10 Golfers Who Had a Disappointing Masters

This Masters will be remembered for the peerless display of Scottie Scheffler, who validated the hype by cruising to victory on the back-nine at Augusta National. Somehow, it always felt inevitable, from the moment that players first took that drive down Magnolia Lane at the beginning of the week. It's been a long time since a major win was that predictable - and that's a reflection of the level that the humble American is currently at.

Elsewhere, Ludvig Aberg's debut was sensational as he smiled his way to a runner-up finish, while Tommy Fleetwood, Max Homa and Collin Morikawa will take encouragement from their week at the same time as feeling a little frustrated that they couldn't bridge the gap closer to Scheffler.

However, just as glory reigns supreme in this corner of Georgia, bitter disappointment was a keenly felt emotion too for those players whose tournaments fell short of expectations.

Let's take a look at some names who didn't get the most from their Masters.

Rory McIlroy

Despite an encouraging display in Texas and recent work with Butch Harmon, this never had the sense of being the likeliest of weeks for McIlroy. His 71 on Thursday was a better start than he often produces here, but the gusty conditions certainly didn't marry up with the Northern Irishman's preferred method of attack.

The wait for the career grand slam goes on - as does the time that has elapsed since his last major triumph in 2014. Addressing the latter might just be the key to securing that elusive Green Jacket. End the championship drought this summer and next April would be a more natural progression.

Hideki Matsuyama

Having recently won the Genesis at Riviera, the champion of three years ago was a considered pick for many observers at the Masters, but truth be told, the Japanese star was fortunate to make the halfway cut. He ultimately finished the week in a tie for 38th place but that was far below what he would have expected when he stepped foot on the grounds of Augusta National.

Brooks Koepka

When people were looking for a LIV golfer to strike, Koepka was the obvious choice. His ability to flick the switch on for majors is the reason why he's won five of them and finished second in four more, including last year's tournament. But the 33-year-old was never once a factor during the four days, which is a continuation of his recent form. He'll now be hoping for a strong defence of his PGA Championship title in May.

Jon Rahm

It's notoriously rare to successfully defend in the Masters, but the Spaniard would have expected far more than tying alongside his fellow Basque champion, Jose Maria Olazabal. But that was the reality as the former world number one finished way down in the field as part of the group in 45th place. It's easy to draw conclusions that Rahm isn't entirely content with the direction of his game and career at the moment, which places greater emphasis on the rest of this season's majors.

Wyndham Clark

Part of an impressive collection of rookies, many expected the formidable Wyndham Clark to challenge the leaderboard's summit, but the US Open champion didn't even make the weekend as he slumped to a second round of 78 in the high winds. It was an unhappy debut for one of the most impressive performers of the past 12 months.

Sergio Garcia

Garcia has a strange relationship with Augusta National. It was never his favourite venue - and then he won it, but since then it's been a horrific run of results. However, recent displays on LIV suggested that he would show better this time, but the champion of 2017 succumbed (like many) to the conditions on Friday and missed his fifth cut in six appearances. Dark and dismal, but at least his clothing was bright.

Justin Thomas

The two-time major winner has been searching for his best for some time, and even parted ways with experienced bagman Jim "Bones" Mackay ahead of the Masters. Thomas was in a solid position midway through the back nine pn Friday, but he struggled spectacularly from there by making three double bogeys in his last four holes to miss the cut.

Viktor Hovland

You could make a case that Viktor Hovland was the standout golfer on the planet in the second half of last year. But 2023's FedEx Cup jackpot winner has since been flittering between coaches and now appears rather beleaguered with his game. A Friday 81 was a real low point and the Norwegian abruptly withdrew from this week's RBC Heritage.

Jordan Spieth

The Texan has one of the most consistently impressive records at Augusta National in recent memory, but this was his second missed cut in three years - and it wasn't even close. The 30-year-old has been mostly struggling of late and his latest Masters appearance was a disappointing continuation of that trend.

Dustin Johnson

Just a few years ago, you could bank on Dustin Johnson contending in a major, but since he won that unique, surreal November Masters in 2020, it's been a rapid decline in the biggest events for DJ. He's occasionally woken up in LIV events, but rounds of 78-79 were more akin to an aging former champion decades past his prime than a 39-year-old who should still be relevant at this level.

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