Around Augusta National Golf Club, Fuzzy Zoeller has rightfully earned some lore. Outside of the inaugural champion, no golfer other than Zoeller has won the Masters in their first attempt. Zoeller accomplished the feat in 1979, meaning 46 champions have come and gone since and they all played at least one Masters before slipping on the green jacket.

It’s a notable trend – and after four-plus decades, it’s likely earned a notation firmer than just a trend – one that gives credence to the long-held adage that Augusta National will pick on those who don’t know its secrets. Yet if there was a year when the streak could end, this week’s tournament is shaping up to be as good as any.

Among the first-timers around Augusta National this year is a Ryder Cupper, a top-10 player in the Official World Golf Ranking and the current FedExCup No. 1. It’s an annual tradition in the media center to call the current year’s crop of Masters rookies the best ever, and this year is no different.

So, which first-timers have the best chance to buck the trend and win the Masters? Let’s rank the top five.

1. Jacob Bridgeman

Bridgeman, the aforementioned FedExCup leader, is off to a roaring start this season. In addition to his win at The Genesis Invitational, Bridgeman has three other top 10s – including a tie for fifth at THE PLAYERS Championship. Perhaps most impressive, Bridgeman hasn’t finished worse than T18 in any of his eight starts. Looking for a reason to back Bridgeman at Augusta National? That’s a good place to start.

If there’s any weakness to Bridgeman’s game, it’s his driver. But if that’s your vice, it’s the one most manageable at Augusta National. Where he shines: approach play and putting; lines up with the exact skill set required to contend at the Masters.

There are qualitative arguments that someone other than Bridgeman has had a better year to this point, but it’s hard to win any argument with numbers. In addition to leading the FedExCup, he’s first in Data Golf’s points list. Why is that notable? The last four winners all led that list entering the Masters. Need a qualitative reason, too? It’s often said that those who play well at The Riviera Country Club play well at Augusta National. Shared champions included Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson. Bridgeman just won at Riviera. Is Augusta next?

2. Chris Gotterup

If you’re willing to concede that Bridgeman has had the best start to the year, are you willing to agree that Gotterup is No. 2? The 26-year-old is the only golfer with multiple wins on the PGA TOUR this season, having won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January and the WM Phoenix Open in February. Add in his Genesis Scottish Open win last summer and Gotterup is one of only two golfers to win three or more times since last July (Scottie Scheffler is the other).

How’s that for a resume that doesn’t yet include a start at Augusta National? Up to ninth in the Official World Golf Ranking, he’s the only Masters debutant inside the top 10.

Gotterup’s biggest advantage is off the tee, thanks to prolific distance. He’s 17 yards longer than the average TOUR player. His approach play ranks inside the top 30 this year, too. Whether Gotterup will be able to contend will depend on his wedge play and putting, the most volatile parts of his game. On a good week, he’s got the game to win. If he’s off with his distance control and shaky with the putter, Augusta National could be nightmarish.

3. Ryan Gerard

Gerard would have played his way into the Masters based on the start to his season, but how Gerard officially got through to Augusta National is a testament to how much he wanted it and how he can perform under pressure. At the end of every year, the top 50 of the OWGR get into the Masters for the following year. Gerard was 57th in mid-December when he opted to fly to Mauritius to play in the final DP World Tour event of the calendar year for the sole reason of trying to crack the top 50. Gerard won the event, jumped to 46th in the world and nabbed a Masters invitation.

Gerard rode that momentum into a fast start on the PGA TOUR, finishing runner-up in the first two starts of the year. His play has leveled out since then, but he remains a top-15 player thus far this season. If you’re bullish on Gerard’s chances, you’re banking on his elite ball-striking carrying the day. He ranks 14th in Strokes Gained: Approach this year, but only 131st from around the green. The latter will need to improve to survive Augusta National's severe greens and contend late on the weekend.

4. Ben Griffin

Few things rival the anxiety of the first tee at the Masters. Griffin has already experienced one of them: the first tee of a Ryder Cup. Griffin’s time on the U.S. Ryder Cup team should leave him more equipped than most to handle the emotional cauldron of a debut at the Masters. He just needs to turn his form around.

Griffin, three times a winner in 2025, has been unable to carry that level into the new year. A tie for 19th at the Sony Open is his best finish in nine starts, and he’s missed three of four cuts leading into the Masters. Griffin’s struggles have come up and down the bag, though his below-average approach play is the biggest culprit. In a breakout 2025, Griffin established himself as a consistently excellent ball-striker. He paired that with added distance off the tee and an above-average putter, and he quickly excelled into Ryder Cup territory. This year, he’s dropped outside the top 100 in iron play after finishing last season inside the top 25.

Despite the recent struggles, Griffin is well-established and no stranger to the intensity of a moment like the Masters.

5. Marco Penge

Driving distance isn’t a prerequisite for success at Augusta National, as it often is at other major championship venues, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. If this Masters becomes a driving contest, Penge should see his name rise up the leaderboard. Despite a topsy-turvy start to 2026, which includes the birth of a new baby, Penge leads the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. Much of that benefit comes because of his extraordinary length. Thus far, he’s about 22 yards longer than the average PGA TOUR player. When the rest of his game lines up, he contends – as he did earlier this year at The Genesis Invitational and again at the Valspar Championship. But just as quickly as Penge can go low, his scores can balloon if the rest of his game isn’t aligned. In seven starts, he’s made only three cuts. That makes him feast or famine at Augusta National.

Other first timers at Augusta National not included in these rankings: Michael Brennan, Ethan Fang (a), Harry Hall, Jackson Herrington (a), Brandon Holtz (a), Mason Howell (a), Casey Jarvis (a), Naoyuki Kataoka, Johnny Keefer, Fifa Laopakdee (a), Tom McKibbin, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Andrew Novak, Mateo Pulcini (a), Kristoffer Reitan, Sam Stevens and Sami Valimaki.