Paulie’s Picks: 2026 Masters Longshots

I’ve already covered what it takes to succeed at Augusta National. Now it’s time to apply that knowledge to find a few longshot picks to win the 2026 Masters.

Akshay Bhatia 65/1

At first glance, people may shy away from Akshay because he has only finished 35th and 42nd in two Masters appearances. However, the 35th-place finish on debut in 2024 was directly after he won the Valero and popped his shoulder out in the playoff. So he played injured with minimal prep and finished in the top half of the field. In 2025, he was actually in seventh place after round one but faltered over the rest of the tournament.

In 2026, Bhatia has really blossomed into one of the best young players on Tour thanks to his elite iron play. His last five finishes on Tour have been third, sixth, 16th, first, and 13th. Over those five events, he has gained 20 strokes on approach! It doesn’t really make sense to have him 65/1 to win when he has proven he can beat all of the players in this field.

He also has the advantage of being a lefty who plays a high fade, which fits Augusta National very well (a la Bubba Watson, who has won here twice). Additionally, let’s not overlook the impact of having a veteran caddie in Joey Greiner on the bag. He is very knowledgeable on Augusta and was on the bag for Max Homa’s third-place finish in 2024. To me, this seems like the absolutely ideal spot for Akshay to have a chance to capture his first major.

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Adam Scott 65/1

Scott has played in every Masters since 2002, and last year was his first missed cut at Augusta National since 2009! I think this year will be a different story. He comes into the tournament ranked second in approach for 2026, gaining 0.91 strokes per round (behind only the injured Collin Morikawa). His game is trending in the right direction as he has gained strokes on approach in every event in 2026, and his best two approach results have come in his last two starts, where he has gained over six strokes in both events. Scott has also sneakily added some distance off the tee and is now one of the longest players on Tour. You pair that length with the elite iron play and his great knowledge of Augusta National and you might just see Scott do what Justin Rose did in 2025 and contend as a knowledgeable veteran.

Sepp Straka 67/1

This year marks Straka’s fifth Masters. His only missed cut came last year after he made triple bogey on the final hole in the second round. He is an elite iron player who comes into the 2026 Masters in good form, gaining strokes on approach in each of the last six events. This includes a runner-up finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and an eighth at the Players Championship. Also, let’s not forget he won twice last season, including a signature event which has a very similar strength field. So it’s not crazy to see Straka contend this week as the next step in his career is a major title. 

Corey Conners 80/1

Conners struggled in parts of 2025 and early in 2026 but has recently regained his form with top-15 finishes in his last two starts at the Valspar Championship and the Players Championship. His irons are back to where we expect them as he has gained 15 strokes on approach over his last three events. 

Corey has historically performed very well at Augusta, finishing inside the top 10 in four of the last six years. Most of that success was predicated on his elite iron play. Over those six years, he gained 21.7 strokes on approach! So if he can carry over his current form to Augusta once again, he can definitely contend and is a prime candidate for a finishing position bet.

Jacob Bridgeman 94/1

One of the most talked about things we hear every year is that rookies don’t perform well at Augusta and they should be avoided. That has historically been the case, but as technology improves and players are able to prepare and study Augusta more, they have at least a fighter’s chance to play well. For example, Ludvig Aberg finished second in 2024 in his first major appearance. I’m not saying Jacob Bridgeman is going to do that this year. I just think we shouldn’t dismiss the notion of a Masters rookie performing well in 2026.

Bridgeman is one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour as he has finished 18th or better in all eight starts in 2026, including a win at Riviera. He is an above-average iron player as he has gained half a shot per round on approach in 2026. Bridgeman could be a very sneaky play for a top 20 or top 30 this week given the fact that rookies often are incorrectly priced in these markets.

Check back in Tuesday for my 2026 Masters Best Bets.