The best debut performances at the Masters

By Ryan Herrington

April 05, 2022

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Photo By: Bettmann

Photo By: Augusta National

Photo By: Bettmann

Photo By: Augusta National

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Photo By: Jamie Squire

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Photo By: Harry How

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Photo By: Kevin C. Cox

Collin Morikawa wagged his finger at conventional wisdom when he won the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship in his first appearance at each tournament. Indeed, most people had been under the assumption that to win a men’s major championship title you first needed some experience playing in the major. Where that truth still holds up is at Augusta National. Just once since 1935 has the golfer slipping on the green jacket done so in his debut appearance: Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been some close calls over the years. Here are some of golfers who have had top finishes while making their first visit to Augusta.

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Horton Smith, 1934

By definition, a rookie had to win the inaugural Masters back in 1934. Horton Smith did just that, becoming the first of just three to win on their first try.

Photo By: Augusta National

Craig Wood, 1934

Craig Wood finished second to Horton Smith in 1934. He would finish second again to Sarazen in 1935 but then go on to win the tournament in 1941.

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Gene Sarazen, 1935

Gene Sarazen's win in 1935 was made even more memorable thanks to his double eagle on the par-5 15th.

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Ralph Guldahl, 1937

Ralph Guldahl finished second to Byron Nelson in 1937. He too would eventually slip on a green jacket in 1939.

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Lloyd Mangrum, 1940

The World Golf Hall of Famer finished runner-up to Jimmy Demaret and would have 11 more top-10 finishes at Augusta, but never won the title. His lone major came in the 1946 U.S. Open.

Photo By: Augusta National

Tony Lema, 1963

Lema became the first rookie to post a runner-up finish in 23 years when he finished one-shot back of Jack Nicklaus.

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Greg Norman, 1981

Norman would famously fall short at the Masters in 1986, 1987 and 1996, but he recorded the first of his nine top-six finishes at Augusta National in 1981, falling to Tom Watson.

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Dan Pohl, 1982

Pohl finished third in his PGA Championship debut in 1981. A closing 67 the next April left him in a playoff with Craig Stadler, but a bogey on the first extra hole lost Pohl the title.

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Luke Donald, 2005

Donald didn't have the length presumably needed to play well at Augusta National, but he finished tied for third in his debut in 2005.

Photo By: Andrew Redington

Jason Day, 2011

As Rory McIlroy, sitting on a four-shot lead to start the final round, stumbled home and Charl Schwartzel birdied his last four holes to take the title, Day snuck off with a T-2 finish after shooting a final-round 68.

Photo By: Jamie Squire

Jordan Spieth, 2014

Spieth's impressive career at Augusta National began in 2014 when he was tied for the lead entering the final round and took it outright on the front nine before Bubba Watson would rally to take the title by three shots. Spieth's T-2 performance was followed in 2015 by a victory and three more top-three finishes in his next six starts.

Photo By: Simon Bruty

Jonas Blixt, 2014

Forgotten in the wake of Spieth's 2014 run was the fact that Jonas Blixt also shared second in his debut at Augusta that year. It was one of just two Masters starts for the Swede.

Photo By: Harry How

Thomas Pieters, 2017

Coming off an impressive performance for the Europeans at the Ryder Cup in 2016, the former NCAA champion shot a closing 68 to finish T-4.

Photo By: Andrew Redington

Sungjae Im, 2020

Dustin Johnson ran away with this unique November Masters, winning by five shots, but Im impressed with a 15-under 273 total that would have won in all but seven other years to claim a T-2 finish.

Photo By: Rob Carr

Will Zalatoris, 2021

Will Zalatoris contended all the way down to the end last April, eventually come up one shot back of Hideki Matsuyama.

Photo By: Kevin C. Cox

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The best debut performances at the Masters

Shop This Look

Horton Smith, 1934

Craig Wood, 1934

Gene Sarazen, 1935

Ralph Guldahl, 1937

Lloyd Mangrum, 1940

Tony Lema, 1963

Greg Norman, 1981

Dan Pohl, 1982

Luke Donald, 2005

Jason Day, 2011

Jordan Spieth, 2014

Jonas Blixt, 2014

Thomas Pieters, 2017

Sungjae Im, 2020

Will Zalatoris, 2021