Winning at Augusta just once is among the hardest feats in sports and never was that more painfully clear than watching Jon Rahm try to defend his 2023 title.
Despite entering Masters Week as one of the betting favorites to become the fourth player ever to win back-to-back green jackets, Rahm nearly ended up on a far more infamous list: the defending Masters champions who missed the cut.
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Of course, to get on this list you have to already have a green jacket. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that some of the biggest icons golf has ever seen are among those who missed the cut the year after winning at Augusta:
Still, it’s always stunning to watch the defending champion fall apart early. It goes to show just how ridiculously difficult it is to tame the course in Georgia.
Jack Nicklaus (1967)
AP
One year after becoming the first person to win the Masters in back-to-back years, Nicklaus became the first defending champ to miss the cut.
Tommy Aaron (1974)
AUGUSTA, GA – APRIL 11: Tommy Aaron of the USA opens the first days play with his tee shot on the first hole during the first round of the 2003 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on April 11, 2003. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Seve Ballesteros (1981)
(Photo by David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images)
He missed by six strokes!
Seve Ballesteros (1984)
AFP
Yep. He did it twice.
Sandy Lyle (1989)
Apr 5, 2018; Augusta, GA, USA; Sandy Lyle hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National GC. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Ben Crenshaw (1996)
Apr 10, 2024; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Ben Crenshaw tees off on No. 3 during the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network
Nick Faldo (1997)
(Photo by Porter Binks, USA TODAY)
Mike Weir (2004)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 06: Mike Weir of Canada and his caddie Olly Brett walk down the second fairway during the first round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 06, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Danny Willett (2017)
CHASKA, MN – SEPTEMBER 29: Danny Willett of Europe gestures during the 2016 Ryder Cup Captains Matches at Hazeltine National Golf Club on September 29, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Sergio Garcia (2018)
AUGUSTA, GA – APRIL 05: Sergio Garcia of Spain tips his cap on the 18th green during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Dustin Johnson (2021)
Aug 28, 2021; Owings Mills, Maryland, USA; Dustin Johnson looks on from the first green during the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson set a course record in 2020 when the pandemic forced Augusta to move the tournament to November. He shot 20-under par (268) only to miss the cut back there again five months later.
