The Masters signals the start of the golf season and, with the stars from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf League teeing it up, it's set to be another epic.
World No.1 and defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, comes into the week as the favorite, with the American searching for a third Green Jacket in his last four starts.
Along with Scheffler, Rory McIlroy has seen his odds slashed severely after a very strong start to 2025 that has seen him claim the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship.
Among the other favorites are Ludvig Aberg, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau, with the battle for the Green Jacket set-up to be a thrilling one come Sunday.
I asked every member of the Golf Monthly team for their winner, as well as an outsider, to help you with your pre-Masters betting. A number of names popped up multiple times, as you'd expect, while there were some names that may just get you thinking.
Masters Predictions: Who will win the Green Jacket?
Favorite - Justin Thomas
In all honesty, there are about 15 players I could select for both the favorite and outsider category so, for this section, I'm going with Justin Thomas. The American has shown some incredible form this year via some very low rounds and, personally, his putting is starting to get better. If you couple that with his shot making ability and scoring, this could be the year JT challenges for a Green Jacket.
Outsider - Dustin Johnson
I can't quite believe that I'm putting Dustin Johnson as an outsider but, looking at his odds, the former Masters winner falls into that category. Since his poor performance at LIV Golf Hong Kong he has secured a T5 in Singapore and, as of writing, is in contention in Miami. Despite a poor run of form at Augusta National over the past few years, DJ is a player who won't be phased. I will also give a shout out to his 4Aces GC teammate Patrick Reed, who is also offering very generous odds.
Favorite - Brooks Koepka
My heart and head are saying all kinds of names but it is Brooks Koepka who I am settling on this year. The five-time Major champion has been second at The Masters twice and will still feel like he has unfinished business after losing his 54-hole lead to Jon Rahm in 2023. A strong start to 2025 shows he is in form, and I fancy him to join Mickelson, Faldo and Trevino as a six-time Major winner.
Outsider - Sepp Straka
I am between Garcia and Straka for my outside pick but will go with Austria’s, and Ryder Cup Team Europe’s, Sepp Straka. I have no doubt in the three-time PGA Tour winner’s ability to challenge at Augusta National as he’s right up there among the world’s best players statistically this year. He has played in three Masters tournaments and made the cut each year, with his best finish of T16 coming in 2024.
Favourite - Collin Morikawa
Some will point to Morikawa’s inability to get over the line of late, at The Sentry and Arnold Palmer Invitational he finished T2 for example, but the American is playing very well indeed right now. The strongest part of his game is iron play, and Augusta National rewards that facet handsomely. I expect to see him towards the top end of the leaderboard come Sunday.
Outsider - Russell Henley
It seems strange to put the seventh best player in the world as an outsider but Henley just seems to fit that bill for me. A player who could easily stroll through an airport without getting recognised, Henley is extremely consistent thanks to his combination of driving accuracy, approach play, short game and putting. He has only missed the cut at Augusta once and his absolute worst finish when making the cut is T38 back in 2024.
Favorite - Ludvig Aberg
With the caveat that I was so close to picking Joaquin Niemann, Aberg just about gets the nod, in my eyes. Augusta National is all about having a world-class approach game and being razor sharp around the greens. I wholeheartedly trust the Swede from the fairways, so his chances of success this week will be all about his ability to get up and down and putt well. He finished second last year and I'm hoping the unflappable World No.5 can serenely slip on his first Green Jacket at just the second attempt.
Outsider: Russell Henley
If you want to talk about a guy with a world-class approach game, look no further than Henley. In his past 20 starts - which includes the 2024 Valero Texas Open - Henley has gained strokes on the field 18 times. Around the green, it's a similar story with 14 separate examples of shots gained from the last 20 tournaments. His putting is sublime almost every time he tees it up, with the only potential downside being his lack of outright power with the driver.
Favorite - Rory McIlroy
It's time - Rory McIlroy is finally going to claim a Green Jacket and complete the career Grand Slam after an electric start to 2025. He is perhaps playing his best golf heading into a Masters Tournament for as long as I can remember and, with Scheffler playing ever so slightly below his brilliant best, I can see him capitalising for what will be one of the biggest stories in the modern history of our sport.
Outsider - Robert MacIntyre
Augusta loves lefties and Robert MacIntyre might just be the best of those heading into The Masters. He has played this course well on both of his previous visits, claiming T12 and T23 results. Couple that with a a few big victories under his belt at the RBC Canadian Open and Scottish Open, and I believe he has a great chance to go close once again.
Favorite - Scottie Scheffler
While my heart is shouting Rory McIroy at me, my head is pointing me in the direction of Scottie Scheffler. Sure, his early season form hasn't been as electrifying as 2024, but it has been far from bad and the runner-up finish at the Houston Open looks like an ominous sign to me. He's been there and done it, and when the gun goes off he will not be intimidated by the task at hand.
Outsider - Maverick McNealy
The American has been in some great (and consistent) form in the past 12 months and I think his game matches up well with the requirements of Augusta National. I'd be asking a lot for him to be putting on the Green Jacket on Sunday evening but, looking at the odds, I quite fancy an each way bet, especially as he has shown great form in 2025 with three top 10s.
Favorite - Scottie Scheffler
He’s World No.1, he’s won two of the last three Masters and isn't under the same amount of pressure as McIlroy at Augusta National. I can’t see anybody stopping him from donning a third Green Jacket, especially following his runner-up finish at the Houston Open, where even his C-game handed him a runner-up finish.
Outsider - Corey Conners
Despite a couple of quiet years, the Canadian does have three Masters top 10s to his name so clearly knows what he’s doing around the course. Three PGA Tour top tens in a row at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players Championship and Valspar Championship show he’s coming into form at just the right time and perhaps is perhaps slightly under looked coming into Augusta.
Favourite - Hideki Matsuyama
I think the odds are decent for Matsuyama given he's a past champion who has already notched up a PGA Tour victory this season. That came in some style at The Sentry, where he set a new PGA Tour scoring record (admittedly on an easy golf course, for the pros at least!). Since then, he's had a run of solid results and, if his injury issues are behind him, he looks primed to make a run at another Green Jacket this year.
Outsider - Justin Rose
I know I make the case for Rose seemingly every year, but his odds feel very generous to me (he's +10000 in some places). I know he's now 44 years of age, but he was brilliant at The Open last year en route to finishing second, so he's clearly still able to mix it with the big boys in the Majors. He has an excellent record at Augusta (he was runner-up in 2014 and 2017) and he finished in a tie for third at Pebble Beach in February and T8th at Bay Hill last month, so his game is seemingly in good shape.
Favorite - Collin Morikawa
My head says Scheffler, my heart says McIlory, but I’m going to ignore both and choose Morikawa. He has three top 10 finishes in five starts on the PGA Tour this season, including two runner-up finishes, and is flushing the ball so far in 2025. A T3 finish here in 2024 also shows he knows how to compete around Augusta National.
Outsider - Will Zalatoris
Zalatoris has had his injury struggles over the past few years but I’ve seen enough of him so far this season to think he’ll have a good week in Georgia. He’s finished in the top 10 in all three of his Masters starts and, although his 2025 PGA Tour results have been middling, I think he’ll excel at a difficult golf course like Augusta National. Honorable mentions go to Shane Lowry and Henley, both of whom I tip for strong performances.
