At the 2024 Masters, Scheffler triumphed by four shots, becoming the fourth-youngest player to earn multiple Green Jackets. Only Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods have won multiple Masters titles at a younger age. If his form line continues, who or what is to stop this winning machine not only challenging but surpassing the records of Nicklaus (six titles), Woods (five) and Arnold Palmer (four) – something which has been out of reach for anyone else.

Scheffler’s conservative, low-error style has made him nearly impossible to catch over 72 holes. It’s a period of domination comparable to the eras of Palmer, Nicklaus and Woods, though with his own spin. Jack’s strengths were ahead of his time – phenomenal power and course management. Tigers were fearsome accuracy, confidence and aura. Palmer was a rock star.

Scheffler doesn’t have the charisma of this trio, much less Ballesteros. He goes about his work largely outside the limelight. Yet his precision, calmness, ruthlessness and quiet confidence set him apart in this era. At times, Woods and Nicklaus made Augusta look easy. And that’s what Scheffler is aiming to do again after running fourth, without his best golf, in 2025.

The question for this latest iteration of the Masters is: who, if anyone, can keep Scheffler’s shoulders out of the green jacket? Below are Golf Australia magazine’s top candidates to chase Scheffler at Augusta National. Each brings strengths that could counter Scottie’s game. Bringing them for 72 holes at Augusta in the Masters is the challenge of the ages.

THE CHAMP

For so long, Rory McIlroy was Augusta National’s voodoo doll.

In 2025, he finally broke through after a host of close calls to complete the Career Grand Slam.

The chase is over. The monkey on his back is vanquished. The question now is: do the Augusta floodgates open?

McIlroy returns in 2026 not as the hunter, but as defending champion – a significant shift. The weight that once accompanied every shot the Northern Irishman played at Augusta has lifted. For more than a decade, we spoke about scars and Sunday pressure. He can now play with freedom, which, for the rest of the field, is a frightening proposition.

The career slammer, Rory McIlroy. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Technically, little has changed. McIlroy still possesses the high, towering ball flight that suits these corridors. He can overpower the par-5s, shape approach shots into tucked pins and summon bursts of momentum few in the modern game can match. The difference this year is emotional: there is no longer a weight of history on his shoulders.

Defending, of course, presents its own challenges - Champions’ Dinner menu, extra commitments and the subtle tug of comfort. Augusta can seduce you into reflection when you need to be ruthless. McIlroy, however, has long spoken about perspective; about understanding that fulfilment and ambition can coexist. In 2026, he arrives fulfilled and determined to go back-to-back.

His resume remains one of the strongest of the era: multiple major titles, sustained excellence across continents and a competitive edge that has endured well beyond his prodigious early years.

IRON MAN

Collin Morikawa has, arguably, the best iron play in golf.

The 29-year-old, two-time major winner has quietly rediscovered that magic. In February, he finally broke a nearly three-year winless drought, capturing the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Morikawa had not won on Tour in nearly three years before that, but his irons were reminiscent of those that delivered the PGA Championship (2020) and Open Championship (2021) early in his career. At Pebble, he hit every green in regulation during a third-round 62 – statistically the best ball-striking performance of his career. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+2.72 via Data Golf) and gained strokes in every facet across the four days.

Collin Morikawa has started 2026 in fine form. PHOTO: Getty Images.

That level of ball-striking is precisely what Augusta rewards. The myth that you must hit the ball right-to-left has been debunked over the past decade, so there should be no concern about his preference for cuts.

Even if he isn’t the longest hitter in the field, he hits it straighter and closer than most. Historically, he has been consistent at Augusta, recording two top-5s and a top-10 from 2022–2024, along with a T14 last year. With winning form on his side, he could be even more dangerous.

If the Californian can turn his laser-like approach play into a Sunday charge, he’ll simply need the short game to remain solid for it to become a week to remember.

THE OUTSIDER

Patrick Reed’s profile is complicated (LIV moves, on-course controversies, sketchy past), but when the tournament begins, he has proven he can flip the switch. Since relinquishing his LIV Golf membership, he has been playing some of the best golf of his life. In three weeks on the DP World Tour’s Middle Eastern swing, he won the Dubai Desert Classic, tied second in a play-off in the Bahrain Championship, and won the Qatar Masters.

As a former Masters champion, Reed knows how to find Augusta’s greens. He is also known for a fiery, self-assured mentality; little appears to faze him in contention.

Reed knows what it takes to win around Augusta National. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Reed has been attempting to burnish his image, insisting he has been misunderstood and urging fans to focus on his golf. The hard-fought titles and the redemption arc he is crafting may have softened old perceptions. If he plays with the same chip on his shoulder that carried him in 2018, Reed’s horse-for-course profile could put him firmly in the mix.

CONSISTENT CONTENDER

Justin Rose may be the ultimate example of experience and class keeping pace with age.

In 2025, aged 44, he produced one of the great Masters runs. He shot 66 with 10 birdies, erasing a seven-shot deficit to claw back into a tie for the lead and force a play-off with McIlroy.

That finish marked his third second-place at Augusta and his second loss in a play-off (the other came in 2017).

What makes Rose special is that age is clearly not a barrier. He remains as fit and focused as players a decade younger. In multiple Masters tournaments, he has played brilliant golf, defying the naysaying that often accompanies his date of birth. His methodical, technical game suits Augusta’s shot-making demands.

Rose is statistically brilliant at the Masters. PHOTO: Getty Images.

He has won this year on the PGA Tour, and Rose could easily be the beloved spoiler who disrupts Scheffler’s plans. It would be a popular victory if his name sits atop the leaderboard come Sunday.

TOUR CHAMPION

Tommy Fleetwood is in excellent form and is the reigning FedExCup champion. Across his career, he has made eight of nine Masters cuts, so he has plenty of weekend experience around the Georgian loop.

Consistency is his great strength. He is also a phenomenal iron player and a streaky putter when hot, which is often.

Mr Consistent, Tommy Fleetwood chases his maiden major. PHOTO: Getty Images.

A major remains next on his list of firsts, and with the consistency he brings, if he breaks through at Augusta, the floodgates might well open.

BATTER UP

We have seen players arrive at Augusta with momentum, only to be humbled.

Yet, given how unflappable and solid Chris Gotterup has looked in the early stages of his career, it is difficult to imagine him producing a poor week on this grand stage. The 26-year-old American is building a profile which suggests he can absolutely contend at the Masters.

Gotterup’s strength lies in a modern power game that fits Augusta National’s demands. Long off the tee and naturally aggressive, he can attack the par-5s – the scoring backbone for Masters champions. When the driver cooperates, Gotterup creates the kind of birdie chances required to keep pace on a course where momentum can swing rapidly.

What separates him from many emerging bombers is his composure. He has shown an ability to remain patient when conditions become demanding – case in point, his Scottish Open triumph last year.

Augusta places a premium on trajectory and distance control into greens, and Gotterup has the ability to flight his approaches with authority. If he finds rhythm with the mid- and short-irons, he has the tools to create enough chances to feature deep into the week.

Wining machine. Chris Gotterup, not scared of Augusta. PHOTO: Getty Images.

The real test will come on and around the greens. Masters’ champions typically separate themselves with imagination and touch on Augusta’s demanding surfaces, but Gotterup’s improving short game has quietly become a strength in recent performances