15th of April, 1979. Fuzzy Zoeller won his first and only Augusta Masters. A detail marks this victory. He did it in his rookie year, it was his debut at Augusta National and he achieved something historic. Only Gene Sarazen in 1935 had managed to win the Augusta Masters at the first attempt, not counting logically the year the tournament started in 1934. Since Zoeller, no one has been able to put on the green jacket at the first attempt. 45 years have passed.
At the time of publishing this news, 18 players have received for the first time the invitation to play the Masters and will try to succeed Zoeller, ending the streak that started in 1979. By the way, that year the American won in the second playoff hole against Tom Watson and Ed Sneed to whom he cut six strokes in the last round. Fourth, just one stroke behind, was a certain Jack Nicklaus and Seve Ballesteros finished 12th. A year later he would win his first Masters.
The first major of the season is the only one with a fixed venue, Augusta National, and where experience is a degree… or even a doctorate. Augusta is a grinder and knowing the ins and outs of the course greatly favours the players. It can be considered quite a feat to win the Masters in your debut year. The last one who came close to the epic was Jordan Spieth in 2014. In his first appearance he was co-leader with Bubba Watson in the last round. He finished second, three strokes behind a Bubba who got his second green jacket.
Although more can still qualify, for the moment 18 brave debutants are going to try it in the 88th edition of the Masters. We’re getting wet. If we ask the question and say, who do you think could be the next Zoeller? The most obvious and formal answer is that it is very difficult for it to happen again, but one has got up wanting to make bold predictions and off we go. Two favourites and two dreams.
The first favourite on this list and as of today is none other than Wyndham Clark. Perhaps the surprise is rather the presence of the American in this list and that he has not played here before. His current form makes it impossible to rule him out for the fight. He is a rookie on Magnolia Lane, but he knows what it is like to win a major, reigning champion of the US Open, let’s not forget. Clark has already won this year at Pebble Beach and only a tragic tie prevented him from fighting Scheffler the The Players in the playoff. This campaign has to add another second place in the Arnold Palmer. Wyndham has champion wood and is showing it week after week. A year ago he didn’t know what it was like to win on the PGA Tour and today he sits at the big table.
The second favourite is none other than Ludvig Aberg. If anyone knows what it’s like to break records one after the other, it’s the Swede. Aberg not only debuts in Augusta, he debuts in a major and does so with a Ryder victory under his belt. He also knows what it’s like to lift victories on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. This kid is a prodigy and will look for the big hit in Augusta. Ludvig would become the seventh player in history to win on his debut in the majors. The last one was Keegan Bradley in 2011 (PGA Championship) and only two players have done it in the last hundred years. Winning is very difficult, but a top ten does not seem at all far-fetched.
There are two names that really do not enter by any means in the list of favourites, but that just imagining the brutality that their victory would mean makes me smile. I’m referring to Nick Dunlap and Matthieu Pavon. If the amateur champion on the PGA Tour repeated the feat at Augusta National, it would be an unparalleled bombshell in the history of golf and, as I say, just imagining Dunlap with the green jacket is quite funny.
Pavon’s case is different, but no less impressive. All things said, the Frenchman is currently in the top ten of the FedexCup, sixth to be exact. None of the players present at the tournament are, but that doesn’t mean the Frenchman is any ‘mindundi’ as they say. The 31-year-old player six months ago didn’t know what it was like to win on the DPWT and after many years of fighting he achieved it in Madrid. Just a few weeks later, Pavon got the PGA Tour card and just landed won the Farmers Insurance Open. As the saying goes: from Madrid to Augusta. Can you imagine?
Nicolai Hojgaard, Eric Cole or one of the protagonists of the year, Jake Knapp will be some of the players to keep an eye on and see how they perform in their first appearance in Augusta.
Complete list of debutants at the Augusta Masters 2024:
- Wyndham Clark
- Ludvig Aberg
- Eric Cole
- Nicolai Hojgaard
- Paul Malnati
- Nick Dunlap
- Jake Knapp
- Ryo Hisatsune
- Austin Eckroat
- Lee Hodges
- Denny McCarthy
- Grayson Murray
- Adam Schenk
- Matthieu Pavon
- Christo Lamprecht (A)
- Jasper Stubbs (A)
- Neal Shipley (A)
- Santiago de la Fuente (A)
