The 89th edition of the Masters tournament kicks off on April 10. Here are my frontrunners to follow, dark horses to watch, and story lines you won’t want to miss!
5 Masters frontrunners
1. Scottie Scheffler: The two-time Masters champion arrives in Augusta after a historic 2024 season, one that stands up statistically to Tiger Woods in his prime. Last year, Scheffler recorded nine worldwide wins including an Olympic gold medal, The Players Championship, The Masters, and The FedEx Cup. This year has gotten off to a slower start than usual after the Texan injured his hand in December. While he hasn’t found the winners circle yet this year, he’s recorded a T9 at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a T3 at The Genesis Invitational. Scheffler will be making his sixth Masters appearance, searching for his third green jacket.
2. Rory McIlroy: No one has gotten off to a hotter start to this season than Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. With wins at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship, McIlroy’s game travels to Augusta sharp as a tack. Making his 17th appearance at The Masters this year, McIlroy will once again try to capture the missing piece of the grand slam. It’s his 11th attempt at the exclusive milestone.
3. Ludvig Aberg: The 25-year-old Swede will look to outdo his 2024 Masters performance where he finished second to Scottie Scheffler. Since last April, Aberg has represented his country at the Olympics, won The Genesis Invitational this past February, and reached a career-high world ranking of #4. With more experience under his belt, Aberg and his graceful swing come to Augusta ready to top the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon.
4. Xander Schauffele: Xander Schauffele will be making his first Masters appearance as a major champion after winning The PGA Championship and The Open last summer. Playing without the major monkey on his back should free up the Californian to compete at Augusta National, which is a course he knows quite well. In 2019, Schauffele finished tied for second. In 2021, he finished tied for third. Schauffele looks to better those results this year in his eighth attempt at the green jacket.
5. Collin Morikawa: In his last five starts, Morikawa has strung together these finishes: T10-2-T17-T17-2. Known for his superior ball striking, the 27-year-old has six PGA Tour wins and two major championships, the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open. Morikawa makes his sixth Masters start this year with three straight top-ten finishes and a Masters resume which includes zero missed cuts.
MORE: What you need to know ahead of the 2025 Masters Tournament
3 dark horses to watch
1. Sepp Straka: Sepp Straka has made three appearances at the Masters so far; He has never missed a cut. Earlier this year, the Austrian earned his third PGA Tour victory at The American Express. Alongside fellow Georgia bulldogs, Straka knows what it takes to win at the highest level. Coming off a T-16 finish last year, Straka likely won’t receive all of the attention he deserves. Do not be surprised if he finds himself in the mix on the second nine on Sunday.
2. Harris English: The Georgia Bulldog will make his sixth Masters appearance after a strong start to the 2025 season. Earning his fifth PGA Tour title, English won the Farmers Insurance Open this past January at Torrey Pines. In his post-round interview, English shared with the media about his love for difficult golf courses, ones that reward pars and force players to grind. Augusta National fits that bill, and English will bring his best in search of his first major victory.
3. Shane Lowry: The 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year will make his tenth appearance at the Masters this April. In four of his five previous starts at Augusta, Lowry has finished inside of the top-25, and he’s off to a strong start this season. His notable finishes include a second place at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a seventh place finish at Bay Hill. Lowry has a strong major resume, so I am not sure how much of a dark horse he will be but I will be following his play closely next week!
2 noteworthy storylines
1. Bernard Langer: For the final time, Bernard Langer will tee it up as a competitor in the Masters tournament. The two-time champion, 1985 and 1993, is making his 41st start. Langer’s hall-of-fame career includes 42 wins on the DP World Tour, 10 appearances in the Ryder Cup, and incredible longevity centered around consistent excellence. Whether he misses the cut or makes the weekend, Langer will receive a respectful and celebratory send off once he putts out on the 18th green.
2. Joaquin Niemann: Two weeks ago, Phil Mickelson proclaimed that Joaquin Niemann is arguably the No. 1 player in the world. Since both Mickelson and Niemann have moved to LIV golf, Mickelson’s perspective makes some sense. Although, I do think Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy would like to argue against Phil’s ludicrous statement. In the big picture, Niemann’s record in major championships remains underwhelming. The Chilean has yet to record a top-10 finish in a major, so a lot of eyes will be on his performance at Augusta this year. He’ll be making his sixth appearance at the Masters aiming to best his 2023 result of 23rd.
