Tiger and Phil Are Gone and The Masters Just Became Wide Open: Here's Who's Actually Ready to Win
For the first time since 1994, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will be on the course at Augusta National this week. That alone tells you everything you need to know about how much golf has shifted. The Masters tees off Thursday without its two most iconic names, and honestly, that might be the most wide-open the tournament has felt in decades.
Scheffler's Got the Ranking but Not the Form
Scottie Scheffler enters as the favorite at plus-495 to win and holds the world's No. 1 ranking for the fifth straight year. But here's the thing: his recent form is spotty. He's tied for 12th, tied for 24th, and tied for 22nd in his last three tournaments. He just took a golf break for the birth of his second child, so this week feels more like a top-10 finish at minus-192 for the planet's best player. When Scheffler's not firing on all cylinders, everyone else gets a real shot.
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Rory McIlroy won it all last year, defeating Justin Rose in a playoff to complete the career slam, but he's battling back woes. Jon Rahm won the green jacket in 2023 and sits at plus-910 odds. Bryson DeChambeau was hunting last year before a brutal final-round 75 dropped him into a tie for fifth. He's plus-1050 to win.
Then you've got the guys who feel like they're due. Xander Schauffele is plus-1800 and playing hot. Cameron Young at plus-2300 looks like he could finally break through, despite missing the cut last year. Young is 28, has six top-10 finishes in majors including two at Augusta, and just won The Players with three straight top-10 showings.
Don't sleep on Ludvig Aberg either. He finished second at the Masters in 2024, tied for seventh last year, and is rolling with three straight top-five finishes. He's plus-1650 for a top-five finish.
The Value Play Nobody's Talking About
Tommy Fleetwood tied for third at Augusta in 2024 and has eight top-10 finishes in majors. He's got four top-10 finishes in his last five events this season, making him a legitimate option at plus-166 for a top-10 finish.
The Masters starts Thursday. For the first time in 32 years, it's anyone's tournament.
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