Masters week always sharpens attention on putting. At Augusta National, the greens demand a lot, and the putter becomes more than just equipment. It is one of the most important tools for staying calm, finding pace, and making the kind of putts that decide weekends.

That is why this year, while there is plenty of buzz in golf circles about “zero torque” putters and new technologies, it is worth asking a simple question: does that wave actually translate into Masters winners?

Zero torque putters are everywhere. So why do they not dominate Augusta?

There is a lot of talk in the golf industry at the moment about putter technology. “Zero torque” putters have become a major talking point, and multiple brands are pushing them hard, including Lab, Odyssey, TaylorMade, and even Wilson. You will see them in stores and you might understand the technology, but the Masters is a different environment. The bigger question is whether these modern designs are likely to produce a champion at Augusta.

To explore that, it helps to step back and look at the last five Masters winners and what they rolled.

What the last five winners suggest about putter choice

When you look at the most recent set of champions, an interesting pattern appears around putter type and adoption of “zero torque” models.

• Rory McIlroy (last year) used a standard Spider putter, specifically a Tour model. It was very simple. No zero torque.
• Three of the last five winners used a Newport putter from Scotty Cameron. These are traditional blade-style putters. Again, no zero torque.
• John Rahm sits in the middle of that group. He used a Rossy putter, and it still did not feature zero torque. Even the sightline on top, which some modern putters emphasise, was not there when he won.

So what does that tell us?

It suggests that even though zero torque designs are popular in the market, the tour adoption story does not necessarily match what you would expect. We are not seeing zero torque drift onto tour in the way some brands might have hoped.

Putting confidence is hard to replace

Even if a zero torque system makes sense on paper, putting is not just a physics problem. It is a confidence problem. A putter in the bag of a player who can putt, and who is genuinely confident, is one of the hardest clubs to change.

There is a clear example in how players evolve, then settle. Rory, for instance, moved around with different Spider models over the years, including different colours and head styles. He also experimented with other types such as blade models, then eventually settled into the Spider putter that worked for him. The outcome speaks for itself because he has been very successful with it.

How this shapes Masters picks: putters in use plus current putting form

For this year’s top three Masters picks, the basis is straightforward:

• Who is putting well
• What putters are they using
• Are they in form at the right time

With that framework in mind, the picks lean toward players rolling familiar, traditional setups rather than chasing the latest “zero torque” trend.

Top Masters Picks for 2026

1) Rory McIlroy to defend with his Spider Tour X

Rory is the number one pick. The reasoning is a mix of performance, Augusta fit, and confidence.

Last year, he got the monkey off his back. More importantly, he is miles ahead in terms of how far he can hit the golf ball. At Augusta, that matters because position and approach quality often set up the putting you need on those specific greens.

Beyond distance, there is the putting side. Rory’s confidence around Augusta must be incredibly high after winning. If he gets the Spider Tour X performing like it did last year, he is a real contender to defend the green jacket come Sunday afternoon.

Potential concern: the only thing that might hold him back is a slight injury. The hope is that nothing crops up that interrupts his week.

2) Ludvig Åberg, a big hitter using an Odyssey blade (AI One)

The second pick is Ludvig Åberg. This is not a “came from nowhere” selection. He has played in the last couple of Masters and has done very well, even though he has not managed to get it over the line yet.

What stands out is how he competes during the key stretches. He has shown real quality particularly on Thursday and Friday. Augusta rewards players who can stay sharp early, set their lines, and build momentum into the weekend.

Now here is the putter point, and it matters for this list. Åberg does not use zero torque. He uses a number one model from Odyssey, specifically a standard blade style. At the moment, he is using the Odyssey AI One #1, which is the previous generation of that model.

The putter description fits the bigger theme: a simple blade model that works for the player using it. With that kind of setup and his ability to compete, he looks like someone who will be in the mix.

3) Cameron Young after his win, rolling a Scotty Cameron Phantom 9

The third pick is Cam Young. He won a few weeks ago, which is always a helpful signal when thinking about form heading into a major.

From a putter perspective, he uses a Scotty Cameron Phantom 9. It is a very standard mallet-type putter, and the important note here is that it is still traditional in the modern game. There is no zero torque in sight.

That makes him a strong fit for the overall argument: the players most likely to win Augusta are not necessarily the ones chasing the newest technology. They are the ones who are rolling putters that suit them, and who are already putting well.

For this reason, Cam Young has a legitimate pathway to wearing the green jacket, or at least to being part of the final leaderboard picture.

Who else could win? Look for something similar to these putters

If the green jacket does not go to one of these three, the next best way to identify a threat is by putter similarity.

So even if the winner is not directly one of these names, it is likely to be a player rolling a model that is very similar in feel and design. Augusta does not care about marketing. It cares about results on the greens, and those tend to come from setups that players trust under pressure.

Final thought for Masters week

Masters week is a reminder that putting is where the tournament often turns. And while zero torque putters are certainly part of the conversation, the evidence from recent winners and the logic of confidence both point in the same direction: traditional putter choices used by players who are in form and comfortable with their stroke have an edge.

So the focus for the week is simple. Pay attention to who is truly putting well, and pay attention to what they are rolling. The best putters do not just look good. They help players stay confident when Augusta is at its toughest.