Masters Favorites Come Into Focus, but Akshay Bhatia Stands Out as My Darkhorse

The Masters odds are always part of the pre-tournament conversation, but at Augusta National they are really just a shorthand for something bigger. They point us toward the players whose games, résumés and recent form seem to fit this place best. Right now, that group starts with Scottie Scheffler, then moves through Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Åberg. The latest odds snapshot has Scheffler at the front, with DeChambeau and Rahm close behind, McIlroy just after them, then Schauffele and Åberg in the next wave.

Scheffler Still Feels Like the Man to Beat

This is the easiest case to make. Scheffler is making his seventh Masters start in 2026, he already owns two green jackets and he has not finished outside the top 20 at Augusta National. That kind of consistency matters here because Augusta is rarely won by a player who is guessing his way around the golf course. You have to know where to miss, when to be patient and how to handle the moments when the course turns suddenly from inviting to exacting. Scheffler has shown all of that. He is not just the betting favorite. He is the player whose recent Augusta record gives the rest of the field the strongest reason to look over its shoulder.

McIlroy Arrives Free, and That Matters

McIlroy is in a fascinating spot this year because the old pressure is gone. He won the 2025 Masters in a playoff over Justin Rose, completing the career Grand Slam and finally ending the annual conversation about what Augusta National had taken from him. Now he returns as defending champion, not as a player chasing history but as one who already claimed it. That changes the emotional texture of the week. A freer McIlroy, one with nothing left to prove at this event, is a dangerous thing. His talent was never the question. The only question was whether the burden would ever lift. It has.

DeChambeau and Rahm Bring Augusta-Proven Power

DeChambeau has become more than an intriguing fit at Augusta. He has become a very real threat. According to his Masters player page, he has finished inside the top six in each of the past two years at Augusta National. That is a meaningful shift for a player who once felt like a complicated projection here. Now his blend of power and growing patience looks much more natural on this course. Rahm, meanwhile, remains one of the safest big-game names in golf. He is making his 10th Masters start in 2026 and won this tournament in 2023 by four shots. When you add a former champion’s pedigree to the kind of all-around game Rahm brings, there is nothing surprising about seeing him grouped with the very top favorites.

Schauffele and Aberg Make a Lot of Sense, Too

Schauffele is one of those players who keeps checking every Augusta box except the final one. He is making his ninth Masters start and has finished inside the top 10 at Augusta National in five of the past seven years. He also finished third at The Players in March. That is the profile of a player who clearly sees this place well and keeps putting himself in position. Aberg is even more interesting because his Augusta résumé is still so young, yet already so impressive. After finishing runner-up in his Masters debut in 2024, he was tied for the lead late in the final round in 2025 before ending up seventh. In March, he added a T-3 at Bay Hill and a T-5 at The Players. That is why he already feels like more than a rising star here. He feels inevitable.

Akshay Bhatia Is My Darkhorse

If I am circling one player just outside that top group, it is Akshay Bhatia. He is making his third Masters start in 2026, and while he is still learning Augusta in real time, he arrives with the kind of form that deserves respect. His Masters page notes that he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and posted a T-3 in Phoenix and a T-6 at Pebble Beach in February. ESPN’s 2026 results page also shows a T-13 at The Players. That is a strong run for anybody, let alone a 24-year-old still writing the early chapters of his Masters story.

There is also an Augusta-specific angle that makes Bhatia even more fun to watch. Left-handers have a sneaky strong history at this tournament. Mike Weir won in 2003. Phil Mickelson won three times, in 2004, 2006 and 2010. Bubba Watson won twice, in 2012 and 2014. That does not mean being left-handed unlocks Augusta National, but it does suggest that creativity, shotmaking and comfort seeing unusual angles can play beautifully here. Bhatia has that kind of flair. He also has the kind of confidence that can travel a long way on a course that asks players to trust what they see.

Why the Favorites Feel So Clear This Year

What stands out most about this year’s favorites is that each one comes with a believable Augusta case. Scheffler owns the best combination of current standing and course reliability. McIlroy now plays with the freedom of a champion who has already lifted the burden. DeChambeau and Rahm have the firepower and the proof. Schauffele and Åberg look increasingly comfortable on one of golf’s most nuanced stages. And just beyond them, Bhatia feels like the kind of darkhorse who could turn a good week into a life-changing one. At Augusta National, that is usually how it starts. First comes belief. Then, for a lucky few, comes a green jacket.

PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.

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