Augusta is a tradition unlike any other, but for Rory McIlroy, the annual quest for a Green Jacket has been anything but traditional. This year is no exception. Amanda Balionis highlighted the uncertainty surrounding McIlroy when she discussed her Masters storylines to watch.

“The question mark for me will be our defending champion, of course, Rory McIlroy,” she said. “We’re just not sure what the back is doing right now. He WD’d from Arnold Palmer; he looked and said he was rusty at The PLAYERS, and then we haven’t seen him since.”

“Regardless of what this performance is, it’s already a victory for him because this will be the first time in a decade he doesn’t walk onto the grounds of Augusta National and have to field 10,000 questions a day about whether he’s going to win the Masters.”

McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 7 because of back spasms. Just days later, he returned for title defense at The Players Championship without proper preparation and finished T-46 at 1-under. During his break, he rested and did physiotherapy. The Northern Irish pro has not competed since, and all of this is contradictory to last year.

This time last year, McIlroy had clinched two PGA Tour titles, and he was building carefully structured momentum to help him win the Masters. His schedule helped him, and he won with an 11-under finish and a sudden-death playoff win over Justin Rose.

The CBS reporter has never shied away from speaking up for McIlroy. She has publicly defended him during the Ryder Cup heckler incident and pushed back when he deflected questions at the 2025 PGA Championship. In fact, just a day ago, on the Fairway Rolling podcast, her public Masters picks did not include the #2 name.

While Rory McIlroy’s fitness remains uncertain, Balionis shifted her focus toward someone entering Augusta with momentum. Her pick is Bryson DeChambeau.

“Bryson was obviously right in it until the second nine last year, and he was really upset with the way that he played in that final round,” she said. “I think Bryson is going to come in here with a little chip on his shoulder, plus the fact that he’s won in back-to-back weeks on LIV. His game is where it needs to be.”

The confidence is grounded in DeChambeau’s real form, as he has won back-to-back LIV titles in Singapore and South Africa. For his title in SA, DeChambeau defeated Jon Rahm.

Analyst Bob Weeks put it plainly: “When you go head-to-head with the next best player and come out on top, it says a lot about where Bryson’s game is right now.”

At Augusta specifically, DeChambeau finished T-5 in 2025 and T-6 in 2024, and across his last eight majors, he has one win and five top-10 finishes.

Paul McGinley accurately captured the concern on the Rory McIlroy side: “He got disrupted in Florida, and it really cost him two tournaments.”

His statistics were significantly below the expected level, which raises some concerns. McGinley also flagged the unique demands of defending at Augusta, from hosting the Champions Dinner on April 7 to the scrutiny that follows a title defense. Still, he acknowledged that the pressure dynamic has shifted.

“It is nothing like last year, when he was on the verge of trying to win a Grand Slam.”

The grand slam chase is over. What #2 carries into Augusta this week is an aim to become a back-to-back champion. Now that will be an intriguing watch to see the 5x major champion on the greens with only six days left. Masters 2026 begin on April 9.

Balionis did not stop at Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. She had a few other names in mind, she wanted to discuss.

The rest of Amanda Balionis’ Augusta watchlist

The reporter had opinions on five more players who could genuinely factor on Sunday at Augusta. And #1 has to be there.

Scottie Scheffler needs no lengthy introduction. As the world number one, he is an overwhelming favorite. Balionis summed it up in three words: “Next up is Scottie, because Scottie.”

Ludvig Aberg came in second in his first Masters in 2024. He comes to the 2026 tournament having shown steady major championship composure for someone who is still early in their career.

Matt Fitzpatrick comes in with a form that’s hard to ignore. He finished second at The PLAYERS, won a Valspar title, and ranked in the top five for both driving accuracy and greens in regulation. He is a big-time champion who knows how to win on tough, tight courses, and Augusta is a perfect fit for his style, as Balionis mentioned.

Jacob Bridgeman is the wild card. He won his first PGA Tour event at Riviera, finished in the top 10 in five of his last six starts, and is statistically the best putter on tour this season. Bridgeman missed the cut at The PLAYERS Championship, but last week in Houston, he shot a 62 to tie the course record.

So, who do you want to win this year at Augusta National?