{"id":6053,"date":"2026-04-08T15:23:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=6053"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:23:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:23:20","slug":"rory-mcilroy-is-looking-to-defend-the-masters-here-are-five-players-who-can-stop-him-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=6053","title":{"rendered":"Rory McIlroy is looking to defend The Masters – here are five players who can stop him | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rory McIlroy is back to defend his title (Pictures: Shutterstock\/Getty\/Metro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If Rory McIlroy found winning The Masters a difficult feat, then perhaps the Northern Irishman won\u2019t like the challenge in store for him this time around.<\/p>\n

Twelve months on from his nail-biting play-off victory over Justin Rose, McIlroy must surely have arrived on Augusta National with a spring in his step, nevermind the Green Jacket back around his shoulders.<\/p>\n

But while the wait for McIlroy to end his decade-long major drought is over, the 36-year-old now has a fresh opportunity to entrench his name further into the golfing history books.<\/p>\n

Only Jack Nicklaus (1965 and 1966), Nick Faldo (1989 and 1990) and Tiger Woods (2001 and 2002) have managed to successfully defend their Masters title in the tournament\u2019s 89-year history.<\/p>\n

McIlroy will have his eyes firmly fixed on adding his name to that historic list, but an understated start to the year and a long cast of in-form players will make that task just that little bit more difficult.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the first round, here are five players primed to deny McIlroy and take the Green Jacket off his shoulders on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n

Bryson DeChambeau <\/h2>\n
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Bryson DeChambeau has finished well the last two years (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After finishing inside the top 30 just once in his first six Masters appearances as a professional, a T6 and T5 finish in his last two years is evidence that Bryson DeChambeau has left his ego at the door when trying to tackle golf\u2019s most unique courses.<\/p>\n

The big-hitting American wilted under the bright lights when paired with McIlroy in the final round last year, but he will surely have learned from that experience.<\/p>\n

And with two wins from his last two starts over on LIV Golf, the two-time major champion is bang in form to redeem himself this time around.<\/p>\n

DeChambeau may lack the touch and finesse of an archetypal Masters champion, but the 32-year-old\u2019s brutal power off the tee and eye for the big moment will surely have him in and around the action come Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

Justin Rose<\/h2>\n
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Justin Rose lost out to McIlroy in a play-off last year (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A three-time runner-up at The Masters, Justin Rose\u2019s brilliant Sunday charge last year, only to be denied by McIlroy, shows that he still has all the fundamentals to contend at majors despite his age.<\/p>\n

The 45-year-old has seven top-ten finishes at the Masters, and it appears his experience last year has only hardened his belief that a second major could be just around the corner.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m very aware that I\u2019ve had tough, tough losses here,\u2019 he said. \u2018But I also am aware that I enjoy this place. So I don\u2019t need to create a different sort of feeling for me.<\/p>\n

\u2018I hope it only boosts my belief that I can go ahead and do it. I feel like I\u2019ve pretty much done what it takes to win. I just haven\u2019t walked over the line.\u2019<\/p>\n

Robert MacIntyre<\/h2>\n
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Robert MacIntyre will look to become Scotland\u2019s second Masters champion (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A disappointing finish at last week\u2019s Texas Open will sting for Robert MacIntyre, but the Scot has plenty of cause for optimism heading into his fourth Masters appearance. <\/p>\n

A fourth-place finish at last month\u2019s Players Championship, combined with a runner-up in last year\u2019s US Open, shows that the 29-year-old is more than capable of putting it together on the big stage.<\/p>\n

Augusta is a course that left-handers have tended to enjoy too, with Paul McGinley noting earlier this week: \u2018Getting it around the corner on holes like 10 and 13 is a lot easier to do with a cut as a left-hander and than it is with a draw.<\/p>\n

\u2018There\u2019s definitely a correlation between left-handers having more success around there than they do on any other golf course or any other venue.\u2019<\/p>\n

MacIntyre will certainly hope that remains the case this week.<\/p>\n

Scottie Scheffler<\/h2>\n
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Scottie Scheffler is the betting favourite (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finishes outside the top 20 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship last month were perhaps the first signs in a while that the otherwise imperious World No1 may be human after all.<\/p>\n

But Augusta National, where Scottie Scheffler has a superb track record, could well be the course to get the American back to his best.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old is already on the hunt for a third Green Jacket after wins in 2022 and 2024, and his remarkable ball-striking, combined with exquisite touch around the green, will surely have him in contention once again.<\/p>\n

Ludvig Aberg<\/h2>\n
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Ludvig Aberg is back for a third Masters (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ludvig Aberg has found major championship golf a tough nut to crack, with the distinct exception of The Masters.<\/p>\n

The Swede has four missed cuts in eight major starts, but has finished second and seventh in his two visits to Augusta National.<\/p>\n

Razor-sharp off the tee and with his irons, the 26-year-old clearly has the game to suit this tournament, and a recent near miss at last month\u2019s Players may only make him hungrier to get over the line this time around.<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: The Masters 2026: Rounds One and Two UK tee times, TV schedule, odds and how to watch<\/span><\/p>\n

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