Tuesday 29 March 2016 17:23, UK
This week's Houston Open offers one final opportunity for PGA Tour players to qualify for the Masters. Here's a look at some of the players in need of a win to earn the last available invite to Augusta...
Patton Kizzire (world No 57)
Kizzire has made plenty of progress since graduating from the Web.com Tour last season, kicking off this campaign with four top-10 finishes to move up to a career-high world ranking.
A tied-second display at October's Shriners Hospitals for Children Open was the best of the early-season results, with Kizzire also upstaging Bubba Watson and this week's defending champion JB Holmes to progress to the last 16 of the WGC Match Play.
Even if the American doesn't qualify this time around, a future major appearance would seem to be only a matter of time.
Matt Jones (world No 64)
The 35-year-old's only Masters appearance came after he defeated Matt Kuchar in a play-off in Houston two years ago to claim a maiden PGA Tour title, with Jones now in need of a repeat result this time around.
Jones narrowly missed out on ending last year inside the world's top 50 despite an impressive showing at the PGA Championship, where he held the 36-hole lead, as well as victory on home soil ahead of Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott at the Australian Open.
The Australian has been out of touch in recent weeks, following three consecutive missed cuts on the PGA Tour with a first-round exit in Austin last week.
Kevin Chappell (world No 69)
Four years on from his only Augusta performance, Chappell would need to claim a maiden PGA Tour title to break in to next week's field for the opening major of the year.
Chappell has already suffered two near-misses this season with runner-up finishes at the RSM Classic and in his last start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with that second-place finish at Bay Hill parachuting him back in to the world's top 100. Could a first win be not too far away?
Gary Woodland (world No 71)
Woodland hasn't been able to follow on from the record which saw him reach the final of last year's WGC Match Play, where he was beaten by Rory McIlroy, registering just one further top-10 finish since that busy week in San Fransisco.
The American had been up to world No 37 after a solid run in the FedExCup play-offs at the back end of last season, but had fallen out of the world's top 50 by the turn of the year.
Although his early exit from Bay Hill earlier this month was his first missed cut of 2016, the closest Woodland has come to being in contention in his seven starts this year was when he was unable to convert a 36-hole joint-lead at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Ryan Palmer (world No 73)
The American made a flying start to last year's Masters when he reached the turn four under on the opening day, but will need to produce something special this week to get another chance at Augusta.
Palmer previously finished inside the top-10 in the opening major of the year back in 2011, although the 39-year-old hasn't been able to find a similarly high finish on the PGA Tour at any point this season.
Now on a six-year winless run worldwide, Palmer heads to Houston hoping to find an improved performance than he managed in a tied-60th finish at Bay Hill a fortnight ago.
Best of the rest…
Former back-to-back Open champion Padraig Harrington leads the list of ex-major winners looking to qualify, with former US Open title holders Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink also in action this week.
Two years after ending joint runner-up at Augusta, Jonas Blixt needs a victory in Houston to make a third Masters appearance in as many years, while John Senden has to win if he's to make a fifth visit in a row.
Watch the Shell Houston Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf
