Breaking Down the Field for the 2025 Masters

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The Masters Tournament always delivers a strong yet compact field, and the 2025 Masters is no exception. With 96 invitees currently set to tee off April 10 at Augusta National Golf Club, the event remains under the 100-golfer mark, ensuring a tight, elite competition. Here’s a closer look at the past champions, special invitees and betting favorites shaping this year’s field. If you’re interested in the five amateurs lining the field, check out What to watch for at the 2025 for a breakdown of those youngsters. 

Past Champions at Augusta National

A hallmark of the Masters is its reverence for history and celebrating past achievements, reflected in the 19 past champions gracing the 2025 field. If you win a green jacket, you are invited for life. That includes a lovely pre-tournament Champions Dinner which usually provides us with a fun photo and a few good stories. 

Glancing at the last 20 winners of the Masters, six of them had previously won a Masters (30%). For all of the hoopla about course history at Augusta National that is surprisingly low when you consider how much of the pre-tournament win equity the list of past winners usually takes up. There is always a new crop of talent rising up and also plenty of established talent that are waiting for their turn to slip on the green jacket.  

Not all past winners decide to play and this year 16 past champions are absent, largely due to age or health. Tiger Woods, sidelined by a ruptured Achilles despite what he shared on April Fool’s Day, joins the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, who have stepped back from competition. Aging stars like Mark O’Meara and Sandy Lyle also sit out, thinning the veteran ranks but leaving room for the 19 still in the fight to shine.

Special Invites at the 2025 Masters

Augusta National’s tradition of extending special invitations to international stars continues in 2025 with Joaquín Niemann and Nicolai Hojgaard earning coveted spots. Chairman Fred Ridley emphasized this practice, stating, “In support of Augusta National’s efforts to develop interest in golf globally, deserving international players not otherwise qualified have been invited throughout the tournament’s history.” 

Niemann, a Chilean standout from LIV Golf, brings a dynamic game that could shake up the leaderboard. Earlier this week we highlighted him in What to Watch For at the 2025 Masters due to his stellar form but putrid record at major championships. His recent form, including a strong LIV season, justifies Augusta’s nod.

Hojgaard, a Danish rising star, complements Niemann as the second special invitee. Known for his length off the tee and poise under pressure. Nicolai will join his brother Rasmus in the field who found his way in through the OWGR. It will mark the first time in history that twin brothers have competed in the same Masters. 

Betting Favorites at the Masters

The betting board for the 2025 Masters paints a two-man race at the top. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy sit in single digits in the outright market, distancing themselves from the pack. 

Scheffler, the world No. 1, enters as the favorite after his 2022 and 2024 triumphs at Augusta National. A win would make him the first to go back-to-back since Tiger Woods in 2001-02 and only the second player to claim three Masters in a four-year span. Jack Nicklaus accomplished that feat with wins in 1963, 1965 and 1966. 

McIlroy, meanwhile, chases the elusive Green Jacket to complete his career Grand Slam, a storyline detailed in What to Watch for at the 2025 Masters. It is rare to see a golf tournament shape up exactly like the bookmakers suggest, but a Scheffler-McIlroy showdown would be quite a treat for golf fans. 

Finalizing the Masters Field

With 96 players locked in, the 2025 Masters field will finalize after the Valero Texas Open, where the winner can snag a last-minute invite if not already qualified. From past champions to special invitees and betting titans, this compact yet potent lineup promises a thrilling battle for the Green Jacket.

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