Masters 2026: How long does it take for a player to finally win at Augusta National?
Experience matters at the Masters. But how many Augusta starts does the champion average before finally slipping on his green jacker
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Who’s your pick this week at the Masters? It’s the most common questions I get asked by anyone who knows I’m at Augusta National for the year’s first men’s major.
My head says Jon Rahm—he’s playing awfully well and has winning experience at this golf course. But my heart says Justin Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up whose playoff defeat last year to Rory McIlroy was bittersweet given the impressive final-round 66 he posted. At 45, the Englishman is still winning on the PGA Tour, but is running out of time if he hopes to slip on a green jacket.
This is Rose’s 21st appearance at the Masters, which got me thinking about the history that he would create if he managed to pull out the victory. A year ago, McIlroy won in his 17th trip to Augusta, which was the second most starts by any player before finally winning. The most starts is 19, a mark set by Sergio Garcia in 2017 when he, ironically, also beat Rose in a playoff.
Looking at all Masters champions to see how many appearances they made at Augusta before winning is a pretty interesting exercise. Three champions won in their debut at Augusta (Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen in the first two editions of the event, and Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979). Jack Nicklaus did it in his fifth start (1963), Tiger Woods in his third (1997), Arnold Palmer in his fourth (1958) and Phil Mickelson in his 12th (2004).