Is Scottie Scheffler poised to win his third Masters title?

It takes a special player to master a course like Augusta National so early in their career. Tiger Woods did it. But so too has Scottie Scheffler. The current World No.1 won his first Masters on just his third career start and secured a second Green Jacket two years later in 2024.

Sandwiched around those victories are T10 and fourth-placed finishes. All proof of just how good he is at the picturesque Georgia setting. It’s therefore no surprise that Scheffler tops the Masters odds to join the likes of Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Sir Nick Faldo with three wins this year, but will he do it? Let’s take a look.

Started the season with a bang

Scheffler kicked off the 2026 campaign with an impressive victory in The American Express at PGA WEST, carding -27 for a four-stroke victory over a chasing pack that included Jason Day and Ryan Gerard.

Top five finishes at TPC Scottsdale and Pebble Beach

Keeping up his form, albeit somewhat frustrated by weather changes and course conditions, Scheffler recorded top-five finishes in the Phoenix Open (T3) and Pebble Beach Pro-Am (T4). An opening round of +2 in Arizona put him on the back foot from the off, as rounds of -6, -4 and -7 weren’t enough, and the same can be said at Pebble Beach, where an even-par opening round was followed by scores of -6, -5 and -9.

Genesis Invitational slump

The Genesis Invitational is a big talking point for Scheffler’s early-season form. His T12 finish is the first time in 18 starts that he’s finished outside the top 10. It was another slow start at Riviera, shooting three over on the opening day before rounds of -3, -5 and -6.

He’s uncharacteristically struggled to adapt across three very different early-season conditions, but context matters. Augusta National in April bears little resemblance to the firm fairways of Phoenix or the cold, wet setup of Pebble Beach, and Scheffler has always shown an ability to recalibrate when it matters most.

So, what’s next?

After a testing opening four tournaments of the year, Scheffler took a break from the Cognizant Classic to regroup before the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship. Those events will be telling.

Historically, his best Masters performances have been preceded by a strong March showing, most memorably his back-to-back wins at Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass in 2024, weeks before claiming his second Green Jacket. If he rediscovers that sharpness, the golf bet attracting the most attention will be the one backing him to make it three.

In six Masters appearances, Scheffler has never finished outside the top 20, with four consecutive top-10s underlining just how well-suited his game is to Augusta National. A slow start to 2026 and a couple of uncharacteristic opening rounds are unlikely to derail a player of his calibre when April arrives.

He sits at 7/2 with major bookmakers, clear favourite ahead of Rory McIlroy (15/2), and the evidence suggests the early-season blips are more noise than signal. Back Scheffler to be in the conversation for a third Green Jacket come Sunday afternoon.