10 burning Masters questions for Augusta National to answer

THIRTY-THOUSAND-PLUS FEET IN THE AIR, America’s Heartland — It’s Masters week, which should come as no surprise to you, dear reader. But while Tiger Woods isn’t in this field, there’s still a lot going on and plenty of burning questions we want answered as we head into the first major of the season at Augusta National Golf Club.

Who’s ready? Who’s not? Who’s peaking? Who are we forgetting about? Let’s get to it. Here are 10 burning questions we have for this 2025 Masters — which we’ll write from the air as we make our way to Georgia.

How is Scottie Scheffler’s hand?

During a pre-Masters press conference on March 19, Scheffler admitted it’s taken some time to get strength back in his hand following his Christmas Day injury that forced him to miss his first couple of starts.

“Not being able to do those things is definitely an adjustment,” Scheffler said. “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. That was nice. I definitely had some things that I could for sure improve on, and like I said, my swing, I feel like is really starting to come around. And I’m definitely excited about the things we kind of figured out when we were [at the Players].”

These comments came prior to Scheffler’s T2 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open two weeks ago, so that might be a sign the hand is improving. Perhaps it’s a testament to just how good he’s been the last couple of years that here we are, in April, and it’s almost odd that Scheffler has yet to win in six starts. What a world.

Is this finally Rory’s year?

He likes where his game is, has won twice in five starts and hasn’t finished worse than T17 this season. He has seven top-10 finishes at Augusta National and has left no box unchecked over the past decade trying to figure out the best way in which he can prepare for this tournament, the only one he needs to win to complete the career grand slam.

One day, you’d think, he’s going to win one of these jackets. But until he does we’re cornered into believing perhaps he’s just haunted by this course. He’s always a favorite here, and he should be, but there does seem to be more steam around him this year. Maybe that’s because Scottie didn’t dominate the Florida swing like usual; maybe it’s because people finally think it’s time; maybe Rory has paid his dues? We’ll find out soon enough.

Which Bryson will we see?

Bryson DeChambeau made headlines when he called the Masters a par 67 during the pandemic-delayed 2020 event, but he limped to a T34 finish that year (then went on to win the U.S. Open at Winged Foot). But despite his prodigious power he’s never really played Augusta that well — until last year. He finished T6 and won the crowd over, and that’s not only due to that time he picked up a sign and hoisted it over his shoulder like a sack of laundry on Amen Corner.

Last year’s Masters top 10 was followed by a runner-up finish at the PGA and second U.S. Open title, where he edged McIlroy. His LIV season hasn’t been anything too exciting, although he did say on Friday he’s in a “great frame of mind,” which has to count for something, right?

“I’m happy about life. Got a lot of positive things going for me, not only [with my YouTube channel] but outside of that, in business, and just the people that I have around me,” he said Friday at LIV Miami. “I think we’re stronger than ever, and that’s what matters most, ultimately. Yeah, putting on a green jacket, winning the U.S. Open trophy, winning the Open Championship, the PGA Championship, that’s all great. But really what matters to me is the people that I have around me and who I can trust.”

Lovely! But does that mean he’ll win this week? Knowing Bryson, he’ll certainly make headlines. In what fashion? We’ll see.

Was Viktor Hovland’s win a trend or mirage?

Remember that Viktor who won the last two playoff events in 2023 — a season in which he had nine top 10s — and was ready to take the golf world by storm? Well, that didn’t necessarily pan out. Hovland didn’t win last year (and had just two top 10s) and even shot 80 during the first round of this year’s Players, where he missed his third straight cut. So of course he won the the Valspar Championship the following week. That’s good, right? Well, yes, of course it is. But he also didn’t sound overly confident immediately fallowing that victory; in fact he sounded surprised. He hasn’t played since then. Can you trust him?! That’s for you to figure out.

Will the magic number change?

It should be a nice little Masters week weather-wise. That’s not counting Monday, which was mostly rained out and now bummed out fans will the opportunity to come back Masters Monday next year. But besides the chance of a little rain later in the week, it should be a beautiful handful of days in ideal conditions. The last four Masters champs have all finished around the same spot — 10 under (twice), 11 under and 12 under — so that might be the magic number to keep tabs on this week. Will it change? Who can get there first? Or, more importantly, who can stay there?

Which major-less player will ditch that label?

Let’s go to the list: Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, Sepp Straka, Corey Conners, Sam Burns, Russell Henley — all those guys (plus a few more) are the top candidates for Best Player Never To Win A Major. Xander Schauffele was on this list but you remember last year, right? Two majors. He’s properly kicked out of this club. Aberg might be the current best player without one, although he certainly hasn’t been at it the longest. He was second in his first-ever Masters last year and is now, thanks to a win at the Genesis Invitational in February, the No. 5 player in the world. He’s a trendy pick this week.

Is it finally Joaquin Niemann’s time?

Forget winning the Masters, it’s time for the 26-year-old Niemann to simply show up in a major. One of the most talented players in pro golf, Niemann won twice on the PGA Tour before booking it to LIV, where he won twice last year and has already won twice this year. After the latest victory at LIV Golf Singapore last month, Phil Mickelson called Niemann the top player in the sport. Bold? You bet it was. Especially since Niecmann has made 22 major starts and has still yet to finish in the top 10 just once. He was T22 at the Masters last year and T16 the year before.

How much magic does Phil have left?

If you’ve been listening to Phil Mickelson talk at golf tournaments this year, you might like his chances this week. He’s confident. He’s playing well. He’s talking about course-management changes. And this all comes from a three-time Masters champ who finished as the runner-up two years ago. Now he’s 54, but some players don’t age as fast at Augusta National, where course knowledge is crucial and where we’ve seen several players on the back-half of their careers find a little magic. That said, how much magic does Mickelson have left? In four LIV starts this year he’s finished 3rd and 6th in two of them, the latter on Sunday at LIV Miami.

Collin Morikawa is going to win this… right?

I’ll admit this is a biased entry, but Morikawa has given me lots to like as I’ve dug into Masters favorites over the past week. For starters, he’s won two majors before, so he doesn’t have to worry about first-timer nerves, and his game is perfect for Augusta National. One of the game’s best ball-strikers has been exactly that this season, leading the Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach. He’s been sniffing wins this season, too, finishing as the runner-up twice with a T10 and pair of T17s. He’s in that sweet spot of playing well, playing confidentially and hungry for his next win, which hasn’t happened since the 2023 Zozo Championship. Last one on Collin — he’s played here five times and is trending in the right direction. After a T22 in his 2020 debut, he’s never finished outside of the top 20 and his last three appearances were top 10s, including last year’s third-place finish.

Will the Masters unveil a new sandwich?

It’s been a few years, right? (I just wanted to get this list to 10. My plane is landing and I need to wrap this up.)

Happy Masters week, all.