Arguably the most prestigious golfing event in the world turns 89 this week as the 2025 Masters will take place from April 10–13 from the only home it’s ever known. The tournament will be held at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., as the year’s first major—the only one of the four to be held at the same course every year. That allows for a familiarity with the venue that other major tournaments lack, and often results in some of the most captivating golf in the world.
Tiger Woods has provided many of those exciting moments. However, due to recent Achilles surgery, he won’t be a part of this Masters 2025 field. Still though, there are numerous storylines to follow that will enthrall both diehard and casual golf fans, and these are the ones you should be abreast of.
Can Scottie Scheffler Repeat?
The No. 1-ranked player in the world collected his second green jacket at last year’s event but now, he’s going for a rare Masters repeat. It’s only been done three times in history—Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90), Woods (2001-02)—and Scheffler finished 10th back in 2023 when he tried to repeat his 2022 Masters win.He’s gone through some turbulence over the last 12 months, including his infamous arrest at the PGA Championship in May, needing hand surgery after cutting himself while making Christmas dinner, and failing to win any of his six events in 2025. But there’s a reason why he’s the sportsbook favorite, and Scheffler’s best just happens to be better than any other golfer’s best.
Rory McIlroy Seeking the Career Grand Slam
When Rory McIlroy won the 2014 Open Championship, he reached third base of the career grand slam. However, he’s failed to reach home over the last decade, falling short at winning the Masters each time. He’s been close, with six top-10 finishes over his last 10 starts at Augusta National. A green jacket remains the only thing missing from his golfing resume.The Irishman is aiming to become the sixth golfer to win all four majors in a career (Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Nicklaus, Woods), and he’s also looking to end this record-long drought without a major. If McIlroy prevails, then his 11-year gap between major wins would tie for the longest in golf history.
Xander Schauffele Looking to Recapture Majors Magic
By winning the British Open and PGA Championship last year—and with top 10s at both the Masters and U.S. Open—Schauffele became the first golfer since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win multiple majors and finish in the top 10 in all four in a single year. But it’s not 2024 anymore, and Schauffele has struggled since the calendar flipped to 2025. He has zero top-10 finishes over his four starts this year and shockingly finished dead last amongst the 72 players who made the cut at the Players Championship. He enters the 2025 Masters with an 11-major streak of top-20 finishes, so he’s hoping his performance this week more resembles his play in those rather than his play this season.Americans on a Historic Majors Run
In 2024, all four majors were won by Americans, marking the first time since 1982 there was a sweep. This success by the U.S. dates back even longer, as the last seven majors have been won by golfers hailing from the United States. That’s the longest streak since Americans won 13 straight from 1974-77.Golf is truly a global game, as of the top 25 ranked players in the world, 13 are American and 12 are international golfers. So, one of those dozen, as well as the many other foreign golfers, are looking to end this run.
Fan Favorites Looking to End Multi-Year Droughts
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are two of the most popular golfers in the world and have combined for five major tournament victories. However, it’s been three years since Spieth won any PGA event, while we’re one month shy of it being three years since Thomas prevailed at any tournament. Their performances at the Masters line up with their recent struggles as the two combined to go 15-for-15 in made Masters cuts to begin their careers, only to then go a combined 1-for-5 since then. Winning isn’t a prerequisite for popularity, but the two would surely trade in adulation from fans for a finish atop the leaderboard.How Will the LIV Golfers Perform?
There are several big names on the LIV Tour such as Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. Rahm won a green jacket in 2023 and has amazingly finished in the top 10 in all 17 of his LIV Golf starts. Meanwhile, Koepka is one of three golfers in the Masters era with five major victories but no green jackets among those wins, and his five LIV wins are the most in the tour’s history. As for DeChambeau, he won the U.S. Open last year and held the 18-hole lead at the 2024 Masters, only to shoot over par for the rest of the tournament and finish in sixth place.However, the LIV golfer that may have the best chance of slipping on the green jacket is a name that is flying under the radar. Joaquin Niemann has never even had a top-15 finish at any major, but he’s been lighting up his respective tour. He won two of the first four LIV tournaments of the year, and his four career LIV victories are second-most all-time to Koepka. He also prevailed on the Asian Tour in December 2024 to give him three worldwide victories over his last seven starts. Niemann is a name to keep an eye on when play tees off on April 10 as he attempts to become the first Chilean to win any golf major.
