Steve Palmer's player-by-player guide to The Masters field

A player-by-player guide to The Masters 2020 field, held at the Augusta National Golf Club which starts on Thursday.

Masters player guide

Byeong Hun An
The Florida-based Korean remains a PGA Tour maiden due to his lack of putting touch. His victory in the 2015 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is his career highlight. Has Augusta form of MC-MC-33 and is without a top-ten finish since golf resumed.

Abraham Ancer
The accurate Mexican, like An, is a 29-year-old PGA Tour maiden who has come close to a breakthrough on a few occasions. He has impressed since lockdown, finishing runner-up in the Heritage and fourth in the Shriners, but is making his Augusta debut.

John Augenstein
The amateur from Kentucky, runner-up in the US Amateur to book a Masters spot, has never been better than fourth in the world amateur rankings and he has slipped to 12th going into this week.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout
The 26-year-old South African won his maiden European Tour title at Valderrama last season, romping to a six-shot success, but he has little Stateside experience or success and is making his Masters debut.

Rafael Cabrera Bello
The 36-year-old Spaniard, a three-time winner on the European Tour, has rarely impressed Stateside. His Augusta form of 17-MC-38-36 and no top-20 finishes since lockdown make him easy to dismiss.

Patrick Cantlay
The former world number one amateur secured his third PGA Tour title in the Zozo Championship last month, pipping Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas at Sherwood CC. The Californian has Masters results of 47-MC-9 and has to be shortlisted as a potential Green Jacket contender.

Paul Casey
The 43-year-old Englishman, a three-time PGA Tour champion, has finished in the top 20 at Augusta eight times in 13 starts, with a best finish of fourth. He tied for second in the US PGA and was 17th in the US Open, but has been unimpressive since Winged Foot.

Cameron Champ
The Californian powerhouse, one of the most impressive drivers the game has ever seen, appears to have been forgotten among all the Bryson DeChambeau hysteria. Champ, a two-time PGA Tour victor, also has the game to destroy Augusta and looks a dangerous debutant in the wake of his eighth place at the Zozo last time out.

Corey Conners
The Canadian greens-in-regulation machine suffered a final-hole putting nightmare at the BMW Championship in August to surrender his place in the Tour Championship and he has been shaky since. Has weak Masters form of MC-46.

Fred Couples
Old Boom Boom is treading the boards again at the age of 61. The 1992 champion has made the cut in two of his last four Masters, and has finished in the top 20 in six of his last nine.

Jason Day
Retirement talk surrounded the injury-plagued Australian before lockdown, but he found some form in the summer and finished fourth in the US PGA, then played well for three rounds in Houston last week. An excellent Masters record - three top-five finishes in nine appearances and only once outside the top 30 - may tempt some, but he is working on swing changes, fitness is always a worry, and this potentially thundery, stop-start Masters will not suit.

Bryson DeChambeau
The champion-elect in the eyes of many observers, who believe he has taken golf to a new level and will dominate Majors from Winged Foot onwards. But he has putted poorly in previous Masters appearances and his results of 21-38-29 are humdrum. He has played only once since the US Open, sharing eighth place in the Shriners Open, testing a new driver in the aftermath. His proximity-to-hole statistics are terrible and average approach-play may cost him the Jacket - it is crucial to find the right sections of the Augusta greens.

Tyler Duncan
The 31-year-old Indianan beat Webb Simpson in a playoff to claim a maiden PGA Tour title in the 2019 RSM Classic, earning a Masters debut in the process. Solid but uninspiring post-lockdown form makes him difficult to fancy and he missed the Houston cut by six shots.

Tony Finau
The Utah giant is still waiting for the follow-up victory to his 2016 Puerto Rico Open success. He has become a regular leaderboard-dweller who never wins, due largely to a suspect short game, although Masters form of 10-5, as well as rock-solid performances in Majors in general, command respect.

Matthew Fitzpatrick
The Sheffield star has been on a frustrating run, with six second-place finishes since his last victory, and an Augusta course playing even longer than usual seems unlikely to be the venue where his fortune changes.

Tommy Fleetwood
The five-time European Tour champion is winless Stateside and mediocre Masters form of MC-17-36, coupled to lacklustre efforts in the CJ Cup and Zozo Championship, make him an unappealing Green Jacket prospect.

Rickie Fowler
The colourful Californian has become a PGA Tour showpony and even his biggest fans must be starting to wonder whether he will ever get a Major title. Swing changes have failed to improve his game, he is without a post-lockdown top-ten finish His Masters form of 11-2-9 from the last three years may count for precious little.

Dylan Frittelli
The South African got off the mark on the PGA Tour in last year's John Deere Classic and he has matured into an effective Stateside operator. He missed the cut in his only previous Masters, but may be able to sneak into the weekend this time.

Abel Gallegos
A wrist injury meant Angel Cabrera could not take his place in the field, but Gallegos, a teenage Argentinian amateur, is a six-foot three-inch slugger cut from the same cloth. He is the Latin America Amateur champion.

Lucas Glover
The 2009 US Open champion is winless on the PGA Tour since 2011, due largely to an often X-rated putting stroke. He has not qualified for the Masters since 2014 and has never bettered 20th place at Augusta. Missed the Houston cut by a shot last week.

Lanto Griffin
The 2019 Houston Open champion has found a little form in recent weeks to approach his Masters debut with some confidence. Major form of MC-19-43.

Adam Hadwin
The 33-year-old Canadian, whose only PGA Tour success came in the 2017 Valspar Championship, has progressive Masters form of 36-24, but mediocre recent efforts suggest a week of struggle lies in store.

Justin Harding
The South African took off in 2018, winning twice on the Sunshine Tour and twice on the Asian Tour, then made his European Tour breakthrough in 2019. A brilliant Masters debut yielded 12th place last year, but he has become hugely inconsistent.

Tyrrell Hatton
The diminutive Buckinghamshire man has made a big impression on the PGA Tour this year, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and regularly contending for titles, as well as popping home for BMW PGA Championship glory. He has taken his game to a new level and a Masters PB is surely coming after results of MC-44-56.

Max Homa
The 29-year-old Californian, who shed his PGA Tour maiden tag in the Wells Fargo Championship last season, is making his Augusta debut. Major form of MC-64-MC-MC, as well as a flurry of recent missed cuts, suggests he will struggle.

Billy Horschel
The 2014 FedEx Cup champion has never been a serious contender in Majors, posting only one top-ten finish in 27 attempts - fourth spot behind runaway winner Martin Kaymer in the 2013 US Open. Difficult to fancy.

Charles Howell
The Augusta-born 41-year-old seems likely to go down as a wasted talent, although his bank manager would not agree. Chucky has earned a fortune from a long PGA Tour career, but has won only three titles, playing in 49 Majors without bettering tenth place.

Sungjae Im
The Korean starlet, 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, impressed in the Presidents Cup before Christmas, then made his breakthrough in the Honda Classic in March to set up a Masters debut. He has lacked sparkle lately, though, with his putter particularly lifeless.

Shugo Imahira
The 28-year-old Japanese has won four times on his home circuit, but never overseas, and his Major form of MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-61 highlights how he is typically outclassed at this level.

Jazz Janewattananond
The 24-year-old Thai has played well in one of his five previous Majors - 14th in the US PGA last season - but has missed the cut in the other four. Seven post-lockdown missed cuts suggest his Masters debut may end on Friday night.

Zach Johnson
The 2007 Masters champion, who took advantage of brutal conditions which turned the tournament into a grind that year, has shown some signs of life this season, but at the age of 44 and winless since the 2015 Open, it is difficult to imagine any further Major glory.

Dustin Johnson
The world number one won the Travelers Championship in June, the Northern Trust in August and the FedEx Cup in September, before testing positive for Covid-19 prior to the CJ Cup. A solid return to action in the Houston Open last week, sharing second place, was encouraging for his fans. Masters form of 6-4-10-2 from his last four visits and 2020 Major results of 2-6 command respect. Obvious chance.

Sung Kang
The Korean, who won the 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson, has made the cut in seven of his nine Major appearances, but abysmal recent form suggests he will get a weekend off on his Masters debut.

Si Woo Kim
The 2017 Sawgrass champ has shown glimpses of his best this year, but blew a golden chance of winning the Wyndham in August with some reckless final-round driving. Masters results of MC-24-21. Missed the cut by a shot in Houston last week.

Kevin Kisner
The accurate 36-year-old Carolinian says Augusta is too long for him to compete properly there and results of 37-43-28-21 are solid but unspectacular. Tidy post-lockdown form means something similar can be expected.

Brooks Koepka
The former world number one and four-time Major champion has suffered with injury problems over the last year and dropped outside the world's top ten. Progressive Masters form figures of 33-21-11-2 are encouraging, though, as are the pair of 65s he carded at the weekend for fifth place in Houston. He has had a poor year, but may have timed his run well.

Jason Kokrak
The power-packed slugger got off the mark on the PGA Tour last month by winning the CJ Cup in Las Vegas. With three months of rock-solid form behind him, the 35-year-old has never been more confident and his Masters debut is coming at a fantastic time. This excellent ball-striker is long enough to handle the track and is putting better than ever.

Matt Kuchar
The 42-year-old missed the cut in the US PGA and the US Open, and is without a top-ten finish since lockdown. The short hitter is sliding down the world rankings and it is difficult to get excited about his Augusta hopes.

Andrew Landry
The short but accurate Texan, a two-time PGA Tour champion, tied for 46th place on his Masters debut last year. An unsuitable course and dire form seem set to equal a missed cut.

Bernhard Langer
The German warhorse, a dual Augusta champion, is 63 but has the engine of a 23-year-old, making the cut in three of the last four Masters. He made the cut in the Heritage on the PGA Tour in June.

Nate Lashley
The accurate Nebraska man, a six-shot winner of the Rocket Mortgage Classic last season, is making his Masters debut. He has missed the cut in eight of his 13 post-lockdown starts and another one seems likely.

Marc Leishman
The Australian has been more affected by coronavirus than most, aware that his wife needs shielding, and his form has understandably suffered. Twelve post-lockdown starts have yielded five missed cuts and just seven rounds in the 60s. A weekend off seems on the cards.

Yuxin Lin
The 20-year-old Chinese amateur missed the cut in the Masters and Open in 2018, having won the 2017 Asia-Pacific Amateur. Is he ready this time, having won the APA again last year? Probably not.

Shane Lowry
The Open champion is enjoying a prolonged reign in possession of the Claret Jug, but he has not looked like claiming any silverware since his Portrush heroics. He has missed six cuts since lockdown and Masters form of MC-39-MC-MC could get even worse, despite a decent effort in Houston last week.

Sandy Lyle
The 62-year-old Scot, 1988 Masters champion, has missed the last five Augusta cuts, but is back this week for another bogeyfest.

Hideki Matsuyama
The 28-year-old Japanese, seemingly weighed down by the pressure which comes from being his country's great golfing hope, and apparently carrying an inferiority complex against the game's elite, has let winning chances slip in Majors and may never get the job done. His Masters record is solid, as is his ball-striking, and he tied for second in Houston on Sunday, but this traditionally weak putter can not be trusted to hole enough down the stretch if in contention. He is winless since the 2017 Bridgestone Invitational.

Graeme McDowell
The 2010 US Open champion, a 41-year-old seemingly in decline, has missed six cuts in nine Masters appearances, never bettering 12th place. Eleven Stateside post-lockdown starts have resulted in eight missed cuts.

Rory McIlroy
The spotlight usually falls on the Northern Irishman before the Masters as he chases the final leg of a career Grand Slam, but he has arrived under the radar this time having not won since November last year. Almost exactly a year later, can he claim the title he craves most? Augusta sets up wonderfully for him - even more so in autumn conditions - and he has become a regular on the Masters leaderboard. After 29 birdies in the Zozo Championship last time out, this could be the moment the four-time Major champion finally gets his hands on the Green Jacket.

Lukas Michel
The Australian won the 2019 US Mid-Amateur to book a Masters debut. He missed the cut in the US Open in September and seems unlikely to survive to Saturday this week.

Phil Mickelson
Phil The Thrill, a three-time Masters champion, has started playing some Champions Tour events at 50, quickly winning twice on that circuit. His PGA Tour form has been largely ugly, though, and only romantics will be risking any money on Lefty this week.

Larry Mize
The 62-year-old 1987 Masters champion has made three of his last six Augusta cuts, but a colder, longer, November set-up probably means a weekend off this time.

Francesco Molinari
The Italian, who found water at the 12th hole of the final round last year as he buckled in a duel with Tiger Woods, took almost eight months off from February to October this year, moving his family from London to California and settling in, returning with a missed cut in the Shriners Open. He played better in Houston last week, but is surely too full of rust to be taken seriously for Masters glory.

Collin Morikawa
The cool Californian, arguably the best iron-player of his generation, won his first Major in fine style in August, becoming US PGA champion at Harding Park, and his laserlike approaches will stand him in great stead on his Masters debut. A form dip since the Tour Championship - MC-MC-12-50 - is off-putting.

Sebastian Munoz
The Colombian has Major results of MC-MC-MC-59 and little can be expected on his Masters debut, despite bright recent form.

Kevin Na
The flat-stick wizard has matured into a feisty competitor, who has won four times on the PGA Tour, but from July onwards he has struggled for full fitness and top form, so the fourth missed cut of his Masters career could be coming.

Andy Ogletree
The 22-year-old, US Amateur champ, has reached a career-high seventh in the amateur rankings. The glasses-wearing Mississippi man has delayed turning pro so he can play Augusta. He missed the cut in the US Open in September and the same fate seems likely this week.

Jose Maria Olazabal
The Spanish veteran, a dual Augusta champion but unable to make cuts on the European Tour these days, has not played a Masters weekend since 2014.

Louis Oosthuizen
The South African, Open champion in 2010, has since finished a runner-up in each of the three Stateside Majors. His Masters record is poor, aside from a playoff loss to Bubba Watson in 2012. Third place in the US Open in September is encouraging. Another close but no cigar week could be in store.

CT Pan
The Taiwanese won his maiden PGA Tour title last year and is making his Masters debut this week. Unsuitability to the course and poor post-lockdown form indicate a likely missed cut.

Victor Perez
The Frenchman, a sweet swinger who needs to find short-game improvement to become a member of the elite, finished runner-up at Wentworth a month ago, but has made no impact Stateside and is an Augusta debutant.

JT Poston
The 27-year-old Carolinian, Wyndham winner last season, has never bettered 60th place in a Major and is difficult to fancy on his Masters debut.

Ian Poulter
The English veteran skipped the Houston Open last week, citing a minor back injury, but a solid Masters record and decent recent form means he could battle to a top-20 finish.

Andrew Putnam
The Washington man, a Masters debutant whose only PGA Tour success came in the 2018 Barracuda, has never bettered 32nd place in a Major. His post-lockdown form has been shaky.

Jon Rahm
The Spaniard got a monkey off his back by becoming world number one for the first time after winning the Memorial in July. He followed up with a BMW Championship triumph in August and was second in the Zozo Championship last time out. He turned 26 on Tuesday and could become a Major champion on Sunday. Masters results of 27-4-9 suggest he is a massive runner, but the first Major victory is always the toughest to get.

Chez Reavie
The Arizona-based plodder seems unlikely to improve much on Masters results of MC-MC-MC-53. Augusta does not suit him and his form from the US Open onwards has been dire.

Patrick Reed
The 2018 Masters hero relishes the right-to-left drives which are favoured at Augusta, although his five other starts in the event have failed to yield a top-20 finish. Recent form suggests this controversial character will do alright, without threatening glory.

Justin Rose
The 2013 US Open champion and former world number one has reached a critical point in his career, sacking his coach and working on his swing alone, dropping outside the world's top 25. His ball-striking has become ragged, although his putting has improved. The two-time Masters runner-up missed the cut last season and may struggle to make an impact again.

Xander Schauffele
Much like Matt Fitzpatrick, Schauffele has become a nearly-man, but in higher quality events. The Californian has finished second six times since his last victory, as well as third twice. He tied for second in the Masters last year. His Majors record is hugely consistent with seven top tens in 13 starts but he is yet to win one and the recent streak of near-misses could enter his head on Sunday.

Scottie Scheffler
The Texan, who carded a 59 in August in the Northern Trust, is a two-time Korn Ferry Tour champion looking for his PGA Tour breakthrough. Fourth place in the US PGA this year showed he can compete in elite company and he seems one of the more dangerous Augusta debutants.

Charl Schwartzel
The South African, Masters champion in 2011 and third in 2017, has missed three of the last four Augusta cuts. He missed the cut by a shot in Houston last week and he has posted only one top-20 finish post-lockdown.

Adam Scott
Like Dustin Johnson, Scott returned from a positive Covid-19 test to compete in the Houston Open last week, playing solidly until a Saturday 74. It was just his fifth post-lockdown event and a second Masters triumph at the age of 40 seems extremely unlikely.

Webb Simpson
The 35-year-old Carolinian made dramatic short-game improvements and penetrated the top five of the world rankings after winning the Heritage in June. The 2012 US Open victor has traditionally struggled at Augusta, enjoying a PB of fifth place last season. The course does not play to his strengths, but he could battle into the top 20.

Vijay Singh
The Fijian, a prolific champion in his 40s, has reached the age of 57 and is winless since 2008. The 2000 Masters champion has missed three of the last four Augusta cuts.

Cameron Smith
The diminutive Aussie is a plucky sort who won two Australian PGA Championships and played well on his Presidents Cup debut before making his PGA Tour breakthrough in the Sony Open in January. Augusta does not seem a great fit, although his results of 55-5-51 are respectable, and he has hit form this time.

Brandt Snedeker
The 2012 FedEx Cup champ is winless since the 2018 Wyndham Championship. Three Masters top-ten finishes show he can compete at Augusta, and he showed up well in the early stages in Houston last week, but a Saturday 76 was alarming and he probably lacks the punch off the tee to contend this time.

Jordan Spieth
The 27-year-old, boasting Masters form figures of 2-1-2-11-3-21, has been largely in the doldrums since winning the 2017 Open, but signs of life in the CJ Cup and Zozo Championship hinted at a pre-Augusta revival. A three-putt on his final hole in Houston last Friday, though, meant a missed cut on the mark, an untimely dent to confidence, making him difficult to trust this week.

Henrik Stenson
Victory in the Hero World Challenge last December has proved a false dawn for the 44-year-old Swede, who has been struggling for fitness and form since. His 14 Masters starts have yielded only one top-ten finish and nothing in his current form suggests he is a serious contender.

James Sugrue
The 2019 Amateur Championship victor, the pride of Cork, is the eighth-best amateur in the world. He finished 66th in the Irish Open in September and seems to have an old head on young shoulders.

Nick Taylor
The Canadian plodder has been in dismal form and his Masters debut seems likely to end on Friday night.

Justin Thomas
The world number three has progressive Masters form figures of 39-22-17-12, pounding greens in regulation and often being let down by poor putting, so he has to be on the shortlist. The 2017 US PGA champion, twice a winner this year and three times a runner-up, is only 27 and seems destined to claim a Jacket at some stage. If this is the year he brings a warm putter to Augusta, the rest of the field are in trouble.

Brendon Todd
The Georgia-based plodder, accurate and tidy on the greens, missed the cut in his only previous Masters appearance and is not well equipped to make an impact on this vast plot of land. He lacks form and should be outgunned.

Erik van Rooyen
The big-hitting South African, who made his European Tour breakthrough in Sweden last year, has made the cut in all his six previous Majors. He can keep that streak going on his Masters debut.

Jimmy Walker
The 41-year-old, winless since becoming a Major champion in the 2016 US PGA, has suffered with his health and has just dropped outside of the world's top 400. He has never missed a cut in six previous Masters, but the run may end on Friday.

Matt Wallace
The Englishman blew a three-shot final-round lead in the Scottish Championship last month and he has gone 26 months without a victory. He missed the cut on his Masters debut last season.

Bubba Watson
The dual Masters champion is dreaming of a hat-trick after finding some encouraging ball-striking form in the last few weeks. Seventh place in the CJ Cup followed by fourth in the Zozo have put the power-packed 42-year-old left-hander firmly on the shortlist.

Mike Weir
The 2003 champ, who has turned 50, has not made a Masters cut since 2014. Expect the Canadian to be among the backmarkers.

Lee Westwood
The 47-year-old skipped the US PGA because of coronavirus concerns, but he finished 13th in the US Open and is back at Augusta for his first Masters since 2017. He has twice been second in this event, but only his biggest fans will be backing him for a Major breakthrough, especially after a missed cut in Houston last week.

Bernd Wiesberger
A combination of mediocre current form and humdrum Masters results make it difficult to see the 35-year-old Austrian giant as a contender.

Danny Willett
The 2016 champion has missed all three Masters cuts since his victory and dire form from August onwards, including a withdrawal in Houston last week with a wrist problem, indicates the streak of weekends off could easily continue.

Matthew Wolff
The 21-year-old, 3M Open champion last season, has made a barnstorming start to his Majors career, finishing fourth in the US PGA and runner-up in the US Open. Poor performances in the CJ Cup and Zozo are off-putting, but the swashbuckling Californian could enjoy a successful Masters debut.

Gary Woodland
The 2019 US Open champion has always been foxed by the Augusta greens, never bettering 24th place in seven Masters starts, and recent efforts, including a withdrawal from the Zozo with a back injury, suggest a missed cut is more likely this time than him contending.

Tiger Woods
The greatest player of his generation turns 45 in December with his back a constant cause of concern. If he is to have any hope of catching Jack Nicklaus on 18 Major victories, Woods probably needs to win one more Masters between now and the end of April. His 2020 campaign, blighted by injuries and a best finish of 37th since lockdown, suggest the chances of a successful title defence are remote.

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