{"id":6123,"date":"2026-04-09T05:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T05:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=6123"},"modified":"2026-04-09T05:29:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T05:29:18","slug":"sir-nick-faldo-names-his-favourite-to-win-the-2026-masters-ive-got-a-feeling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=6123","title":{"rendered":"Sir Nick Faldo names his ‘favourite’ to win The 2026 Masters: ‘I’ve got a feeling’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sir Nick Faldo is a three-time winner at Augusta National (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sir Nick Faldo has made his final prediction for the 2026 Masters as Rory McIlroy seeks to defend his title at Augusta National.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u2018Well, obviously, on paper, it\u2019s doable, isn\u2019t it?\u2019 Faldo said. \u2018I saw that the other day that he\u2019d love to be a two-time Grand Slam, which is very impressive. That means he wants to go forward<\/p>\n

\u2018Rory is special, the way he plays, and, the fitness of the game and even down to mental strength.<\/p>\n

\u2018I would say last year was so emotional, the whole build-up. It was kind of in the air, wasn\u2019t it? He won The Players, and you start thinking, well, this is his best chance to do it. <\/p>\n

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Rory McIlroy returns as the defending champion (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018You can\u2019t flip the light switch and just reproduce all that emotion again. I don\u2019t believe that happens.\u2019<\/p>\n

Even if McIlroy isn\u2019t able to defend the crown, Faldo thinks it could still be a fruitful week for the travelling British contingent, adding: \u2018We got Bob [MacIntyre] from Scotland, and [Justin] Rose and Tommy [Fleetwood] and Fitzy [Matt Fitzpatrick]. They\u2019re all playing very well. <\/p>\n

\u2018I think the local home lads are looking very good this year, aren\u2019t they? I think we\u2019ll definitely have a couple of them in the mix by Sunday.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Ludvig Aberg is Faldo\u2019s pick for the week (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But despite that positivity for another British winner, Faldo is instead tipping Sweden\u2019s Ludvig Aberg to win his first major this week.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think Aberg was my favourite last year as well,\u2019 he noted. \u2018And obviously, he was right in there at The Players last month. <\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tPundits reveal their picks to win The Masters\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Golf Channel analyst, Brandel Chamblee<\/strong>: \u2018I\u2019ll go with Jon Rahm. Partly because I just want to see Jon Rahm back playing great golf. I\u2019d like to see him back. He\u2019s an exciting player. He\u2019s combustible. He\u2019s combative. Plays with a little chip on his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf 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.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Jon Rahm comes into this week with plenty of form (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Sky Sports analyst and Tiger Woods\u2019 former coach, Butch Harmon: <\/strong>\u2018Justin Rose just took Torrey Pines \u2013 a very hard golf course \u2013 apart and won easily. He has gained some distance with his driver, he\u2019s playing with a tremendous amount of confidence and he has a good track record here.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think if you\u2019re looking for someone other than the two favourites, that\u2019s who I would say.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sky Sports analyst and former Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley: <\/strong>\u2018You look through the names, and the really top player that I think is trending towards a big performance is Xander [Schauffele],\u2019 the Irishman noted.<\/p>\n

\u2018And the guy I quietly like is Bob MacIntyre. Left-handers have had a lot of success around there. He\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018I think it\u2019s a matter of time before he wins a major championship.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018He probably learned from that experience, and if it\u2019s as simple as his takeaway got a bit quick, which he said, well, that\u2019s an easy fix, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

\u2018I just love the way he was playing that particular week. And that\u2019s only a month in between. <\/p>\n

\u2018So he\u2019s probably my favourite.\u00a0I\u2019m not 100% sure, but I\u2019ve got a feeling he\u2019d be in the mix.\u2019<\/p>\n

Watch more live Masters coverage than ever before, exclusively on Sky Sports and NOW from Thursday 9 April.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Rory McIlroy is looking to defend The Masters \u2013 here are five players who can stop him<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Golf fans floored by Masters food prices ahead of Augusta return<\/span><\/p>\n
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