The 89th taking part in of the Masters is sort of right here. Can anybody problem Scottie Scheffler? Which LIV golfers could possibly be in competition for a inexperienced jacket this week? Are there any first-timers to pay shut consideration to?
From who we’ll be watching to newcomers to gamers who’re beneath the radar, listed here are 5 storylines to observe this week at Augusta.
All eyes on who this week?
Mark Schlabach: Most eyes are going to be on the highest two golfers on the earth: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. A Sunday duel between Scheffler and McIlroy at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership could be implausible for a sport that has been consumed by cash and division the previous few years.
Scheffler has been essentially the most elite participant in males’s golf for a lot of the previous three years. He’ll try to hitch Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1965 and 1966) as the one golfers to win the Masters 3 times in a four-year span. He can change into solely the fourth golfer to win a inexperienced jacket in back-to-back years, becoming a member of Nicklaus, Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02) had been the others.
Scheffler missed the primary month of the season with a proper hand harm and hasn’t but gained in 2025, so you may make the argument that McIlroy has been one of the best golfer on the planet the previous few months. Then once more, there are few golfers that may put their foot on the fuel like Scheffler at Augusta Nationwide.
McIlroy has already gained twice on tour this season and is taking part in lights-out. McIlroy will attempt for the eleventh time for a inexperienced jacket to finish the profession Grand Slam, which might additionally finish his main championship drought of greater than 10 years.
Paolo Uggetti: There have been many phrases spoken and written about Scheffler and McIlroy firstly of this season, and understandably so. However with regards to the primary main of the yr, it is the unknown that intrigues me and leads me to gravitate towards the 2 LIV gamers who ought to be on the prime of any favorites listing: Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
On the one hand, Rahm gained this occasion two years in the past and DeChambeau is coming off his second profession main final yr within the U.S. Open, plus two different top-6 finishes in majors. On paper, that is sufficient. But three years into the LIV experiment, it is troublesome to know precisely how or when gamers’ efficiency will translate from there to the most important stage. DeChambeau proved final yr that he might nonetheless compete and win majors, however he hasn’t gained on LIV since September 2023.
What does that imply for this week at Augusta? It is not possible to know, nevertheless it makes DeChambeau’s each shot value watching. The identical goes for Rahm, whose worst end on LIV this season is a tie for ninth. Although he did miss the lower on the Hero Dubai Desert Basic in January, his solely non-LIV occasion, his recreation seems to be trending in the precise path.
First-timers to observe
Schlabach: I am tempted to go together with Thomas Detry, the previous Illinois star golfer, who picked up his first PGA Tour win with a seven-shot victory on the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 9. He tied for fourth in final yr’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky, and for 14th within the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina the subsequent month.
Detry is an above-average putter, however his iron play has been suspect, and I am unsure he’ll hit sufficient fairways to contend at Augusta Nationwide.
England’s Aaron Rai is one other good golfer with current success within the majors, tying for nineteenth on the 2021 Open Championship and ultimately yr’s U.S. Open. Rai ranks within the prime 40 in strokes gained: complete, off the tee and strategy, and he is fifth in driving accuracy (70.3%). Plus, he comes into the Masters in fairly good kind, ending within the prime 15 on the Mexico Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Gamers Championship.
Uggetti: Maverick McNealy‘s journey to the Masters has been seven years within the making, however he lastly received right here after successful the RSM Basic in November and is taking part in a few of the greatest golf of his profession. The Stanford alum has 4 top-10 finishes on tour this season and a runner-up on the Genesis Invitational earlier this yr.
This week, McNealy’s placing and strategy recreation (each top-35 on tour) ought to assist him keep within the combine. And if he can drive it comparatively effectively and enhance on his play across the inexperienced, I really feel like this course ought to swimsuit his recreation.
How will the course play?
Schlabach: The course was taking part in agency and quick over the weekend for the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and apply rounds Sunday. However then the skies opened up Monday, dumping greater than 1 inch of rain.
There’s loads of time to dry the course out earlier than Thursday’s opening spherical, and I am positive the membership’s SubAir system, which acts like a vacuum and pulls water out of the greens and into pipes, was most likely working time beyond regulation. Excessive temperatures for the remainder of the week are anticipated to be within the excessive 60s and 70s with little likelihood for rain outdoors of Friday morning.
Then there’s the harm from Hurricane Helene, the class 1 storm that blew by the realm on Sept. 27, 2024. There was in depth harm at Augusta Nationwide and the encircling space. Timber aren’t as thick on Nos. 1 and 9. The lack of bushes is usually a visible distinction for patrons who’ve been coming to the course for years, nevertheless it most likely will not have an effect on golfers’ technique. The sixteenth inexperienced needed to be rebuilt after a tree fell throughout it, and Nos. 1, 8 and 15 greens had been additionally redone, based on McIlroy.
Uggetti: When Xander Schauffele performed the again 9 at Augusta Nationwide on Sunday, he could not assist however discover the lacking bushes on the par-3 sixteenth gap and elsewhere across the property.
“It virtually felt like I used to be taking part in the again 9 for the primary time,” Schauffele mentioned. “Whenever you’re strolling down 10 you’ll be able to see half the course. It is fairly loopy to type of see what number of — it is unhappy, too, to see what number of bushes have fallen.”
As Schauffele defined, the bushes at Augusta have served as aiming factors for gamers off a number of tees. Now, a few of these are gone, however he would not anticipate the course taking part in that a lot completely different than it has due to it.
“For essentially the most half, I believe the course goes to play the very same as earlier than,” Schauffele mentioned. “You will have a goal you’ll be able to’t goal at. Like over the eleventh inexperienced, there’s these three bushes, however you’ll be able to simply use the bridge as a reference now if you would like.”
McIlroy echoed Schauffele’s observations.
“From a tee shot perspective, there are a pair tee pictures which can be perhaps rather less visually intimidating,” McIlroy mentioned. “There is a couple overhanging bushes that are not there anymore. However actually, other than that, I believe it is just about the identical. However undoubtedly a few tee pictures that look somewhat bit completely different.”
What do you anticipate from LIV golfers this week?
Schlabach: There are a dozen LIV gamers within the area, and it would not shock me if there are two or three within the remaining prime 10. That being mentioned, I am not precisely positive who that might be, as a result of the standard suspects have performed inconsistently to this point in 2025. Final week’s event at Trump Nationwide Doral Golf Membership in Miami was the primary big-boy course they’d performed shortly, and most of the largest names struggled on the weekend.
DeChambeau was nonetheless tweaking his recreation heading into Miami. He carded a 3-over 75 on Sunday and completed fifth. Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, posted a 2-over 74 within the remaining spherical and tied for ninth. Cameron Smith has a superb observe document at Augusta, and Patrick Reed at all times appears to play effectively there. I might see them cracking the highest 10 once more.
Uggetti: Like I famous above, LIV ought to include a disclaimer: “Previous efficiency will not be indicative of future outcomes,” and that goes each methods. Regardless that we have not heard an excessive amount of from gamers corresponding to Brooks Koepka this yr, it would not shock me if he as soon as once more turned it on at a significant and competed at Augusta. The identical goes for Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith, who all have video games that match the course effectively.
All of that being mentioned, there may be one LIV participant I anticipate one thing from this week, and that is Joaquín Niemann. The Chilean has two wins on LIV this season plus a win on the PIF Saudi Worldwide in December and has been taking part in like a top-10 participant on the earth as of late (Knowledge Golf ranks him at No. 11). Niemann’s expertise is simple, however he’s additionally being propped up by some — like Mickelson — as a contender for one of the best participant on the earth proper now, though his main document is not precisely stellar: In 22 tries, he is by no means had a top-10 end. Given the best way he has been taking part in, that is nearly as good per week as ever for Niemann to place collectively a aggressive end.
An under-the-radar participant or story we’ll be speaking about on the finish of the week
Schlabach: I do not know if I might describe a five-time winner on the PGA Tour as being beneath the radar, however Russell Henley positive is not getting a lot credit score for being the No. 7 participant on the earth. He earned his fifth tour victory towards a loaded area on the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 9, one in all his 4 prime 10s in seven begins this season.
Plus, if a Masters winner has to seek out fairways and execute second pictures, there aren’t many golfers within the area higher than Henley. He is third on tour in greens in regulation (72.8%) and eleventh in driving accuracy (66.2%), and he is one of many higher putters on the market, too.
Henley broke by within the majors the earlier two seasons, ending within the prime 15 in 4 of eight begins. He tied for fourth on the 2023 Masters. Henley grew up within the state, attended the College of Georgia, and possibly dreamed of slipping on a inexperienced jacket.
Uggetti: I really feel like nobody is speaking about Collin Morikawa? That is not truly true, however comparatively talking, it seems the No. 4 participant on the earth (No. 3 on Knowledge Golf) and the present chief in strokes gained: strategy is flying beneath the radar this week. The 2-time main champion hasn’t gained for the reason that 2023 Zozo Championship however he is been knocking on the door for some time, together with coming inside a sliver of successful the Arnold Palmer Invitational this yr.
Final yr, Morikawa had a shot to win heading into Sunday however wilted as Scheffler ran away with it. This yr, his recreation is arguably in higher form, his placing is far improved and very like McIlroy, he has loads of motivation to finish a drought. I would not be stunned if, come Sunday, he is proper again on the prime of the leaderboard once more.
If we need to go deeper down the chances listing, I might check out Akshay Bhatia. After getting his debut right here out of the best way final yr, Bhatia is now one of many 25 greatest gamers on the earth and, had it not been for a shaky placing week on the Gamers, he possible would have been within the playoff alongside McIlroy and J.J. Spaun. If the putter will get sizzling, search for Bhatia to have a superb week.
