Sir Nick Faldo names his ‘favourite’ to win The 2026 Masters: ‘I’ve got a feeling’

Sir Nick Faldo has made his final prediction for the 2026 Masters as Rory McIlroy seeks to defend his title at Augusta National.

McIlroy ended his decade-long major drought in remarkable fashion last year, pipping Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off to claim the Green Jacket and complete the career Grand Slam.

Only three players have managed to successfully defend the Masters, and McIlroy faces a tall order after an understated and injury-affected start to the season.

And Faldo, one of the aforementioned three players to have retained the Green Jacket, fears that McIlroy may not be able to summon the same fighting spirit after his emotionally draining victory 12 months prior.

‘Well, obviously, on paper, it’s doable, isn’t it?’ Faldo said. ‘I saw that the other day that he’d love to be a two-time Grand Slam, which is very impressive. That means he wants to go forward

‘Rory is special, the way he plays, and, the fitness of the game and even down to mental strength.

‘I would say last year was so emotional, the whole build-up. It was kind of in the air, wasn’t it? He won The Players, and you start thinking, well, this is his best chance to do it.

‘You can’t flip the light switch and just reproduce all that emotion again. I don’t believe that happens.’

Even if McIlroy isn’t able to defend the crown, Faldo thinks it could still be a fruitful week for the travelling British contingent, adding: ‘We got Bob [MacIntyre] from Scotland, and [Justin] Rose and Tommy [Fleetwood] and Fitzy [Matt Fitzpatrick]. They’re all playing very well.

‘I think the local home lads are looking very good this year, aren’t they? I think we’ll definitely have a couple of them in the mix by Sunday.’

But despite that positivity for another British winner, Faldo is instead tipping Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg to win his first major this week.

The metronomic World No17 enters the tournament with some good recent form and has an impressive record at Augusta National having finished second and seventh in his first two starts.

‘I think Aberg was my favourite last year as well,’ he noted. ‘And obviously, he was right in there at The Players last month.

Pundits reveal their picks to win The Masters

Golf Channel analyst, Brandel Chamblee: ‘I’ll go with Jon Rahm. Partly because I just want to see Jon Rahm back playing great golf. I’d like to see him back. He’s an exciting player. He’s combustible. He’s combative. Plays with a little chip on his shoulder.

“If it were Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler as it was at the PGA last year, coming down the stretch, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, it would just be an incredibly compelling event to watch.’

Sky Sports analyst and Tiger Woods’ former coach, Butch Harmon: ‘Justin Rose just took Torrey Pines – a very hard golf course – apart and won easily. He has gained some distance with his driver, he’s playing with a tremendous amount of confidence and he has a good track record here.

‘I think if you’re looking for someone other than the two favourites, that’s who I would say.’

Sky Sports analyst and former Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley: ‘You look through the names, and the really top player that I think is trending towards a big performance is Xander [Schauffele],’ the Irishman noted.

‘And the guy I quietly like is Bob MacIntyre. Left-handers have had a lot of success around there. He’s a guy now with a couple of top-10s in majors last year, as well as a big finish in The Players a few weeks ago, and is trending towards doing something really big in the game. 

‘I think it’s a matter of time before he wins a major championship.’

‘He probably learned from that experience, and if it’s as simple as his takeaway got a bit quick, which he said, well, that’s an easy fix, isn’t it?

‘I just love the way he was playing that particular week. And that’s only a month in between.

‘So he’s probably my favourite. I’m not 100% sure, but I’ve got a feeling he’d be in the mix.’

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