How stars are looking heading into Augusta

The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing began with Joe Highsmith doing one thing no participant had achieved in 9 years to win the Cognizant Traditional. It ended with Viktor Hovland stunning himself whereas holding off Justin Thomas to win the Valspar Championship. In between, there was a long-awaited massive win for Russell Henley on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a Rory McIlroy win on the Gamers Championship that had somewhat little bit of every part.

The four-week romp in Florida gave us a superb pulse verify on the state of the sport’s elite, with the 2025 Masters simply two weeks away.

We’ll begin with McIlroy, who now has two wins in 5 begins and, cease me for those who’ve heard this earlier than, appears primed to lastly win the inexperienced jacket.

‘Complete’ Rory McIlroy

McIlroy (+650 odds-to-win for the Masters) opened the season with a win on the Pebble Seashore Professional-Am, the place he debuted a brand new mindset molded after his observations of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy aimed to do a greater job at course administration, hoping to reduce massive errors and provides himself extra alternatives to hold in and win tournaments. Coupled with intense work to repair a difficulty together with his takeaway, McIlroy plodded his manner round Pebble Seashore earlier than hitting the gasoline on Sunday for PGA Tour win No. 27.

Strolling down the 18th fairway on Sunday at Pebble, McIlroy turned to caddie Harry Diamond and uttered a phrase that might wind up prescient if the Northern Irishman lastly snaps his main drought this yr.

“Start,” McIlroy mentioned, “as you mean to go on.”

McIlroy arrived at TPC Sawgrass one month later and gained his second Gamers Championship by defeating J.J. Spaun in a Monday playoff. The week began with McIlroy concerned in an incident with a heckling spectator. It ended with him turning into simply the fourth participant to win a number of Gamers titles and a number of main championships. That McIlroy gained at Sawgrass whereas hitting lower than half of the fairways speaks to the place his total recreation is as Augusta looms.

Exhibit A of this totally different model of McIlroy? The flighted, non-stock 9-iron he hit into the famed seventeenth inexperienced in the course of the playoff to knock off Spaun.

“I’ve worked really hard. I feel like I’m a way more complete player than I was a few years ago,” McIlroy mentioned after the win on the Gamers. “Even in conditions like this. That little 9-iron into 17, the little 8-iron into the [18], I said to Harry there, that little shot will take us a long way.

“I’m a better putter. I’m better around the greens. I can flight my ball better in the wind. My ability to shape shots both ways,” McIlroy mentioned about being extra full. “Yeah, I’d say those are the things. Really, I’m managing myself more around — by no means did I have my best stuff this week, but I was still able to win one of the biggest tournaments in the world. That’s a huge thing.”

A take a look at the strokes gained stats reveals that McIlroy is “more complete” this yr. Whereas McIlroy has been closely reliant on the motive force previously, solely 40 p.c of his 2.3 strokes gained per spherical are coming off the tee this season. That may be the bottom proportion of complete strokes gained taken up by the motive force in his profession. In the course of the 2019 season, which is statistically McIlroy’s finest yr, 46 p.c of his complete strokes gained got here off the tee.

At TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy gained solely 18 p.c of his complete pictures off the tee (+2.63). Fifty-three p.c got here by way of strategy play (+7.78), whereas 34 p.c got here with the flat stick (+4.96). He ranks first in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, sixteenth in strategy and tenth in placing thus far this season.

The four-time main winner has been all programs go to start out the season, however solely he is aware of if it is going to translate as soon as he drives down Magnolia Lane.

Scottie Scheffler’s rust

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (+460 odds-to-win for the Masters) got here again from a hand harm suffered making do-it-yourself ravioli in February. He has three top-11 finishes thus far this season, together with a T3 on the Genesis Invitational, however it’s clear he’s not fairly all the way in which again but.

That’s a credit score to the excessive bar Scheffler has set for himself.

In the course of the week at TPC Sawgrass, Scheffler was clearly pissed off with elements of his recreation. He was irritable throughout media classes and misplaced his cool a bit as his likelihood for a three-peat fell aside throughout an uneven third spherical.

Scheffler’s irritation together with his recreation flared up after a missed par putt on the seventeenth gap. He tapped in for bogey, tossed his ball within the water, slammed his putter in his bag, and walked to the 18th tee by himself, muttering underneath his breath.

Throughout a pre-Masters convention name final week, Scheffler revealed that whereas he has no ache in his proper hand, he’s nonetheless working to get again to one hundred pc.

“Just like getting the strength back in the hand and all that stuff,” Scheffler mentioned. “Like I have absolutely no pain in the hand. But getting the full total range of motion out of my hand is a little bit of a different story. Just because you’re not able to use a certain muscle for almost a month’s time, like my hand, I wasn’t able to really use. You have to build back strength in that hand. And not being able to do the exact things that I did in the gym was a challenge as well.

“It was a pretty good chunk of time where I wasn’t able to do the things that I normally did. So when you come back, it takes a little bit of time. … I’m very structured in the way that I do things here at home. So not being able to do those things is definitely an adjustment. So, did it set me back a little bit? Maybe so. But I feel like I’m learning a lot right now, and I definitely did some things really well to start the year.”

Whereas Scheffler has mentioned his ball-striking isn’t as much as his lofty requirements, the around-the-green recreation has lagged in his return. Up to now this season, Scheffler ranks sixth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and eleventh in Strokes Gained: Strategy. However he ranks forty first in Strokes Gained: Across the Greens and 86th in Strokes Gained: Placing.

The 2-time Masters champion hopes to sharpen issues up at this week’s Texas Youngsters’s Houston Open earlier than defending his title at Augusta.

Scheffler will at all times be a menace at Augusta, however his brief recreation has to tighten up if he desires to win a 3rd inexperienced jacket.

Two stars looking out

World No. 3 Xander Schauffele (+1750 for the Masters) gained two majors throughout a breakthrough season in 2024.

The beginning of this season has been totally different for Schauffele. He missed a month because of a rib harm and has spent his first three weeks again looking for the swing really feel that led to that success final yr. This search led to hours on the vary at TPC Sawgrass with coach Chris Como as Schauffele completed final amongst gamers who made the reduce. Schauffele shot 77-81 on the weekend at TPC Sawgrass and is grinding to rediscover the precise really feel.

That search continued this previous week on the Valspar, the place Schauffele blew off steam after a dismal third spherical by blasting driver for an hour to empty out the unhealthy swings. He embraced “dirty golf” to shoot a 5 underneath on Sunday and end T12, however he is aware of there’s work to be achieved.

“I think I feel a little bit better,” Schauffele mentioned Sunday. “Felt like I was kind of going to the drawing board often this week, just on sort of a feel or something to go with of the so today was the focus was kind of back to when you fiddle with your swing so much while you’re trying to compete yesterday I tried to free myself of that and started to hit some snap hooks, so that was obviously a bit concerning. Talking lot with my team and everyone that’s trying to help me on how to approach it, so the thought process was to try and get the ball in the hole and focus on that the most. Doesn’t matter if I have to play with what feels like compensation, just get it done.”

Up to now this season, Schauffele ranks third in strategy play however is exterior the highest 150 in placing, across the inexperienced and off the tee. He did, nonetheless, achieve over 11 pictures on strategy in the course of the Valspar Championship, which was essentially the most in his profession for a single occasion, per the PGA Tour. An indication of progress with the Masters on deck.

Additionally on the hunt for his previous recreation is Jordan Spieth, who has proven flashes of his previous self after offseason wrist surgical procedure however hasn’t been in a position to put all of it collectively as he works to get the unhealthy habits out of his swing.

“When I stand over it and I’m not trying to avoid things,” Spieth mentioned on the Gamers when requested when he could be snug. “Instead, I’m picking a target, and I’m very confident it’s going to start on that target and move to where I want it. … I’m doing a really good job of battling it. I had to kind of rebuild stuff from a few months of nothing, and it wasn’t like I was coming back to something that was already great right before. I was in some really bad habits for a year and a half.”

Spieth gave himself an opportunity on the Valspar with a stable third spherical however couldn’t get something happening Sunday, ending in a tie for twenty eighth.

Spieth ranks 79th in Strokes Gained: Strategy and 91st in Strokes Gained: Placing as he grinds to prepare for Augusta, the place he nearly at all times performs effectively no matter kind.

Good vibes

Ludvig Aberg (+1500 for the Masters)
Collin Morikawa (+1600 for the Masters)
Justin Thomas (+2000 for the Masters)

Aberg gained the Genesis Invitational in spectacular style. He contended eventually yr’s Masters earlier than dumping one into the water on 11 on Sunday.

The younger Swedish star missed the reduce at TPC Sawgrass. Whereas an MC at Pete Dye’s torture chamber isn’t a purple flag, Aberg is at present ranked 102 in strategy play and 140 across the inexperienced. These strokes gained numbers have been broken by a troublesome displaying at TPC Sawgrass, however some sharpening is so as if he’s going to contend at Augusta.

Morikawa has two runner-up finishes this season and a win must be on the horizon. He ranks first in Strokes Gained: Tee to Inexperienced and first in strategy play. Solely a historic week from Hideki Matsuyama and a Henley chip-in have stopped Morikawa from an early-season win. He’ll be a sizzling title in two weeks.

As for Thomas, he appeared to have the Valspar gained earlier than late bogeys on 16 and 18 left the door open for Hovland to win at Innisbrook.

Whereas Thomas hasn’t gained in nearly three years, he has been enjoying like a top-10 participant for some time and is near snapping the drought. He ranks tenth in strategy play and fifteenth tee-to-green. The erratic recreation off the tee (108 in strokes gained) has been a hindrance.

“I’ll take a lot of good,” Thomas mentioned Sunday after ending second to Hovland. “Way, way more good than bad. I mean, today was awesome. I felt so comfortable.

“So I’m very, very proud of myself. It sucks not winning when you’re that close and have a great chance, but I just hopefully put myself in the same position in two weeks at Augusta and finish it off better.”

Unhealthy vibes

Wyndham Clark (+7500 for the Masters)
Tony Finau (+5000 for the Masters)
Max Homa (+10000 for the Masters)

Earlier than withdrawing from the Gamers with a neck situation, Clark was trustworthy that he was nonetheless attempting to recapture the enjoyment and high-level recreation he confirmed final March earlier than barely dropping at TPC Sawgrass to Scheffler.

Up to now this season, Clark has one top-15 end (the Sentry) and ranks exterior the top-70 in all Strokes Gained classes besides across the inexperienced (36).

Whereas Finau has three top-15 finishes, together with a T5 on the Genesis, he doesn’t rank inside the highest 50 in any Strokes Gained classes and is 118 in strategy play.

Homa has been within the wilderness actually since he left final yr’s Masters, the place he had an opportunity to win coming into Sunday. Homa hasn’t made a reduce in an occasion with a reduce since final yr’s Open Championship. He’s now exterior the highest 70 within the Official World Golf Rankings and has but to earn a visit to the U.S. Open or Open Championship this yr. He ranks 182 in strategy play (-1.343 pictures gained) and 97 off the tee (0.020 pictures gained).

Homa remains to be grinding. He’s working laborious to get again to being the golfer he was, however it appears far-off now.

LIV check-in

Jon Rahm (+1400 for the Masters)
Bryson DeChambeau (+1900 for the Masters)
Joaquin Niemann (+3500 for the Masters)
Tyrrell Hatton (+3750 for the Masters)
Sergio Garcia (+9500)

In response to Information Golf, which data Strokes Gained information for LIV occasions, 5 golfers on LIV are at present top-40 gamers on this planet: Jon Rahm (4), Joaquin Niemann (8), Tyrrell Hatton (13), Bryson DeChambeau (15) and Sergio Garcia (27).

Niemann has gained two of the primary 4 LIV occasions. Garcia gained at LIV Hong Kong. Hatton gained the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Traditional in January.

Niemann is at present gaining 1.69 strokes ball hanging (off the tee and strategy), whereas Garcia is gaining 1.28. DeChambeau ranks first on LIV in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (+1.55) however is dropping .21 pictures on strategy this season. Hatton ranks forty first off the tee (-0.32). Rahm ranks fifth in SG: Tee to Inexperienced (+1.58).

All 2025 Masters betting odds as of Monday, March 24, 2025. Download the Fanatics Sportsbook app to see the total checklist of odds and bets for the Masters.