13 Final Thoughts on the 2026 Masters

6. I’m hesitant to even address it because it’s so outrageous, but the “Rory had an unfair advantage because he got to practice ANGC more than other players in the weeks leading up to the event” discourse completely broke contain over the weekend.

A couple of things.

1. This would be interesting if it was true.
2. It is not true.
3. You don’t need to take it from me.

Here’s Michael Kim, who qualified for and played in the 2026 Masters.

Yes, other guys are fighting for FedEx Cup points at stops between the Players and Masters while Rory doesn’t have to. So yes, he does have more time to practice at Augusta National while guys are playing Houston and San Antonio. But it’s not as if other players weren’t also allowed to do this. If that was the case, that would be an unfair advantage. It’s not the case, though.

And for the record, I’m more offended by Brian Windhorst stating that putting wins the Masters (it doesn’t) than I am about Stephen A. voicing this entire controversy.

7. Let’s talk about the golf course. Two thoughts I had after the tournament ended. The first is that I have never appreciated how good your short game has to be at that course more than I did this year. I talked about this in the lead up, but look at the last 10 winners. Everyone but DJ has insane, just sick hands around the greens.

The shots required around these greens are so different from regular PGA Tour stops that it’s almost like guys are playing a completely different sport!

One that I’ll be thinking about for a while is this Rory shot on No. 6 on Saturday. The camera angle from Masters dot com does zero justice to how good this shot was. I was standing on the other side of him looking straight up the line, and it was a disgusting shot. He had to have the right amount of spin and hit it at the exact right spot about ¾ of the way up that hill to get it to stop. A 9 of 10 shot that he made look fairly routine.

There were so many. This Scottie shot on 15 on Thursday was utter filth. Again, the camera doesn’t do much for it, same for Cam’s runner up the hill on 8 on Sunday. My point in all of this is that I’m never going to pick someone at ANGC whose short game isn’t completely dialed.

8. The other thought is that I was wrong about wanting them to cook the golf course. I stated this on Friday.

I think I was probably wrong about it, though. It’s just not what that golf course is supposed to be, nor what that tournament has ever been. The beauty of it is that they take the course right up to the line where birdies are there but so are doubles and triples. It would be outside the identity of the tournament to take it beyond that, and honestly, it wouldn’t be as much fun to watch or experience either.

Kyle got cooked so the course could cook.

9. Two other categories of player I’m not picking again in the near future: First-time players and anyone named Bryson DeChambeau.

Data Golf built a very cool chart showing first-time player struggles. It’s just too difficult for the Gotterups and Bridgemans of the world to beat the Roses and Rorys of the world, who have a combined 1,700 rounds here.

The Bryson thing is just shame on me once again.

While he has clearly improved at this place, this year was a reminder that he’s not artistic or creative enough to truly contend here and his short game isn’t anywhere near those guys above who won.

Great, great player who I think will win more majors, but like my view on the U.S. winning a road Ryder Cup in Europe, I cannot ever pick him as a real contender ever again.

(remind me of this in 12 months when I try to talk myself into it).

Bryson's 2025 anti-curve campaign is another reminder that artists win at Augusta.

10. How do you think the Sam Stevens’ of the world feel when they have to roll up to major championships knowing they have to beat the following golfers in the same week …

1. Rory (top 10 player ever)

2. Scottie (very close to that)

3. Someone who is going to have the week of his life (i.e. Brian Harman, J.J. Spaun)

Hayden and I talked about this on the pod, but the dominance from Rory and Scottie right now is great in ways that it isn’t as great in tennis with Sinner and Alcaraz.

Sinner and Alcaraz are not necessarily better as a duo than Rory and Scottie, but tennis rewards dominance more than golf because its matches last relatively longer than golf tournaments do. So tiny margins become huge ones over longer periods of time. Shout out to Federer for only winning 54 percent of points in his matches but being one of the best to ever do it.

Anyway, I like that golf still occasionally produces J.J. Spauns and Brian Harmans because it does give players of that caliber some hope going into a week. And I also like that we have two thoroughbreds doing all-time stuff because it means that if you win a major right now, you earned it.

Case in point: If you beat Scottie and Rory at each of the last 20 majors, you would have 20 top 10s in a row and be a six-time major winner (with three other majors going to playoffs, so conceivably a nine-time major winner, just over the last 20 majors).

Also, lol at this graphic.

11. This is unusual for me because I don’t think I’ve rooted against Rory at any point over the last 12 years, but I genuinely found myself rooting for Justin Rose on Sunday. When he fist pumped the birdie on No. 9, I thought we were doing it.

Narrator: “We did not do it.”

The infinitesimal margin between getting to go to ANGC every year and bask in what is maybe the best week in golf and never getting to go again is staggering.

Also, it feels extremely, extremely unfair that Charl Schwartzel and Danny Willett have green jackets and Justin Rose does not.

12. Congrats to our members only contest winner, Alex B. on winning $1,500.

Here’s a look at his team.

I think this person should be DQ'd for picking Sergio. But hey, nobody asked me. We’ll get this rolling again for the PGA Championship.

13. I think it’s officially time to have a conversation about Jon Rahm. I’ve been a defender for many years. I think he’s generationally good. I think he’s the most underrated player over the last decade or so, and I’ve always had the Data Golf numbers to prove it.

I also think he’s kicked away a good chunk of major championship competition in the middle of his prime and that when he’s 65 years old, he will admit (maybe only to himself) that he’d give up nine of those figures to be able to go back and have a chance to win more major championships.

The evidence is starting to look irrefutable.

Here are Rahm’s finishes at Augusta before leaving for LIV.

Insanely consistent and great. And now his finishes since leaving.

Insanely consistent and bad.

Brandel’s take that LIV doesn’t prepare players for major championships rhymed what Rahm himself said a year ago at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow after he went for it all at the end and came up well short of Scottie’s W.

Truthful? Sure. Damning? Absolutely.

Why? Because generational players like Rahm have the most fun when they’re in the fire. And Rahm’s fire had a (very large) price. His shame was absolutely for sale.

What has transpired is a player and a person who knows he was wrong — about moving to LIV, about shunning the European Tour’s offer to bring him back in the fold, about all of it — and refuses to admit it. I’ve been there with my wife 1,000 times. When, in the middle of an argument I have the thought, I know I’m wrong and I know I’m going to have to admit that later on, but I’m not quite ready yet so I just keep charging ahead.

That’s Rahm right now. Charging ahead into the unknown.

A man who has always been on a trajectory that he will become one of the great Europeans of all time — something that I still think will happen — for the first time in his career has no discernible path to get there.

Another year, another LIV player stuck with the wrong jacket.

Thank you for reading our outrageous golf newsletter that is sometimes (but often barely) about golf. Every edition is handcrafted by me (Kyle) and Jason.

It is a labor of love, but as long as you keep showing up and we still have money in our bank account, we will keep handcrafting and delivering this thing to you with all the obsession we can muster.