Latest Masters 2025 Expert Predictions for Rory Mcilroy, Top Stars

The 89th edition of The Masters will begin on Thursday at Augusta, and many of the sports' biggest stars will be vying for this year's green jacket.

Heading into the first major of 2025, there might not be a brighter star than Rory McIlroy. Having already won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship, the 35-year-old is riding an early hot streak not unlike Scottie Scheffler's early 2024 run.

Scheffler, of course, went on to win the 2024 Masters by four strokes.

Not everyone believes that McIroy will finally win the one major that has eluded him, and he will certainly face a talent-laden field.

Here, you'll find a look at what lies ahead, the early favorites and some expert predictions from around the web.

The Masters 2025

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Dates: April 10-13

Location: Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, GA

Prize Purse: $20 million ($3.6 million to winner)

TV Schedule

Thursday, April 10: 3-7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Friday, April 11: 3-7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Saturday, April 12: 12-2 p.m. ET on Paramount+, 2-7 p.m. ET on CBS

Sunday, April 13: 2-2 p.m. ET on Paramount+, 2-7 p.m. ET on CBS

Live Stream: Masters.com, Masters App, Masters YouTube, Paramount+, ESPN+

Odds for Early Favorites

Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler +400 (bet $100 to win $400)

Rory McIlroy +650

Jon Rahm +1400

Collin Morikawa +1600

Ludvig Aberg +1600

Bryson DeChambeau +2000

Xander Schauffele +2000

Justin Thomas +2200

Joaquin Niemann +2500

*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Preview and Expert Predictions

David Cannon/Getty Images

Collin Morikawa

As always, The Masters will unfold at Augusta National Golf Course. Though the historic venue suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Helene last year, fans may only notice minimal differences.

"There’s definitely some trees gone, some areas that were really, really thick and now you can see a little more through them. But the actual playability of the golf course hasn’t changed," 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed said, per Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated.

As is usually the case, the course should be just as challenging as the top competitors.

Along with McIlroy, Scheffler figures to be a top contender this week. No player has won the tournament in consecutive years since Tiger Woods did it in 2021 and 2022. However, Scheffler has won two of the last three and remains No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings.

Scheffler has yet to win a tournament this year, but it'll surprise exactly no one if he manages to pull out another win at Augusta.

A win by McIlroy, however, could be a bit more stunning. He's finished second once but missed the cut in 2023 and finished tied for 22nd last year. Former Tour pro and current Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee believes that The Masters has simply become a problem for McIlroy.

"It brings out the worst golf in Rory annually that we see," Chamblee said, per Aaron Morris of The Mirror. "It was his worst golf last year in the majors, his worst the year before, two years before that it was his worst golf. He annually underperforms there."

Should McIlroy underwhelm this weekend, he probably won't be the only favorite to do so. SportsLine golf expert Sia Nejad is fading 2023 winner Jon Rahm.

"I'm unwilling to speculate on how he sizes up against the top talent on the PGA Tour at such a short number," Nejad said, per CBS Sports.

Nejad is higher on Collin Morikawa, whose odds are just a bit longer than Rahm's:

"His ball striking has been phenomenal for the last 12 months and he's shown an ability to spike with the short game. His Masters history is even better from a pure metrics standpoint as he's consistently gained across all four strokes gained categories for four years in a row."

Though we haven't seen a true longshot win The Masters in recent years, CBS Sports' Patrick McDonald likes Sepp Straka, who currently has 75-1 odds:

"Straka ranks inside the top 10 in the world in driving accuracy and iron play so far in 2025. This is the combination that led him to a T-16 finish at the Masters last season."

We may see a surprising field of contenders on Sunday, or, we might see one of the favorites run away from the pack—McIlroy is still considered the best bet by Golf Digest.

"The vibes are as high as ever for him to finally complete the career Grand Slam," Alex Myers of Golf Digest wrote.

Either way, fans can expect four thrilling rounds of golf to take place in the coming days.

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