What to Watch for at the 2025 Masters

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What to watch for at the 2025 Masters? Well, buckle up, because Augusta National always delivers a calming yet thrilling ride. The Masters Tournament has long been golf’s most iconic event, and the 2025 edition at Augusta National is gearing up to be no different, with plenty of dramatic narratives already shaping up. From the return of LIV Golf stars to Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of history and the emergence of young amateurs, there’s no shortage of storylines. With the golf team at FTN Fantasy being extremely data-driven, we often skip over these narratives when dialing in our projections but from a fan’s perspective here’s what you need to keep an eye on this April.

LIV Golfers Rejoining the Party

One of the biggest talking points heading into this year’s Masters is the reunion of PGA Tour stars and LIV Golf players on the same stage. After years of tension between the two circuits, it’s still hard to find them teeing it up in the same events. Seeing household names like Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau back at Augusta is always going to spice things up. 

For DFS players on DraftKings, the LIV golfers might offer some sneaky value or leverage opportunity, especially if the market undervalues their form on the other worldwide tours like LIV, DP World Tour and the Asian Tour. Then there’s Joaquin Niemann, who should be a polarizing figure at this year’s Masters. People will either love him or hate him. He’s been playing like a top-10 golfer in the world on the LIV circuit. The catch? His major championship record is a serious letdown, shockingly posting zero top-15 finishes in 22 tries. If he can’t finally crack the code at Augusta, the doubters will only get louder.

Rory McIlroy’s Quest for a Career Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy’s chase for the Green Jacket feels like a saga that’s been building forever, and 2025 might just be his year. He’s a Masters win away from joining the exclusive career grand slam club alongside legends like Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. 

Coming into this year’s tournament, Rory’s is arguably in the best form of his career. He’s already notched two PGA Tour wins in 2025, including a huge victory at The Players Championship. That win marked the first time he’s ever arrived at Augusta with two U.S.-based titles under his belt before the Masters. More than a decade has passed since his collapse at the 2011 Masters, so I think the scar tissue is getting thinner and thinner. If he slips on that Green Jacket, it’ll be one of the defining moments of his already Hall-of-Fame career.

Course Horses at Augusta National

Augusta National has a way of rewarding players who figure out its quirks, or at least that is how the story goes. Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele and Will Zalatoris have all gained more than 30 strokes on the field over the last five years. Will it be a wise move to keep banking on that course history at Augusta National? 

Over the years you could argue that course history at Augusta National has gotten overvalued. That is why it’s important to use projections like the ones found over at FTN Fantasy, which can quickly show you expected finish rates and then you can compare those to the market’s expected finish rates. If the market is already baking in that course history, then sometimes it’s better to look elsewhere and let the masses overpay for history. 

Low Amateur Watch: The Future Stars of Golf

Every Masters brings a fresh crop of amateurs into the spotlight, and this year’s group is no exception. Five young guns are teeing it up, including U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester. He’s joined by Evan Beck, Justin Hastings, Noah Kent and Hiroshi Tai, all vying for the Silver Cup awarded to the low amateur. 

Unfortunately, it’s not always the best amateurs who punch their ticket. Using DataGolf’s amateur rankings, for example, they show Ballester as the best of the bunch, ranked just eighth among all amateurs. Justin Hastings checks in at 16th while Evan Beck is 17th on the DG list of amateurs. 

Watching these future stars take on Augusta’s challenges is always a treat, and there’s a chance one of them could surprise the pros and make a run up the leaderboard. Are they ready to earn a spot in your DFS roster right out of the gate? Maybe not, but it’s always a fun secondary leaderboard to track, especially if you are betting on the Low Amateur market. 

Follow Your Favorites at the 2025 Masters

Every golf fan tunes into the Masters for their own reasons, and that’s what makes it special. Some will be all-in on the LIV Golf-PGA Tour reunion, while others might find it a total snooze, preferring to track Rory McIlroy’s grand slam chase instead. The course history buffs will have their eyes on the usual suspects, but that could feel like old news to fans rooting for the amateurs to shake things up. Luckily, Augusta National never runs short on storylines, which is why it remains the most-watched major year after year. Pick your favorite angle, settle in, and enjoy the ride. There’s something here for everyone.

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