– The history and Augusta National dictate a very clear verdict: this coming Friday, once the cut is established in the 89th edition of the Masters at Augusta, at least one of the ten players who have arrived at the event within the top ten of the world ranking will be left out.
– These are the ten players that make up the newly updated top ten as of April 6:
1. Scottie Scheffler
2. Rory McIlroy
3. Xander Schauffele
4. Collin Morikawa
5. Ludvig Aberg
6. Hideki Matsuyama
7. Russell Henley
8. Justin Thomas
9. Viktor Hovland
10. Maverick McNealy
– McNealy, by the way, is making his debut this week in the world top ten, reaching the tenth position in the ranking after finishing third this past Sunday at the Valero Texas Open.
– As mentioned: one of these ten will be left out. Or better: let’s be a bit more reasonable, less definitive. It is not absolutely ‘necessary’ or ‘obligatory’ for this to happen, as one might suspect. But there are facts worth considering. There have been 38 editions of the Masters since an official and consolidated world ranking has existed (since 1987) and in 35 of those 38 editions at least one of the players who were in the world top ten at the time of the event was left out of the cut. 35 out of 38, be careful.
– At least one, as mentioned, but there were also many editions where more than one was left out of the cut. Up to three and four. For example, the most recent case: in the last edition, 2024, Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, and Brian Harman, who had arrived at the Masters as Numbers 4, 6, and 8, respectively, were left out of the weekend.
– It’s no joke. And surely not a coincidence. High expectations can paralyze or throw even the most seasoned off rhythm. The proof is that on six occasions, since 1987, even the World Number One was left out of the cut at Augusta. As seen, not even Scottie Scheffler is free from the statistical threat or curse, as six cases out of 38 possible are not merely a residual numerical anomaly:
· In 1990 Greg Norman arrived at the Masters as Number One and missed the cut.
· In 1995 it happened to Nick Price.
· In 1997, again to Greg Norman.
· In 2011 it was Martin Kaymer who arrived at the event at the top of the ranking and was left out of the cut.
· In 2019 the same happened to Justin Rose.
· And in 2021 it was Dustin Johnson who was left out of the weekend, when he was also the defending champion from the Covid Masters played in November 2020.
– To add a twist, there was another edition, 2017, where the World Number One, Dustin Johnson, was also not present for the weekend, but not because he missed the cut on the course, but due to an unfortunate domestic accident 48 hours before playing (the famous staircase slip).
– Not all news is bad, of course, for the world top ten players. In 22 of those 38 editions (1987-2024) the tournament winner also came from the world top ten, a much more in line statistic with what one might expect. José María Olazábal, for example, arrived as World Number 10 at the 1994 Masters, which he then won. And Jon Rahm was Number 3 when he won in 2023. Not so for Chema himself in 1999, the year of his second victory, or Sergio García in 2017.
– The World Number One has also won the Masters on seven occasions. In 1991 it happened with Ian Woosnam; in 1992 with Fred Couples; in 2001 and 2002 with Tiger Woods; in 2020 with Dustin Johnson; and in 2022 and 2024 with Scottie Scheffler, who incidentally is once again presenting in this edition as World Number One…
– An intriguing detail for those who enjoy calculations and coincidences: throughout this time the world top ten positions that have most frequently missed the cut have been World Number 5 and World Number 6, nine times each. Ludvig Aberg and Hideki Matsuyama arrive this week in those precarious positions… The World Number 2, however, has only missed the cut once in these 38 editions (remember that the World Number One went home six times): it happened to Rory McIlroy in 2023, precisely the same player who holds that position today.
– The player who has most frequently missed the cut arriving at the Masters within the world top ten has been Greg Norman. The Australian experienced this four times, two of them as World Number One, as previously mentioned. Other players have experienced it three times: Paul Azinger, Nick Price, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, and Sergio García. Of all of them, by the way, only Sergio has donned the green jacket…
– The only years, three, in which the entire world top ten made the cut were the editions of 1994, 1999, curiously the two Masters won by Olazábal, and 2012. However, in the 1994 world top ten, two players, Fred Couples and Paul Azinger, were absent from the event due to injury or illness. Let it be noted.
– Finally, it should also be noted that world top ten players usually live up to their trajectory and stature, as expected. In these 38 editions, only once has it happened that none of the world top ten players finished within the top ten of the Masters leaderboard. It occurred in 1997. Conversely, in 2002 the world top ten had the greatest feast known in the history of the world ranking and the Masters. Here are the details, for the nostalgic:
· Tiger Woods arrived at that 2002 edition as World Number One and won the tournament.
· Phil Mickelson arrived as Number 2 and finished third.
· Ernie Els arrived as Number 3 and finished fifth.
· Retief Goosen arrived as Number 4 and finished second.
· Sergio García arrived as Number 5 and finished eighth.
· And Vijay Singh arrived as Number 8 and finished seventh.
