Masters Preview: Can Morikawa, Schauffele or Cantlay Rise to the Masters challenge?

The resumes of Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay combine for 21 PGA Tour victories, including Morikawa's two major championships, but their records at Augusta National have come up a fraction short. 

With Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm towering over the other 87 players at the 2024 Masters Tournament in terms of who's-gonna-win-this-thing, not one of these three players who've become regulars at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings would be considered a surprise if he were to be trying on a green jacket come Sunday.

COLLIN MORIKAWA

2023 Masters Analysis - Morikawa made only 10 bogeys a year ago, the kind of steadiness that figures to keep him close. Like many players who play a fade, Morikawa struggled comparatively on No. 13, going 1-under last year, making him 2-under-par on 13 over the last three Masters. He was 7-under on the par-5s last year, which was an improvement over the 3-under and 6-under on par-5s he turned in the two previous Masters.  Over the last three Masters, Morikawa's holes over par (bogeys and double bogeys combined) have come down from 15 to 13 to 10, definitely trending toward a champion's total. 

Par 3s - 2-under-par

Par 4s - 5-over

Par 5s - 7-under

Amen Corner- Even

Front Nine - 3-under

Back  Nine - 1-under

Holes 1to6 - 1-under

Holes 7to12- 1-over

Holes13to18- 3-under

Eagles - 0

Birdies - 14

Pars - 48

Bogeys - 10

Doubles - 0

Collin Morikawa's Major Championship Record

2024 Masters Chances - This elite ballstriker has the precision to keep himself in the hunt by hitting Augusta National's tiny targets, and if his putter cooperates, he could be a serious threat. In 2021, he made 13 bogeys and two doubles. In 2022, he made 13 bogeys without a double, and last year he improved that number to just 10. It feels like if Morikawa can get dialed in, and do just a little more damage on the par-5s, Collin could be a contender on the back-nine on Sunday this time around. 

XANDER SCHAUFFELE

2023 Masters Analysis - 

Par 3s - 4-under-par

Par 4s - 8-over

Par 5s - 8-under

Amen Corner- 4-under

Front Nine - Even

Back  Nine - 4-under

Holes 1to6 - 1-under

Holes 7to12- Even

Holes13to18- 3-under

Eagles - 0

Birdies - 15

Pars - 47

Bogeys - 9

Doubles - 1

Xander Schauffele's Major Championship Record

2024 Masters Chances - With a T10, T3 and a T17, playing 10 of his 14 rounds at par or better over his last four Masters, Schauffele has shown he has the all-around game to compete over Augusta National. He just never seems to go super low. In 2019, he undermined a stretch of four birdies in a row by hitting his tee shot on 16 into the pond. In each of the last six Masters, the winner has played turned in at least one 5-under-par round. Xander has not gone that low since the first round of the 2020 Masters. 

PATRICK CANTLAY

2023 Masters Analysis - It could be argued that Cantlay's 2023 Masters was his best yet, as he was still in contention heading to the back-nine on Sunday a year ago, only to be undone by three bogeys without a birdie coming in. He played the par-5s in 9-under, which was competitive with the top finishers. He made only six bogeys over the first three rounds before carding six over the final 18 holes. 

Par 3s - 1-under-par

Par 4s - 7-over

Par 5s - 9-under

Amen Corner- 1-under

Front Nine - 3-under

Back  Nine - Even

Holes 1to6 - 3-under

Holes 7to12- 2-over

Holes13to18- 2-under

Eagles - 0

Birdies - 17

Pars - 42

Bogeys - 12

Doubles - 1

Patrick Cantlay's Major Championship Record

2024 Masters Chances - Having posted just one T3 - in the 2019 PGA - and four top-10s in 27 major championships, Cantlay is a major-championship conundrum. Nobody would be surprised if he were to win, but he has failed to break par over Augusta National in 12 of his 24 rounds played in Masters competition, and has at least one round of 75 or higher in each of the last three. He did finish T14 despite a closing-round 75 a year ago, and in 2020 he was just a shot off the lead after 36 holes. The most impressive part of his 2024 campaign so far came during the first three rounds of the Genesis Invitational in February, when he dominated the field over the Riviera Country Club only to fade on Sunday, thanks in part to illness.