Masters First-Round Leader Picks and Predictions: Fitzpatrick, Lee Great Value Plays at Augusta

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here . Masters championships are won in those gripping final shots of the tournament – but they can be lost as early as Thursday morning.

A whopping 11 of the previous 16 Masters champions sat inside the top 5 after Round 1, and can we really be all that surprised? You need to bank those Thursday birdies while you can, as things get considerably more daunting over the final 54 holes. Here's a look at my first-round leader Masters picks , where I steer clear of the chalkiest plays on the board in favor of three players who have fared well early in 2026 events and have the skills to thrive at the tamer Thursday edition of Augusta National.

Masters first-round leader picks Matt Fitzpatrick, 0. 25 units (+2800 at BetMGM) Min Woo Lee, 0. 25 units (+4000 at BetMGM) Russell Henley, 0.

1 units (+5000 at BetMGM) Picks were made on 4-8 at 7 a. m. ET.