Some of the most well-known and popular golfers in the world are set to miss the 2026 Masters this year at Augusta National.
Join us at Read Golf as we outline some of the most notable omissions and high-profile players who won’t be teeing it up in the first major championship of the year this weekend around the hallowed turf of Augusta for the beloved Masters.
Several Prominent Names Set To Miss The Masters
When it comes to the world of professional golf, all eyes are on the four major championships.
First it’s the Masters in April, followed by the PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship in that order in May, June and July respectively.
These four tournaments draw the biggest crowds and largest viewing figures year after year in the world of golf. The first of those, arguably the most prestigious too, gets going on Thursday, April 9 at Augusta National Golf Club.
The 2026 Masters is upon us as all of the world’s best golfers head to Augusta, Georgia looking to triumph and win the coveted Green Jacket come Sunday.
All eyes will be on the likes of world number one and two-time champion Scottie Scheffler, defending champion Rory McIlroy, who is aiming to add his name to the illustrious list of back-to-back Masters winners, and LIV stars Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm to name but a few of the 91-player field.
A whole host of other world class golfers will make the drive down Magnolia Lane for their first round on Thursday, but a number of prominent names and huge golfing stars are set to miss out too.
Two of the biggest names in golf history are both set to miss the Masters, making the 2026 tournament the first time in 33 years neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson’s names are amongst the Masters tee times.
Join us as we look at three of the biggest names missing The Masters tournament this week as well as an extended list of players who didn’t quite manage to make the drive down Magnolia Lane this year.
Notable Omissions From The Masters This Year
Tiger Woods
The first notable omission from the 2026 Masters is none other than the great Tiger Woods.
The 15-time major champion was last seen teeing it up at Augusta back in 2024, where he made the cut for a record-breaking 24th consecutive year. However, he missed last year’s event through injury and is also absent this year for a different reason.
The five-time Masters champion was supposed to make his major return this year at Augusta, but won’t feature after an incident on the road where he flipped his Range Rover onto its side leading to a DUI charge and arrest.
The American is stepping away from golf to focus on his recovery, meaning he also won’t captain the US Ryder Cup team to Adare Manor in Ireland next year. It’s unknown when golf fans will see Woods back swinging a club in a professional golf tournament.
Phil Mickelson
Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson is yet another notable omission from the star-studded Augusta field this year.
Bar Mickelson’s absence in 2022, the left-handed golfer has featured at the Masters every year since 1995. His omission this year, alongside that of rival Tiger Woods, marks the first time in 33 years that neither multiple major champion will tee it up on the hallowed Augusta turf.
Mickelson has cemented himself as one of the all-time greats with six majors to his name, and is just a US Open victory away from completing the career Grand Slam.
However, the 55-year-old recently announce that he would be taking an ‘extended break’ from golf due to a family health matter. This means golf fans won’t get to witness any of Mickelson’s ‘bombs’ off the tee following his withdrawal from the 2026 Masters tournament.
Rickie Fowler
Another notable omission from the 2026 Masters tournament is popular American golfer Rickie Fowler.
Despite not winning a major championship, Fowler has been a firm fan-favourite for over a decade now and has won several tournaments across the world. He finished second at Augusta back in 2018, but has missed four of the last five Masters after failing to qualify.
This has happened once again for Fowler, whose 65th ranking in the Official World Golf Rankings is shy of the top 50 needed to qualify for Augusta.
Fowler has been trending in the right direction in the early part of 2026, finishing inside the top 10 at the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational, but has missed his last two consecutive cuts meaning his chances of making it into the field were squashed fairly abruptly.
Other Notable Omissions From The 2026 Masters Field
- Joaquin Niemann
- Tony Finau
- Tom Kim
- Will Zalatoris
- Billy Horschel
- Sahith Theegala
- Anthony Kim
- David Puig
- Sebastian Munoz
- Talor Gooch
- Dean Burmester
- Thomas Pieters
- Peter Uihlein
- Josele Ballester
- Thomas Detry
- Pierceson Coody
- Ryo Hisatsune
- Michael Thorbjornsen
- Jayden Schaper
- Matt Wallace
- Jordan Smith
- Patrick Rodger
- Taylor Pendrith
- Max McGreevy
- Bud Cauley
- JT Poston
- Rico Hoey
- John Parry
- Garrick Higgo
- Austin Smotherman
- Ricky Castillo
- David Lipsky
- Matti Schmid
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Daniel Hillier
- Daniel Brown
- Andrew Putnam
- Denny McCarthy
- Lucas Glover
- Adrien Saddier
- Chris Kirk
- Stephan Jaeger
- Thriston Lawrence
