The best player in the world has won the Masters the last two years. In 2022, Scottie Scheffler claimed three titles before the first major championship of the season, and he slipped on the green jacket with relative ease. The following year, it was Jon Rahm's turn as he usurped Brooks Koepka on the final day of competition for his second career major title.
It would surprise no one if Scheffler and Rahm contend once again; actually, it would be more surprising if they didn't. The Masters has not always been this way, however. Just expand your view by one year and Hideki Matsuyama was not in the best form leading into his win as he was averaging +0.67 strokes gained per round ahead of the Masters. To put this in perspective, this is a similar level to where Sergio Garcia (100-1) is currently performing.
Matsuyama and Garcia have course history, major championship experience and winning pedigrees in their corners, which is all useful and almost a requirement for the Masters. However, the last two major champions, albeit not at the Masters, did not possess any of these and went on to win regardless.
Wyndham Clark went off at 80-1 to at the 2023 U.S. Open just a month after winning at the Wells Fargo Championship. Brian Harman was as high as 175-1 the week of The Open, and he won by six. In an era of golf where winners seem to pop out of thin air, could it be possible the man who dons the green jacket on Sunday is a golfer no one saw coming?
Watch all four rounds of the 2024 Masters starting Thursday with Masters Live as we follow the best golfers in the world through Augusta National with Featured Groups, check in at the famed Amen Corner and see leaders round the turn on holes 15 & 16. Watch live on CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports App and Paramount+.
Let's take a look at some potential candidates if this year's Masters crowns an unlikely champion.
2024 Masters sleepers
| 1 | |
| Major championships have been a bit of a sore subject for Burns; he only has one top 20 (T20 at the 2022 PGA Championship) in 13 appearances. But there is a chance he may have found something at Augusta National during his second trip in 2023 as he finished inside the top 30 and struck the ball beautifully. Before a disappointing Florida swing, Burns was among the hottest players in the world with four top 10s including a podium finish at the WM Phoenix Open and a run of contention at The American Express. I think he contends in one major this season (Pinehurst No. 2 may be the best fit), but I wouldn't be shocked if he makes some waves at Augusta National. Odds: 60-1 | |
| 2 | |
| Rude. Disrespectful. Downright egregious. Am I the only one who believes in Henley? If you take away his name and just look at his résumé, this price should be shorter. Henley has rattled off eight top 15s in his last 13 starts including a T4 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March and last week in Texas. If that wasn't enough, Henley quietly cooks at Augusta National. Since missing the cut in his debut, Henley has made his way through to the weekend in six straight trips with finishes of T11 in 2017, T15 in 2018 and T4 just last year! I understand he isn't a world beater, but there's a world where Henley contends again. Odds: 70-1 | |
| 3 | |
| Has Im been good in 2024? No. Has Im been good at Augusta National throughout his career? Yes. So, here's suggesting a return to a magical place can bring some magic to the South Korean's game. A runner-up to Dustin Johnson in his debut, Im has since gone on to notch additional quality results with a T8 in 2022 where he held the first-round lead and a T16 in 2023. He is without a top 20 since The Sentry, but the driver has improved in recent weeks, so maybe this trickles into the rest of the bag. Consider Im a calculated flier. Odds: 110-1 | |
| 4 | |
| Every year there is one player who turns back the clock. Phil Mickelson finished runner-up to Rahm in 2023 out of nowhere, and I think Scott is showing signs of one more major run. His seven-tournament top-20 streak just snapped, but during that span the wily veteran notched high finishes at the WM Phoenix Open and Genesis Invitational. His ball striking has been adequate, and his broom stick putter has turned into a weapon. Scott has rattled off 10 straight made cuts since his Masters triumph in 2013, but he should be able to do more this time around. Odds: 110-1 | |
| 5 | |
| Glover probably isn't going to win the Masters, but that doesn't mean he should be listed among names like Jasper Stubbs (no disrespect). The finishes haven't been all that great since winning back-to-back late last summer, but the ball-striking metrics are still there, and he arrives at Augusta fresh off a solo 11th at the Valspar Championship. You do not need to be a great putter to win the Masters, which is great news for Glover, who has a solid short game, an accurate driver and some of the best irons in the world. Odds: 350-1 | |
Who will win the 2024 Masters, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 10 golf majors, including last year's Masters and Open Championship.
