Preview on every Australian in the field at Augusta National, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith

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MIN WOO LEE

World ranking: 25

Last five results: T3, T32, T6, T12, T2

Masters appearances: 4

Best finish: T14 (2022)

Top 25s: 2

The Chef has been cooking in 2026, rising 22 places in the Official World Golf Rankings since the start of the year.

In his last start, Lee made a solid fist of his title defence at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, coming in a tie for third.

The 27-year-old also made himself even more loved by fans of the PGA Tour with a touching gesture on the final hole of the tournament.

Playing in the final group, Lee and Nicolai Hojgaard backed off as they walked down the 18th fairway to allow winner Gary Woodland to soak up his moment.

The victory was Woodland’s first in seven years and his first since having brain surgery and battling PTSD.

The result was Lee’s second top three of the year, having come runner-up to Collin Morikawa at Pebble Beach after the two-time major winner birdied the famous final hole to end his three-year winless run.

“Min Woo, this could be the best he has come into it. He has won nearly $3 million bucks,” Gow said.

“I know he is the youngest there (of the Australians), but he shot 30 on the front nine and he was tearing it up there a couple of years ago.

“He missed the cut last year and he was filthy with himself, but he is in a better space. He has worked with his coach Ritchie Smith on the way he drives the ball.

“He is a lot tighter and that allows him to show off his creativity with his iron shots and he is a good putter, he is an awesome putter, Min Woo. And that has helped him get inside the top 30 in the world.”

Now, Lee will be hoping that his time in the sun will come on arguably the biggest stage of all.

After an off season working on his accuracy, the long bomber certainly feels the confidence in his game to become a major champion.

“It’s been great. Believing in myself, that’s probably the biggest thing, and just trusting what I’ve been doing,” he told Australian reporters last week.

“I can go out there and I’ve still been nervous over the last couple of months, but it’s been a good nervous.

“My clubs have been backing it up, which has been great.

“I’m looking forward to the Masters. It’s a great week and I love being back and hitting some creative shots.

“Yeah, very confident in my game right now.”

Lee’s immense power has always been one of the best aspects of his game.

But at times at Augusta, he has found it somewhat restricting.

Now, he believes he has the answer to harness it.

“I think having the mini driver is very beneficial,” he said.

“Some of the draw holes, hitting a fade with a driver, it was a bit awkward for me.

“Now, that I have a mini, that doesn’t sacrifice too much distance, that I can turnover is definitely, I would say, a weapon.

“Hopefully it does become one this week.

“I’ve been hitting it really well. I’ve been prepping for it. So hopefully it all works out.”

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JASON DAY

World ranking: 41

Last five results: T6, T59, MC, MC, T24

Masters appearances: 14

Best finish: T2 (2011)

Top 10s: 5

With a runner-up finish on debut in 2011 and having been in the mix when countryman Adam Scott broke through in 2013, Augusta has long suited Day’s game.

He sent a reminder of that last year with a tied eighth finish and comes into this week in some of his best form since his career resurgence after a debilitating back injury.

The former world No.1 came in a share of second at The American Express in January and feels as if his game is peaking at the right time.

“I had a second. I had sixth at Houston two weeks ago, and I had a little bit of a lull,” Day told Fox Sports News at Augusta National.

“I went through some iron changes. I feel like I’m hitting them a lot straighter now.

“I had this kind of left miss and every now it does poke in.

“Overall, driving it pretty nice. I’m starting to iron it a lot better.

“My short game is really good. My putting is really good.

“I had some streakiness with the putting, but my short game has really kept me in play.”

More than a decade has passed since Day won his lone major to date at the 2015 PGA Championship.

He had also gone nearly three years without winning a trophy.

In order to break those droughts, the 38-year-old has put all his chip ins this week.

He is staying inside a bus which houses all seven of the Day clan.

It sounds like something out of a family-friendly comedy, especially when you add in that Day will be wearing daggy dad clothing this week with birds all over his attire.

But the motorhome also serves as the Queenslander’s recovery facility.

As well as the same bed as he has at home in Ohio, the bus contains a sauna, cold plunge, steam shower and workout mats for stretching.

It is like a state of the art hotel and gym on wheels.

It has also been Day’s preferred method of travel around America for a long time and he hopes it will help bring the green jacket he has long desired.

“I’ve had success at Augusta, and I’d like to break through at some point,” Day told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“I’m very hungry. Trying to win the Masters is the biggest thing on my mind every year.

“I think I’ve got the game to do it. Sorry, I shouldn’t say ‘think’. I know I have the game.

“I have experience. If I give myself opportunities and take some, I’ve got a good feeling I can win.”

An emotional Day received widespread praise on Tuesday with a thoughtful response to a question about whether he has empathy for his good friend Tiger Woods.

Day once again evoked his relationship with the five-time green jacket when speaking to Fox Golf expert analyst Paul Gow about his history with Augusta.

Ahead of his 15th appearance in the first major of the year, Day wishes some things may have been different but also cannot help but think back to his humble beginnings in Beaudesert in rural southern Queensland.

“Sometimes I wish I was left-handed,” Day told Fox Sports News with a laugh.

“I feel the golf course suits a left hander better.

“I think when you have an attitude of gratitude about being here, it sets you up better for success.

“When you walk into a golf course and you don’t quite have it, your attitude is not there, it makes it harder.

“I said before that Tiger Woods and this tournament is the reason why I play. The reason why I started the game of golf.

“To be here, it’s really hard to not enjoy it when it’s reason I got into golf.”

ADAM SCOTT

World ranking: 53

Last five results: T21, T56, T11, 4, T30

Masters appearances: 24

Best finish: Win (2013)

Top 10s: 5

Australia’s only Masters champion begun the week in incredibly special fashion.

Scott took to Augusta National on Sunday for a practice round alongside his father, Phil, and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler.

The 45-year-old joked that he was tired from getting 18 holes in so early in the week, while saying his dad was happy with the way he played and calling Scheffler “a champ” for joining the family experience.

It was a remarkable way to celebrate what will be Scott’s 25th Masters appearance.

The veteran’s quarter of a century draws him level with icon Ben Hogan in a share of 38th on the all-time appearances list.

But with a lifetime guarantee as a result of being a green jacket, Scott could move further up that list towards Gary Player’s record of 52 starts.

Reaching yet another milestone has the Australian in the mood for a celebration.

“Good opportunity to win another one, I’d say,” Scott told Fox Sports News.

“The years go by quick, but it’s plenty of experience to lean on for me.

“Game’s looking pretty healthy this year, I would say.

“Just can’t quite put four really good days together, but maybe this is the one to do it.”

Like his countryman, Scott has strung together some impressive results recently.

He has also been adding to his highlight reel with a hole-in-one in his last start at the Houston Open.

He feels as if the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.

“My iron play has been really, really good,” Scott said.

“Which has been nice because I think that’s been really lacking for a few years, but that’s really come around.

“So, that’s helpful here. Everything else has been pretty solid.

“But, you know, I putt well for three rounds and then have a bit of a slow round in there somewhere.

“That’s let me down. Actually, at The Players, I didn’t drive it particularly well. That made it a tough week for me. I was down the bottom of the leaderboard.

“It’s all right there. I just need to tighten it up.

“This course kind of gives me a little bit of room to breathe off the tee.

“If I’m sharp with the irons, I feel like this is my kind of green. The quicker, the better.

“So, with a good weather forecast, I think we’re looking like we could have some pretty fun greens to play with.”

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CAMERON SMITH

World ranking: 211

Last five results: T17, T8, 48, T8, T13

Masters appearances: 9

Best finish: T2 (2020)

Top 10s: 5

Like Scott, Smith is another getting giddy about the prospect of seeing the ball bounce forward on Augusta’s lightning-fast greens.

The 32-year-old has always been at his best in firm and fast conditions.

He won The Open four years ago at St Andrews in a true test of links golf.

While an old-fashioned Royal Melbourne seemed to reignite Smith in December despite his three-putt bogey at the last confining the local hero to a runner-up finish.

“The greens (at Augusta National) particularly are really firm and with no rain forecast, hopefully, we get some really firm and fast greens on the weekend,” Smith told Fox Sports News.

The LIV Golf star’s struggles in the majors last year were well-documented.

He was the only player to miss the cut in all four majors as his game deserted him.

Smith’s wayward driver appeared to be the cause of the problems, but the Queenslander told The Daily Telegraph in the lead-up to this week’s Masters that a “foggy brain” was the main issue.

“I don’t think my game has been the issue. It’s probably really been my brain more than anything, to be honest, over the past year or two,” Smith said.

“So it’s just about getting back into some good old habits and doing the stuff that I need to do to be a world-class golfer and I feel like I’m doing all of it.”

He was then asked if it was fatherhood specifically that had clouded his brain and Smith replied: “I’ve never been one for excuses but my life has definitely changed to what it has, particularly the last year or so, so I just have to learn to deal with that and get better.”

His results on LIV seem to have turned a corner with two top tens in his last four starts despite not seriously contending for a title.

Smith believes he is feeling a turnaround his game and a big result is only around the corner.

“Pretty good. Probably haven’t got the results that I wanted but the game’s felt really good,” Smith told Fox Sports News.

“Get a little bit of momentum going and I’ll be right there.

“You know, back at a place I love this week, and hopefully it starts here.”

“I’ve worked hard the last couple of weeks,” he added.

“Had a couple of weeks off after South Africa. Working on the swing and kind of taking it cruisy.

“You know, it’s a place that I like. I’ve been around here plenty of times so there’s no need to over do it.”

The same year he won The Open, Smith played in the final group alongside Scottie Scheffler at The Masters.

He came runner-up to Dustin Johnson in the eerie Covid, November Masters of 2020.

Those results were in the middle of a stretch where Smith registered five top tens in seven years.

Missing the cut for the first time in his career last year broke ended that streak.

But a down year in 2005 is unlikely to dissuade Smith, according to Gow.

“Cam Smith has played better since the Australian Open. He has played solid and he just walks on to that place and he puts his serious hat on,” he said.

“You could be talking to him about the footy, but all of a sudden he is ready to go and he has his game face on, so there would be nothing he would love more than to have a win around Augusta.”