The Masters: 6 debutants who could break the rookie curse

The famous Masters rookie curse.

It’s a well-known struggle at Augusta National, as no rookie has slipped on the green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

There has been plenty in recent years, who, despite their inexperience, have possessed the talent to end the drought.

Outside of Zoeller’s triumph, a rookie has won The Masters on two occasions.

Firstly, at the inaugural edition of the tournament – where everyone was a debutant – and then the following year, when Gene Sarazen made his Masters bow.

Meanwhile, 17 new faces will head down Magnolia Lane for the first time this year, so we’ve picked out six who have the best chance of ending the drought.

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Ludvig Aberg

The Swedish prodigy shot into the top 50 of the Official World golf Rankings (OWGR) in 2024 after an immaculate start to life as a professional. Last year’s Swedish Golfer of the year, Aberg will make his first major championship appearance, despite having already won on the PGA and DP World Tours. The 24-year-old logged an eighth-place finish at the PLAYERS Championship last week.

Wyndham Clark

The most surprising name on the list to have never tackled Amen Corner. Clark, who won last year’s U.S. Open, is a three-time PGA Tour winner and played his way into October’s US Ryder Cup team. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old has peaked at the right time, recording back-to-back second place finishes at the Arnold Palmer invitational and PLAYERS Championship.

Eric Cole

With six top-25 finishes in 2024, Eric Cole has been one of the most consistent golfers in recent months. The 35-year-old is yet to win on the PGA Tour, so it would be an incredible feat to achieve at The Masters, despite being named 2023’s Rookie of the Year. His family has tournament history, though, as Cole’s father Bobby played the event five times and finished T-15 as an 18-year-old in 1975.

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Nicolai Hojgaard

A teammate of Aberg’s in last year’s European Ryder Cup win, Nicolai Hojgaard is another youngster full of confidence. The three-time DP World Tour winner earned his PGA Tour card ahead of the 2024 season and narrowly missed out on a win at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Comfortably inside the world’s top 50, it won’t be Hojgaard’s last chance at Masters glory.

Nick Dunlap

Nick Dunlap shocked the golf world in January when the 20-year-old became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991. Making his Masters debut, the former Alabama golfer is the youngest player in the field and looks set for multiple green jacket bids in the future. After a glittering amateur career, this year’s event might come a bit soon, but he’s full of potential.

Jake Knapp

Look, Jake Knapp probably won’t win the Masters, but he’s in here as a PGA Tour winner and a man with a swing that’s so easy on the eye. A start in the 2015 U.S. Open means he might not be fully blown away by the major championship experience, while his Mexico Open win was impressive. Knapp recently made the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The PLAYERS.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.