first-round average at 68.14.
- In seven events this season, Scott has finished the first round with all seven scores lower than his current 72.5 projection, with five scores in the 60s.
- The Aussie is making his 25th Masters appearance and shot par (72) or lower in the first round in 12 of the first 24 trips.
- In addition to his previous win here, Scott has four other top-10 finishes, including a runner-up in 2011, an eighth-place finish in 2010, and a ninth-place finish in 2017.
Xander Schauffele Masters First Round Projection: 0.5 Birdies or Better vs. Wyndham Clark
- Xander Schauffele has a 71.25 scoring average in the first round over his eight Masters appearances, finishing the first round in the top 20 in half of them.
- The two-time major champion is 38th in first-round scoring average, while Wyndham Clark is 73rd.
- Schauffele has two eighth-place finishes and a 10th-place finish over the last three appearances at Augusta National. The other two top-10 finishes were runner-up in 2019 and third place in 2021.
- The 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist has five straight first rounds in the 60s and has been inside the top 11 in each of his last four events.
Scottie Scheffler Masters First Round Projection: 71 Strokes
- No one has shown up on the front page of Thursday's Masters leaderboard over the last four years more than Scottie Scheffler. The two-time champion has been in no worse than eighth place after 18 holes dating back to 2022.
- Scheffler’s first-round average at Augusta National is 69.1 in his six appearances, the best of anyone in the field.
- While off to a slow start this season by Scottie standards, the four-time major winner led the PGA Tour in first-round scoring average each of the last three years at 67.45 (2025), 67.84 (2024), and 67.91 (2023). He’s currently at 70.67.
- Augusta is known for its “gettable” Par-5s that are high-risk, high-reward holes. Scheffler is third in the field in Par-5 scoring this season at 4.36.
{{core_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
2026 Masters Promo on PrizePicks: 30% Payout Boosts Every Day
For all four days and rounds of the 2026 Masters Tournament, you have the opportunity to boost your winnings on PrizePicks.
This year, PrizePicks is offering a 30% Payout Boost for each day of the Masters. Build your PGA-only Lineup for the 2026 Masters and simply apply the Payout Boost to your Lineup each day of the action.
Here’s how to claim the PrizePicks Masters 2026 promo after it goes live on Thursday, April 9:
- Log into PrizePicks (or sign up here with promo code PLAYBOOK to get $50 instantly)
- Navigate to the PGA board
- Predict More or Less on player stats to build your Masters Lineup
- Apply the 30% Payout Boost in the Lineup Builder
- Hit Submit!
⛳️ Claim the best PrizePicks new user offer for the 2026 Masters HERE
There's no code needed to make use of the Boost. Elsewhere, new users can earn $50 in Lineups instantly after playing $5+ with promo code PLAYBOOK. Here's how you can claim $50 as a new user:
- Sign up on PrizePicks, or download the app and enter code PLAYBOOK
- Make your first deposit: Add at least $10 to your account
- Create and submit your first Lineup: Pick More or Less on player stats and submit it for at least $5
- Get your $50! Win or lose, you'll instantly receive $50 in Lineups to use on any future Player Picks entry
Make 2026 Masters First Round Picks on PrizePicks
Who will get off to a good start at Augusta National and put themselves in a prime spot to win the 90th Masters?
You can make your 2026 Masters projections on PrizePicks Player Picks projections to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners and more, now available in 35 states.
Keep it locked in here with the Playbook for continued PGA predictions, news, and analysis.
