The Masters 2025
The 89th edition of the Masters commences ahead of the second weekend in April, and promises to provide plenty of drama, entertainment, and intrigue. Having recovered well from the damaging impacts of last autumn’s Hurricane Helene, Augusta is in typically pristine condition.
The cream of the golfing world battles it out for a share of a colossal $20m prize pot, with the winner taking home a cool $3.6m for their endeavours. Scottie Scheffler was the last recipient of the revered green jacket, having navigated four rounds of Augusta in a remarkable 277 shots. Scheffler’s triumph was the sixth time an American has won the prestigious tournament in the last decade, and it ensured he acquired a second Masters crown within three years.
No player has emerged victorious at Augusta on more occasions than the legendary Jack Nicklaus, who lifted the famous silver trophy six times during a glittering 23-year period. Dustin Johnson delivered a score of 268 (-20) in 2020 to claim the lowest four-round total in Masters history, although no spectators were in attendance due to ongoing social distancing measures.
After the Masters concludes on Sunday 13th April, attention will begin to turn to the PGA Championships. The second major of the golfing calendar is scheduled for mid-May and will this year take place at North Carolina’s Quail Hollow Club.
Data Analysis – What makes these players favourites?
Although each player’s previous achievements help us to understand why they’ve been selected as pre-tournament favourites, bookmakers have calculated odds using far more detailed information. The volume of trophies a player has acquired can clearly be used as a barometer of capability, but doesn’t necessarily indicate whether or not they’ll be successful in a particular competition.
To make a more informed prediction of who will perform well at the 2025 Masters, a deeper analysis is required. By examining the respective playing styles of each competitor, reviewing the course architecture of Augusta, and considering how weather conditions may impact shot selection, we can hopefully find some real value in the betting markets.
Scottie Scheffler
A powerful and accurate ball-striker off the tee, Scottie Scheffler will be confident of finding some tricky patches of fairway. The first hole at Augusta invites big hitters to surpass a large bunker on the right-hand side, with those playing safely facing a much tougher second shot. Several fairway bunkers provide another first-shot headache on Flowering Peach, a short par four that rewards a more cautious approach.
However, the American’s proclivity for finding the putting surface is likely to be his strongest weapon this April. Scheffler boasts remarkably high greens in regulation figures, consistently affording himself an opportunity to score par – or lower – on most holes. As there is a high number of challenging approach shots at Augusta, his expertise in this area could have a decisive bearing on the outcome of the tournament.
We must also not underestimate the extent of Scheffler’s resilience and fortitude. Having triumphed on this course twice before, the two-time Byron Nelson Award recipient knows exactly how mentally draining the pursuit of a green jacket can be. A calm and composed head is crucial amidst the pressurised environment of the Masters, particularly when navigating Augusta’s infamous Amen Corner.
For the reasons outlined above, Scheffler deserves to be labelled as the favourite to win the year's first major. Although retaining any title is never easy, the current world number one has understandably been installed as the bookies’ favourite.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy’s game hasn’t always suited the unique terrain of Augusta, but some recent alterations to his swing and club selection process may elevate his chances of success this term.
Having managed to find a way to gain better control of spin and trajectory, the 2022 Masters runner-up should now feel more comfortable when approaching Augusta’s perilous greens. Ensuring the ball sticks to a particular part of the putting surface is a crucial requirement on several holes. Juniper’s colossal green is as unforgiving as any, with an undulating network of slopes and breaks causing the ball to disappear in all directions. The seventeenth hole also presents a significant challenge, especially when the pin is located at the back right-hand side of the green.
The County Down-born star will also have to leverage his ability to hit a wide variety of shots, having made notable improvements in this area in recent months. Whether it’s dispatching a well-placed drive to avoid an arrangement of bunkers, going up a club to handle the windswept holes of Amen Corner, punching the ball through a narrow gap to land on the green within regulation, the world’s most famous parkland course demands players to showcase their full repertoire of swings.
Desperate to become only the sixth golfer in history to record a career grand slam, ‘Rors’ will undoubtedly have the bit between his teeth in Georgia. This incredible incentive may well provide a welcome added edge to his play, as he bids to win the Masters at the 17th time of asking.
Ludvig Åberg
Having enjoyed a meteoric rise since debuting at the RBC Canadian Open in the summer of 2023, Ludvig Åberg now must find a way to sustain an elite level of performance. Improving on his second-place finish at last year's Masters would be some way to set the tone…..
In many ways, the Swedish sharpshooter’s commanding and consistent style is a perfect fit for Augusta’s erratic layout. His ability to achieve both distance and accuracy from the tee could prove vital, given the configuration of numerous fairways. After navigating the aforementioned challenges of Tea Olive and Flowering Peach on the way into the clubhouse, a handful of holes on the back nine also require players to show confidence with the driver in hand.
The penultimate shot of Amen’s Corner – a rip-roaring drive down the 545-yard Azalea – comes at a critical juncture of the round. Finding the right part of the fairway here ensures the green is reachable in two, setting up a potential eagle attempt. The putting surface on the fifteenth – a sizeable par five with some pretty intimidating hazards – can also be located in two from the tee providing a suitable amount of power and precision is applied. When addressing the final hole of the course, players must hog the treeline breaking right to evade two strategically positioned bunkers on the left.
Averaging approximately 29 putts per round, Åberg can effectively handle even the most problematic of greens. Again, this could be a key factor in determining whether the two-time Ben Hogan Award winner can record a landmark first major.
Collin Morikawa
The master of iron play, Collin Morikawa knows exactly how to tackle Augusta’s eclectic mix of lengthy fairway shots and gradient-impacted par threes. An expert at picking the right length of club in any given situation, the gifted Californian should be able to meander his way through the hazard-packed course without incurring too many dropped shots.
This skill set is particularly important when teeing off at the often deceptively windy fourth hole, a huge par three with a notoriously difficult pin location. Plenty of juice is also needed when taking second (and third) shots through Yellow Jasmine, as players work their way uphill towards an elevated green. As Rae’s Creek begins to impose its menacing presence along the back nine, Morikawa’s iron-striking capabilities will undoubtedly come in extremely handy.
Having recently perfected his fading and drawing techniques, the 2021 Race to Dubai winner is also equipped to take on the course’s endless array of dogleg holes. Following the curvature of Pink Dogwood and Magnolia is essential if a bogey score is to be avoided, with the vast yardage of both holes requiring players to efficiently travel down the fairway. Amen Corner’s opening hole – a monster par four aptly named White Dogwood – has a notable right-leaning dogleg, made all the more testing by regular swirling winds.
Identifying the Dark Horses
While most punters will back one of the four players listed above, it would be foolish to turn a blind eye to the rest of the field. Every tournament throws up one or two surprise packages, and there are plenty of competitors capable of challenging for silverware at Augusta.
We’ve picked out several dark horses – relative underdogs compared to the current set of favourites – that have the potential to cause an upset. Although the following three players may not necessarily conclude the 2025 Masters at the summit of the leaderboard, they undoubtedly have the capacity to earn a spot in the top ten.
Tommy Fleetwood
One of only 34 players to hit a hole in one at the Masters and a runner-up in last year's competition, Tommy Fleetwood has already proven he can tame the rolling hills of Augusta. Furthermore, after failing to make the cut on his debut appearance in 2017, the 34-year-old has progressed to the third day of the Masters each year. Fleetwood also finished just behind the all-conquering American at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, claiming a silver medal following a spectacular performance at Le Golf National.
Having come close to winning majors titles at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 and Royal Portrush just over a year later, the talented Merseysider is no stranger to mixing it with the big boys.
Odds
To win the 2025 Masters: 33/1
Top 5 finish: 25/4
Top 10 finish: 29/10
Min Woo Lee
After landing three European Tour victories – two in his native homeland and one in the Scottish seaside town of North Berwick – and a Macao Open title, Min Woo Lee claimed his first win on the PGA circuit last month. The Aussie ace resisted the best efforts of American duo Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland to emerge triumphant at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, circling round the Memorial Park Municipal Course in 260 strokes.
Having never finished higher than fifth at any major, Lee is highly unlikely to be awarded a green jacket following the final round of the 2025 Masters. However, the Perth-born youngster has a reasonable chance of sneaking into the top 10.
Odds
To win the 2025 Masters: 40/1
Top 5 finish: 8/1
Top 10 finish: 7/2
Sepp Straka
Although he hasn’t quite established himself on the elite stage, Sepp Straka has shown flashes of brilliance in various headline competitions. The 31-year-old joined three other players in second position at the 2023 Open, and comfortably secured a place in the top 20 at last year's Masters.
Straka has also started 2025 in scintillating form, clinching the Desert Classic title after finishing a couple of strokes ahead of two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas at La Quinta. He also delivered strong performances in this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Cautious, calculated, and immensely strategic in his approach, Straka is unlikely to fall into any of Augusta’s alluring traps. Could the Austrian spring a surprise this April?
Odds
To win the 2025 Masters: 66/1
Top 5 finish: 12/1
Top 10 finish: 5/1