The Masters 2024: Who are the rookies making their first appearance at Augusta National?

Eric Cole is an outside pick to win the 2024 Open at Royal Troon

Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark and Nicolai Hojgaard feature among a lengthy list of Masters debutants…

The Masters is the toughest Major to get into, with its limited field of past champions, PGA Tour winners and the world’s top 50.

This year 89 players will be teeing it up at Augusta National, of which 20 have ambitions of breaking the rookie curse and becoming the first debutant since Fuzzy Zoeller, 45 years ago, to wear the Green Jacket on Sunday.

It might just be the most talented bunch we’ve ever seen…

LUDVIG ABERG
Age 24
Nationality Sweden
Pro wins 4
This time last year Aberg was still an amateur, which shows you just how far he’s come in such a short space of time. He’s never even played in a Major championship before and yet he’s already acquired superstar status after winning the European Masters on the DP World Tour and November’s RSM Classic in America.

He also starred at the Ryder Cup and posted the second-best scoring average (68.32) for the 2023 PGA Tour season. His prodigious length and temperament should make him a great fit for Augusta.

AKSHAY BHATIA
Age 22
Nationality USA
Pro wins 6
The former child prodigy played his way into the Masters at the 11th hour after overcoming a shoulder injury – and an incredible fightback from Denny McCarthy – to seal a second PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open on Sunday. That only tells half the story, however.

The wiry leftie held a six-shot lead standing on the 10th tee, before McCarthy birdied eight of his last nine holes – including the last seven – to set the target at 20-under-par. It meant Bathia had to birdie the 18th just to force a playoff. The former Walker Cup star held his nerve and then repeated the feat in a sudden-death playoff to secure a wire-to-wire victory, the biggest of his fledgling career.

Will be fascinating to see how he performs on only his second major start as he currently sits inside the top 20 on the PGA Tour this season for Strokes Gained: Total (4), Tee to Green (9), Off the Tee (16), and Approach the Green (12).

WYNDHAM CLARK
Age 30
Nationality USA
Pro wins 3
If this list were a ranking, Clark would be top of the pile. The reigning US Open champion is a proven big-game player and the hottest golfer in the men’s game right now alongside Scottie Scheffler.

The World No.4 has won three times in his last 21 starts on the PGA Tour, including the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February. He should have added a fourth at the Players Championship, but had to settle for second behind Scheffler in a repeat of the Arnold Palmer Invitational the week before.

He has been dealing with a back injury since then, which might explain why he’s a little under-priced at 28-1. We still fancy his chances above Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods which is a serious endorsement.

ERIC COLE
Age 35
Nationality USA
Pro wins 12
The definition of a late bloomer, having lost his Korn Ferry Tour card two years ago. He won it back in 2022, and then played his way to the PGA Tour last season where he became the second oldest golfer to be named Rookie of the Year thanks to some elite approach play and putting.

A playoff defeat to Chris Kirk at last year’s Honda Classic means he’s still searching for a first win in the big leagues, but he has rare pedigree as the son of LPGA star Laura Baugh and PGA Tour winner Bobby Cole.

NICK DUNLAP
Age 20
Nationality USA
Pro wins 1
The story of the season so far. He made history at The American Express by becoming the first amateur since 1991 to win a PGA Tour event. He turned pro four days later and is now eligible for every big event except The Open.

The inconsistency of youth means expectations should probably be tempered (tee to green he has struggled this season), but the hype train has been building ever since he emulated Tiger by winning both the US Junior and US Amateur.

Did we also mention he shot a 59 when he was 12? Yeah, the kid is special alright – and a future Ryder Cupper based on an insanely good matchplay record.

AUSTIN ECKROAT
Age 25
Nationality USA
Pro wins 1
Another former Walker Cup player, who used to play on the same college team as Viktor Hovland and Matt Wolff. He punched his ticket to the Masters after winning the Cognizant Classic by three shots and appears to be finding some consistency after a difficult first season on the PGA Tour, in which he missed almost as many cuts as he made. Could be a good fit for Augusta thanks to his stellar iron play and accuracy off the tee.

RYO HISATSUNE
Age 21 Nationality Japan
Pro wins 4
One of three players to be handed a special invitation by Augusta, alongside Thorbjorn Olesen and Joaquin Niemann. Hisatsune might be new to the Major stage, but he made a big impression last season and came from four back to win the French Open by two at Le Golf National.

He pipped Aberg to the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year award and now holds a dual membership on the PGA Tour, where he’s made six of nine cuts. Yet to find his form off the tee this year.

LEE HODGES
Age 28
Nationality USA
Pro wins 2
A tidy operator who produced the most commanding performance of 2023 by going wire-to-wire to claim the 3M Open by a whopping seven strokes in July. His putting and driving has deserted him since then, culminating in a string of cuts and some seriously inconsistent performances from one round to the next.

His record in high-class events is yet another black mark against his name, hence some bookmakers have him at 500-1 to cause an almighty upset. He’ll do well to make the cut.

STEPHAN JAEGER
Age 34
Nationality Germany
Pro wins 7
Find us a player with a better nickname in the professional game? The man known as ‘Jaegerbomb’ is the poster boy for speed training, having gained over 16 yards off the tee in the last two years. Much of the German’s success had been confined to the Korn Ferry Tour until he finally broke through on his 135^th PGA Tour start at the Houston Open, ending Scottie Scheffler’s hopes of a remarkable three-peat.

We particularly loved his reaction afterwards. “Obviously, playing Scottie the last couple of days, he’s been on a tear, so to kind of slay the dragon a little bit this week was amazing.”

JAKE KNAPP
Age 29
Nationality USA
Pro wins 4
Two years ago Knapp had no Tour status and was working as a bouncer at a nightclub in California. Now he’s a PGA Tour winner with the power to rival Rory McIlroy.

A two-shot victory at the Mexico Open on just his ninth PGA Tour start was particularly noteworthy because he had two drivers in the bag and averaged 322 yards off the tee. A grouping with Bryson DeChambeau would be brilliant to watch.

PETER MALNATI
Age 36
Nationality USA
Pro wins 8
Better known for his floppy bucket hat and love of yellow golf balls, Malnati might just be our new favorite golfer. He stole the hearts of fans when he snapped a 3058-day winless streak at the Valspar Championship and marked the moment with an emotional celebration and interview alongside his four-year-old son.

Could be forgiven if he gets overwhelmed by the enormity of the occasion, especially as it’s been such a long time coming. He’s also missed the cut in his previous three Major appearances.

DENNY MCCARTHY
Age 31
Nationality USA
Pro wins 4
Perhaps the best putter on planet golf but without the results to back it up. He was the unlucky loser in Sunday’s sudden-death playoff at the Valero Texas Open, where his total of 92 putts for the week was the fewest in a PGA Tour event since 1983.

Two strong showings at the US Open – including a tie for seventh in 2022 – suggest he’s battle-hardened, but there’s a limit to how much he can fall back on his super short game. He lost nearly half a stroke on the field in strokes gained: off the tee last year. 

GRAYSON MURRAY
Age 30
Nationality USA
Pro wins 7
A seasoned trash talker on social media, the spiky American has attracted unwanted headlines in the past after being placed on probation by the PGA Tour for a drunken incident. He was then told to ‘play better’ by Rory McIlroy in a heated player meeting. Now, it would appear that he finally is.

He claimed his second PGA Tour victory after a seven-year wait at the Sony Open – beating Keegan Bradley and Byeong Hun An in a playoff – and is now coming up to 12 months sober. Good on him.

NICOLAI HOJGAARD
Age 23
Nationality Denmark
Pro wins 4
Another Scandinavian member of the European Ryder Cup team with a seriously bright future. Victory at the DP World Tour’s season finale – his third in as many years – helped secure his PGA Tour card and catapulted him inside the world’s top 50 for the first time.

He’s gone onto greater heights since then and almost forced a playoff at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. It’s easy to see why Adam Scott has likened his game to Dustin Johnson. His temperament and distance should serve him well.

MATTHIEU PAVON
Age 31
Nationality France
Pro wins 6
The DP World Tour veteran doesn’t have a bad word to say about the strategic alliance. He notched one of 10 tickets to the PGA Tour through his Race to Dubai ranking after a breakthrough victory at the Spanish Open, seven years after he took up membership.

He promptly backed it up on just his third start of 2024, beating Nicolai Hojgaard by one at the Farmers Insurance Open to become the first Frenchman to win on Tour since 1907. Not bad for someone who used to suffer from the chipping yips!

ADAM SCHENK
Age 32
Nationality USA
Pro wins 2
A PGA Tour mid-carder who is now approaching 200 starts without a win. Last season he let a 54-hole lead slip at the Valspar Championship and then lost in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge six starts later.

Missed cuts at the US PGA, US Open and Open continued his hard luck story until he rewrote the final chapter with a starring role in the FedEx Cup playoffs. A tie for seventh at the season finale means he’s locked up spots in all the Majors and signature events for 2024. Still a sense that he’ll be making up the numbers at Augusta.

(A) SANTIAGO DE LA FUENTE
Age 22
Nationality Mexico
The 22-year-old won the Latin America Amateur Championship in January, securing exemptions into the Masters, US Open and The Open. It was sweet redemption for the Mexican, having missed a short putt on the final hole to tie the lead at the same tournament in 2022.

He’s picked off a bunch of collegiate titles since then, including The American Championship and Border Olympics last year. He’s now in his final year at the University of Houston and learned English by watching re-runs of Friends. We like him already.

(A) CHRISTO LAMPRECHT
Age 23
Nationality South Africa
Victory at the Amateur Championship secured the 6ft 6in South African his ticket to this year’s Masters and US Open, as well as last year’s Open where he hit the headlines after an opening round 66 at Royal Liverpool. He even held a share of the lead overnight and while he couldn’t maintain that form, he won the Silver Medal as the only amateur to make the cut.

He currently tops the World Amateur Golf Rankings and continues to impress with club and ball speeds of 141mph and 210mph respectively. One to watch in the future.

(A) NEAL SHIPLEY
Age 23
Nationality USA
The 23-year-old qualified after finishing runner-up to Nick Dunlap in last year’s US Amateur. He won for the first time in 18 months in January, has hair to rival Tommy Fleetwood, and used to caddie at Oakmont for several years.

His home course, St Clair Country Club in Pittsburgh, is well known for having greens that run faster than 14 on the Stimpmeter, which should be good preparation for Augusta. He’s also got a master’s degree in data analytics, so Bryson will probably want to chew his ear off.

(A) JASPER STUBBS
Age 22
Nationality Australia
Two months after being snubbed for the World Amateur Teams Championships, the Australian booked his place at the Masters and Open by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne. He wasn’t considered one of the contenders that week but he is a lot better than his Amateur World Ranking of 335. He also finished in a tie for 21st at the Australian Open in November so he’s clearly got something. It’s just unlikely to be good enough to challenge the others for low amateur honors.

About the author

Michael Catling
Features Editor

Michael Catling is Today’s Golfer‘s Features Editor and an award-winning journalist who specializes in golf’s Majors and Tours, including DP World, PGA, LPGA, and LIV.

Michael joined Today’s Golfer in 2016 and has traveled the world to attend the game’s biggest events and secure exclusive interviews with dozens of Major champions, including Jack Nicklaus, Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Gary Player, and Justin Thomas.

A former member of Ufford Park and Burghley Park, Michael has been playing golf since he was 11 and currently plays off a handicap of 10.

Away from golf he’s a keen amateur chef and has his own healthy recipes website. He also loves playing squash, going to the gym, and following Chelsea FC.

Michael uses a Ping G driver, Ping G 3-wood, Ping G Crossover 3-iron, Ping G Series irons (4-PW), Ping Glide wedges (52º, 56º, 60º), TaylorMade MySpider Tour Putter, and Srixon AD333 golf ball.

Get in touch with Michael via email and follow him on Twitter.