Being ranked 51st in the world is pretty good, unless that’s where you land on the Monday before the Masters. That’s because being in the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking is good enough to get you in the field at Augusta National.
No. 51? Take the week off.
The exception this year is Gary Woodland, who is No. 51 in the world but received that coveted Masters invitation because of last week’s win at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
That leaves one invitation on the desk of Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley for next week’s Masters. It is reserved for any player not already in the Masters field if they win the Valero Texas Open. Upon doing so, an 11th-hour win in San Antonio means a happy late-night flight to Augusta to compete in the season’s first major.
It has happened before. Johnson Wagner did it in 2008, when he won the Houston Open. Two years ago, it was Akshay Bhatia who won in San Antonio to score his first Masters invitation.
While most of the game’s familiar names already have homes rented and their travel arrangements made, there are several players with hopes of creating a Masters miracle this week in San Antonio.
Here are five players who need a win this week to earn access to Magnolia Lane.
Rickie Fowler: He remains one of the most popular players on Tour, even though he’s winless since 2023. Fowler has played okay this season, tied for ninth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational being the high point, and he is 39th on the FedEx Cup points list. But he’s only No. 65 in the world, which means he needs to win or he will miss the Masters for the second straight year and the fifth time in six years.
Michael Thorbjornsen: The 24-year-old Stanford grad seems to be in contention every week, although his best finish was a tie for third at the Phoenix Open, and he was in contention at the Players Championship until a final-round 77. Thorbjornsen is No. 54 in the world rankings.
Will Zalatoris: The Vanderbilt product has battled health concerns. He finished in the top 10 the first three times he played the Masters and finished second by one shot to Hideki Matsuyama in 2021. A couple of back surgeries in 2023 and ’25 have clouded his promising future. He has played only three times and returned last week at the Houston Open after a two-month absence while dealing with a left ankle injury.
Tony Finau: A rough start to the season — three missed cuts in the first four events — put the popular Finau in a hole. Finau has fallen to No. 107 in the world and needs a victory to avoid missing the Masters for the first time since 2017.
Pierceson Coody: The grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charlie Coody is No. 52 on the rankings list and needs a win to make the field for the first time. But Coody is also fighting back issues that forced him out of the Houston Open a week ago.
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