The stage is set, and the full field is confirmed for the 2025 edition of The Masters.
As the golf world prepares for the year's first major, detailed research and lively debates about who will emerge victorious at Augusta National will be everywhere. That said, when choosing players for a Masters pool, it's not always about who will win but also about who won’t completely wreck your chances of winning.
Your golfers making the cut is paramount if you want to take down your pool, so we've compiled a little guide broken down by tiers to help you compile a winning team of solid and trustworthy players.
Tier 1
Scottie Scheffler—This is the safe bet and the clear favorite. However, if you’re in a large pool, you may want to choose someone else and hope the defending champ underperforms so you can get a leg up on the field. The world No. 1 may not be as dominant as he was this time last year due to the hand injury that delayed the start of his season, but his second-place finish at the Texas Children's Houston Open proves he could be back to his winning ways very soon.
Justin Thomas—Most people may not have expected JT to be in Tier 1 due to his spotty play, but he’s carded some very low rounds lately. He closed out the Valspar with rounds of 65 and 66, which was a week after tying the course record at TPC Sawgrass (62). However, those rounds were preceded by multiple rounds in the 70s. If he can string together four solid rounds, he will easily be in contention.
Rory McIlroy—Like every year, Rory McIlroy is finding success. He’s already won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship and has finished outside the top 10 only twice in his six worldwide starts this season. The Masters is Rory’s Achilles heel, but with his talent and ever-maturing attitude, he is still a great pick and can easily pull off a victory.
Avoid: Hideki Matsuyama—Mr. Matsuyama started the season strong with a win at The Sentry but has only cracked the top 20 twice since then and missed the cut in his last two starts. In his last 15 rounds, he has broken 70 only three times. Despite his memorable win at Augusta in 2021, he is currently trending in the wrong direction.
Tier 2
Tommy Fleetwood—Tommy is a cut-making machine and seems to rarely finish outside the top 25. He’s an excellent pick for any pool because he’s as sure as a sure thing can be in golf to play on the weekend. However, Fleetwood also holds the distinction of being the most successful player on the PGA Tour not to record a win. I’m sure he would like to shake that title this week, and based on his recent results (ignore the 81 he shot at the Valero Texas Open, as that was due to weather), he seems primed to do so.
Patrick Cantlay—Cantlay is a big tournament guy. He only has eight PGA Tour wins, but they include big-time tourneys like the Tour Championship, the BMW Championship (twice), and the Memorial (twice). He’s in the prime of his career and ready to handle the pressure. He also has two top-5s and four top-15s in seven events this year. He could be peaking right now and is pretty much top-15 in all important scoring stats. If his putter cooperates, he's a major threat.
Will Zalatoris—Another big-time player, Zalatoris thrives in the spotlight. He’s played in The Masters only thrice and never finished outside the top 10. The general consensus is that he’s not the player he was before his back surgery, but he is trending in the right direction. A familiar place like Augusta may give him the spark he needs to break through and finally get a green jacket.
Avoid: Cam Smith—It’s hard to pick any LIV Golf guys in the field this year, as it seems only Bryson DeChambeau can keep up with the PGA Tour players. Smith isn’t even having a good year on the Saudi-backed series, let alone his past major showings. He did finish T6 at last year's Masters, but there have been a lot of over-par rounds shot since then.
Tier 3
Akshay Bhatia—The 23-year-old is a bit erratic with his results, which is why he’s ranked in the third tier. But, if you catch him on a good week, he’ll be in the running late on Sunday afternoon. Look for him to build on his recent T3 at The Players.
Brian Harman—No Texas Open winner has gone on to win The Masters in the same year, but Harman’s win signifies he’s on top of his game. Making the cut here should be no problem as the course sets up nicely for the lefty’s strategic style of play.
Tom Kim—This young firecracker can let his emotions get the better of him sometimes, but they can also be the source of his confident play. His season isn’t quite what he wanted, but that can all change with a good week here, and he knows it.
Avoid: Wyndham Clark—The 2023 U.S. Open winner hasn’t seen much success since that joyous Father’s Day at Los Angeles Country Club. This year, he only has one top-10 finish, and that just happened to be last week, with back-to-back 64s on the weekend. Two good rounds are not quite enough evidence to expect a return to his 2023 form this week.
Tier 4
Corey Conners—The big Canadian is a steal in Tier 4 or below. He has amassed four top-10s this year and only one missed cut in his last 40 events dating back to 2023. Look for him to use his distance and keen course management skills to find himself on the first page of the leaderboard.
Sepp Straka—Straka may not be a household name but he sure knows how to play golf. The Austrian has been reliable in the past, and he’s quietly putting together a solid 2025, sitting second in the FedEx Cup standings behind only Rory McIlroy. This could be a breakout week for Sepp Straka.
Byeong Hun An—With no wins on the PGA Tour yet, it would be hard to pick An to win. But as a cut-maker, he’s a great choice for this tier. If you exclude his three missed cuts, his resume looks pretty good this year. Let’s hope those were just off-weeks and not an accurate representation of his usual play.
Avoid: Min Woo Lee—Lee showed he has the potential to be a champion when he claimed his first PGA victory two weeks ago at the Houston Open. He has the potential to win a major, just not this soon after his first win. He’s still too giddy about it, as this will be his first return to action since then.
Tier 5
Matt Fitzpatrick—He’s not having a great year, but similar to Harman, he can turn it on out of nowhere with his strong mental game. Look for him to rise to the occasion this week and put in a good showing on a course that suits his eye.
Sahith Theegala—Theegala is making cuts this year but always seems to have a blow-up round. It’s easy to pick this style of player because they can sort it out quickly and string together four blistering rounds just like that.
Daniel Berger—Since his missed cut at the Farmer’s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Berger has tallied one top-5, three top-15s, and five top-25s. Augusta rewards consistent play, and that’s what Berger has been doing for the last two months.
Avoid: Max Homa—The former world No. 5 has missed the cut in his last five starts, and before that, he finished T53 at Pebble Beach, withdrew at the Farmers, and tied for 26th at The Sentry. Everyone loves Max for his outgoing personality; unfortunately, that isn’t translating to good golf this year.
Tier 6
Lucas Glover—Here’s another mid-ranked player who should not be in such a low tier. As one of the game's elder statesmen, he’s logged three top-10s, including a pair of T3s at Pebble and The Players. Now competing in his 11th Masters, Glover should put on a good show this week and might even surprise some of the young guns with his pinpoint ball striking.
Keegan Bradley—Another tour veteran seeing a resurgence of dominant play is Keegan Bradley. The Ryder Cup captain has made every cut this year and turned in solid performances at challenging venues. Trust his experience and patience with the demanding test that The Masters presents.
Tom Hoge—This journeyman is riding a recent hot streak that will hopefully continue through this weekend. A T3 at The Players and a T5 at the Valero in his last two starts show he’s found something in his game; there’s no reason to believe that will change this week.
Avoid: Any aging past champions—The Masters is unique because anyone who wins is extended a lifetime opportunity to play in every Masters so long as they can walk. Guys like Mike Weir, José María Olazábal, and Angel Cabrera don’t have their best stuff anymore and are just there due to their status, not their playing ability.
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