5 big names who will miss the Masters

The Masters allows a limited field every year, so a few popular names are always missing from the list. This year is no exception.

While Tiger Woods said Tuesday that he expects to play, a few other golfers surprisingly won't make the trip down Magnolia Lane this week.

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson was undoubtedly the most surprising player not listed when the tournament's field was announced. The three-time Masters winner will be absent from the event for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Mickelson has missed the cut only three times in 29 Masters appearances, and he's finished inside the top 25 on 20 occasions.

As a previous Masters champion, Mickelson has a lifelong invitation to the tournament, meaning his absence isn't because he didn't qualify. The 51-year-old released a statement in February saying he'd be taking time away from the sport following comments regarding the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series. He hasn't played on the PGA TOUR since late January, and he won't be making his return at Augusta.

Rickie Fowler

Arguably the most surprising player to miss the Masters due to not qualifying is fan favorite Rickie Fowler. Fowler was a top-10 player at one point, but now he's missing out on the Masters for a second straight year.

For most of the past decade, the discourse surrounding the California-born golfer was about when he'd win his first major. However, that conversation has disappeared in the past few years. The five-time TOUR winner has finished inside the top 10 at Augusta three times, placing runner-up just four years ago when he fell one shot back of Patrick Reed.

The 33-year-old is ranked No. 134 in the world this campaign, earning just one top-10 result in 11 starts. Last season, Fowler had one top 10 in 24 starts. It's been over three years since he's won on TOUR, and his next victory won't be at the 2022 Masters.

Ian Poulter

Ian Poulter is missing the Masters for only the third time since 2004. The British-born golfer has just three TOUR wins, but he's collected 12 DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) victories. He's also known as one of the most captivating and exciting European players at the Ryder Cup over the past 15 years.

Poulter has finished inside the top 10 at Augusta three times and has missed the cut just once in 16 trips. Poulter, ranked No. 70 in the world, narrowly missed out on an invite to this year's Masters after finishing 2021 only four spots shy of the top 50. The 46-year-old will have to wait another year to have a chance at putting on the green jacket.

Matt Kuchar

Matt Kuchar won't be in the Masters field for the first time in over a decade. The Florida-born golfer has fallen out of the top 50 in the world rankings after recording just four top-10 TOUR finishes since his multi-win season in 2018-19.

Kuchar has placed inside the top 10 at the Masters four times in the past decade but hasn't made the cut since 2019. In a final effort to score an invitation through the Texas Open, Kuchar came up short in a tie for second.

Jason Day

It was just six years ago when Jason Day ended the season as the No. 1 player in the world, but now the Australian joins the list of surprising players to miss the Masters.

The 12-time PGA TOUR winner has steadily declined in the rankings. Day dropped to No. 43 by the end of the 2020 season and then to No. 123 last campaign. Ongoing back issues have undoubtedly played a part in his fall.

The 34-year-old has come close to victory at Augusta on multiple occasions, finishing second in 2011, third in 2013, and fifth in 2019. But he won't have a shot at the title in 2022.