Masters First-Round Leader Picks

Expert predictions for the 2026 Masters tournament

Apr. 8, 2026 at 12:00pm

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Covers.com experts have made their picks for the first-round leader at the 2026 Masters tournament at Augusta National. They are backing Matt Fitzpatrick, Min Woo Lee, and Russell Henley to top the leaderboard after Thursday's opening round.

Why it matters

The first round of the Masters is crucial, as 11 of the last 16 champions were in the top 5 after the opening day. Getting off to a fast start is vital to winning the coveted Green Jacket.

The details

The experts are high on Matt Fitzpatrick, who has been in excellent form recently with a 2nd place finish at THE PLAYERS and a win at the Valspar Championship. They also like Min Woo Lee, who ranks 5th in strokes gained: total this season and is 5th in round 1 scoring average. Finally, Russell Henley, a Georgia native, is considered a value play at 50-1 odds despite a poor opening round last year.

  • The picks were made on April 8, 2026 at 7 a.m. ET.

The players

Matt Fitzpatrick

An English professional golfer who has been one of the most consistent performers at the Masters in recent years, making the cut in 10 of his 11 appearances.

Min Woo Lee

A rising Australian star who ranks 5th on tour in strokes gained: total and 5th in round 1 scoring average in 2026.

Russell Henley

An American professional golfer from Georgia who has six top-40 finishes in his last seven Masters appearances.

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What’s next

The 2026 Masters tournament will begin on Thursday, April 10th at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

The takeaway

With 11 of the last 16 Masters champions sitting in the top 5 after the first round, getting off to a fast start is crucial. The experts are backing three players - Matt Fitzpatrick, Min Woo Lee, and Russell Henley - to top the leaderboard on Thursday and put themselves in position to win the coveted Green Jacket.