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Mark Schlabach
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Mark Schlabach
ESPN Senior Creator
- Senior school soccer creator
- Creator of 7 books on school soccer
- Graduate of the College of Georgia
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Paolo Uggetti
Apr 9, 2025, 07:42 AM ET
The 89th enjoying of the Masters is nearly right here. Can someone problem Scottie Scheffler? Which LIV golfers might be in competition for a inexperienced jacket this week? Are there any first-timers to pay shut consideration to?
From golfers we’re going to be staring at to beginners to gamers who’re beneath the radar, listed below are 5 storylines to observe this week at Augusta.
All eyes on who this week?
Mark Schlabach: Maximum eyes are going to be at the height two golfers on the earth: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. A Sunday duel between Scheffler and McIlroy at Augusta Nationwide Golfing Membership could be improbable for a recreation that has been fed on by means of cash and department the previous few years.
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Scheffler has been essentially the most elite participant in males’s golfing for a lot of the previous 3 years. He will try to sign up for 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 simplest 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).
Scheffler ignored the primary month of the season with a proper hand harm and hasn’t but received in 2025, so you might want to make the argument that McIlroy has been the most productive golfer on this planet the previous few months. On the other hand, there are few golfers who can put their foot at the gasoline like Scheffler at Augusta Nationwide.
McIlroy has already received two times on excursion this season and is enjoying lights-out. McIlroy will check out for the eleventh time for a inexperienced jacket to finish the occupation Grand Slam, which might additionally finish his main championship drought of greater than 10 years.
Paolo Uggetti: There were many phrases spoken and written about Scheffler and McIlroy originally of this season, and understandably so. However in terms of the primary main of the 12 months, it is the unknown that intrigues me and leads me to gravitate towards the 2 LIV gamers who must be on the height of any favorites record: Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
Bryson DeChambeau led after the primary spherical of the 2024 Masters, ultimately completing T6. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities
On one hand, Rahm received this match two years in the past and DeChambeau is coming off his 2d occupation main ultimate 12 months within the U.S. Open, plus two different top-6 finishes in majors. On paper, that is sufficient. But 3 years into the LIV experiment, it is tough to grasp precisely how or when gamers’ efficiency will translate from there to the most important degree. DeChambeau proved ultimate 12 months that he may nonetheless compete and win majors, however he hasn’t received on LIV since September 2023.
What does that imply for this week at Augusta? It is not possible to grasp, nevertheless it makes DeChambeau’s each shot value staring at. The similar is going for Rahm, whose worst end on LIV this season is a tie for 9th. Despite the fact that he did leave out the reduce on the Hero Dubai Wilderness Vintage in January, his simplest non-LIV match, his recreation seems to be trending in the best course.
First-timers to observe
Schlabach: I am tempted to move with Thomas Detry, the previous Illinois superstar golfer, who picked up his first PGA Excursion win with a seven-shot victory on the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 9. He tied for fourth in ultimate 12 months’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golfing Membership in Louisville, Kentucky, and for 14th within the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina the following month.
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Detry is an above-average putter, however his iron play has been suspect, and I am not certain he’s going to hit sufficient fairways to contend at Augusta Nationwide.
England’s Aaron Rai is every other just right golfer with contemporary good fortune within the majors, tying for nineteenth on the 2021 Open Championship and eventually 12 months’s U.S. Open. Rai ranks within the height 40 in strokes won: general, off the tee and way, and he is 5th in using accuracy (70.3%). Plus, he comes into the Masters in beautiful just right shape, completing within the height 15 on the Mexico Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Gamers Championship.
Uggetti: Maverick McNealy’s adventure to the Masters has been seven years within the making, however he after all were given right here after successful the RSM Vintage in November and is enjoying one of the vital best possible golfing of his occupation. The Stanford alum has 4 top-10 finishes on excursion this season and used to be a runner-up on the Genesis Invitational previous this 12 months.
This week, McNealy’s hanging and way recreation (each top-35 on excursion) must assist him keep within the combine. And if he can pressure it quite neatly and make stronger on his play across the inexperienced, I think like this direction must go well with his recreation.
How will the direction play?
Schlabach: The direction used to be enjoying company and rapid over the weekend for the general spherical of the Augusta Nationwide Ladies’s Beginner and observe rounds Sunday. However then the skies unfolded Monday, dumping greater than an inch of rain.
There’s quite a lot of time to dry the direction out prior to Thursday’s opening spherical, and the membership’s SubAir machine, which acts like a vacuum and pulls water out of the vegetables and into pipes, used to be most likely running extra time. Prime temperatures for the remainder of the week are anticipated to be within the prime 60s and 70s with little probability for rain out of doors of Friday morning.
Then there is the wear from Typhoon Helene, the Class 1 hurricane that blew during the house on Sept. 27, 2024. There used to be intensive injury at Augusta Nationwide and the encompassing house. Bushes don’t seem to be as thick on Nos. 1 and 9. The lack of timber is really a visible distinction for customers who’ve been coming to the direction for years, nevertheless it most likely would possibly not impact golfers’ technique. The sixteenth inexperienced needed to be rebuilt after a tree fell throughout it, and Nos. 1, 8 and 15 vegetables had been additionally redone, in step with McIlroy.
Uggetti: When Xander Schauffele performed the again 9 at Augusta Nationwide on Sunday, he could not assist however understand the lacking timber at the par-3 sixteenth hollow and in other places across the belongings.
“It nearly felt like I used to be enjoying the again 9 for the primary time,” Schauffele stated. “If you end up strolling down 10 you’ll see part the direction. It is beautiful loopy to form of see what number of — it is unhappy, too, to look what number of timber have fallen.”
As Schauffele defined, the timber at Augusta have served as aiming issues for gamers off a couple of tees. Now, a few of the ones are long gone, however he does not look ahead to the direction enjoying that a lot other than it has on account of it.
“For essentially the most section, I believe the direction goes to play the very same as prior to,” Schauffele stated. “You might have a goal you’ll’t goal at. Like over the eleventh inexperienced, there is the ones 3 timber, however you’ll simply use the bridge as a reference now in order for you.”
McIlroy echoed Schauffele’s observations.
“From a tee shot point of view, there are a pair tee photographs which can be perhaps rather less visually intimidating,” McIlroy stated. “There is a couple overhanging timber that don’t seem to be there anymore. However in reality, except for that, I believe it is just about the similar. However for sure a few tee photographs that glance a little bit bit other.”
What do you are expecting from LIV golfers this week?
Schlabach: There are a dozen LIV gamers within the box, and it would not marvel me if there are two or 3 within the ultimate height 10. That being stated, I am not precisely certain who that will likely be, as a result of the standard suspects have performed unevenly to this point in 2025. Closing week’s match at Trump Nationwide Doral Golfing Membership in Miami used to be the primary big-boy direction they might performed shortly, and most of the greatest names struggled at the weekend.
DeChambeau used to be nonetheless tweaking his recreation heading into Miami. He carded a 3-over 75 on Sunday and completed 5th. Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, posted a 2-over 74 within the ultimate spherical and tied for 9th. Cameron Smith has a just right observe file at Augusta, and Patrick Reed at all times turns out to play neatly there. I may see them cracking the highest 10 once more.
Uggetti: Like I famous above, LIV must include a disclaimer: “Previous efficiency isn’t indicative of long term effects,” and that is going each techniques. Even supposing we’ve not heard an excessive amount of from gamers reminiscent of Brooks Koepka this 12 months, it would not marvel me if he as soon as once more became it on at a big and competed at Augusta. The similar is going for Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Smith, who all have video games that are compatible the direction neatly.
All of that being stated, there’s one LIV participant I be expecting one thing from this week, and that is the reason Joaquín Niemann. The Chilean has two wins on LIV this season plus a win on the PIF Saudi Global in December and has been enjoying like a top-10 participant on the earth today. (Knowledge Golfing ranks him at No. 11.) Niemann’s ability is simple, however he’s additionally being propped up by means of some — like Mickelson — as a contender for the most productive participant on the earth at the moment, even if his main file is not precisely stellar: In 22 tries, he hasn’t ever had a top-10 end. Given the way in which he has been enjoying, that is as just right every week as any for Niemann to position in combination a aggressive end.
An under-the-radar participant or tale we’re going to be speaking about on the finish of the week
Russell Henley comes into the Masters ranked No. 7 within the Global Golfing Scores. Michael Madrid-Imagn Pictures
Schlabach: I have no idea if I would describe a five-time winner at the PGA Excursion as being beneath the radar, however Russell Henley certain is not getting a lot credit score for being the No. 7 participant on the earth. He earned his 5th excursion victory towards a loaded box on the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 9, one in every of his 4 top-10s in seven begins this season.
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Plus, if a Masters winner has to seek out fairways and execute 2d photographs, there don’t seem to be many golfers within the box higher than Henley. He is 3rd on excursion in vegetables in law (72.8%) and eleventh in using accuracy (66.2%), and he is probably the most higher putters in the market, too.
Henley broke via within the majors the former two seasons, completing within the height 15 in 4 of 8 begins. He tied for fourth on the 2023 Masters. Henley grew up within the state, attended the College of Georgia, and most likely dreamed of slipping on a inexperienced jacket.
Uggetti: I think like no person is speaking about Collin Morikawa. That isn’t if truth be told true, however quite talking, apparently the No. 4 participant on the earth (No. 3 on Knowledge Golfing) and the present chief in strokes won: way is flying beneath the radar this week. The 2-time main champion hasn’t received 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 12 months.
Closing 12 months, Morikawa had a shot to win heading into Sunday however wilted as Scheffler ran away with it. This 12 months, his recreation is arguably in higher form, his hanging is way progressed and similar to McIlroy, he has quite a lot of motivation to finish a drought. I would not be stunned if, come Sunday, he is proper again on the height of the leaderboard once more.
If we wish to move deeper down the chances record, check out Akshay Bhatia. After you have his debut right here out of the way in which ultimate 12 months, Bhatia is now probably the most 25 best possible gamers on the earth and, had it now not been for a shaky hanging week on the Gamers, he most likely would were within the playoff along McIlroy and J.J. Spaun. If the putter will get sizzling, search for Bhatia to have a just right week.
