2025 Masters Tournament
- Jake Friedman (@THEJakeFriedman)
- Apr 7
- 10 min read
By: Jake Friedman
Introduction
The time has finally come. We've arrived at our first major of the 2025 season! We head to Augusta National Golf Club for the 2025 Masters Tournament. The course is a par 72 that measures 7,555 yards. It plays much longer than the yardage on the scorecard reads. There aren't an overwhelming amount of hazards at Augusta National, but they are extremely well placed and come into play. The bunkers are unique in the sense that the sand used is only featured at this event (hence the importance of getting practice rounds in). Water is in play on just a few holes, but as we've seen in years past, it certainly comes into play. Especially around Amen Corner which is the nickname for holes 11, 12, and 13.
There aren't any significant changes to the course, but one thing to note is that they had to redo a couple of green complexes due to damage from a hurricane this year. Through player interviews to start this week, they've said those greens are playing the same as they have in years past. That hurricane took out a good amount of trees around Augusta National which is important to note because, during those late afternoon times on the course, there's shadows on the already tricky greens.
The Masters is a tournament where course history is extremely important. The last debutant to win this tournament was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. The player profile I looked for this week was extremely well-rounded across the board. I wanted someone strong off the tee with plus distance, strong on approach, and crafty around the greens. The putter was a bonus and will be extremely important this week. As noted in the past, it's the most variable aspect of each player's game and is the easiest to spike in on any given week versus the other main statistical categories. I'm estimating the winning score this week to be between -10 and -12
Outright Betting Selections
Scottie Scheffler +450 (Free plays/Boosts)
I will start off by noting that I do not endorse this play without the use of free play or some sort of boost. That being said, I think it's Scotties tournament to lose this week and I see him putting on his 3rd green jacket. In 5 appearances at The Masters, he has finishes of T19, T18, win, T10, win. Similar to his course history, Scottie hasn't missed a cut so far in the 2025 season, and his worst finish was a T20. It's weird to not see Scottie with a win this season, but he has 9 wins in his last 25 starts. As you can see below from his strokes gained data on the season, he is the best player on the PGA Tour. He is a complete player and is incredible from tee-to-green. What's even scarier is that the putter has been incredible for Scheffler so far this year. All signs and my model point to Scottie this week, so I've used most of my free play I've saved on him this week.
Strokes Gained Total - 3rd
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 7th
Strokes Gained Approach - 8th
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 49th
Strokes Gained Putting - 42nd
Hideki Matsuyama +3400
I placed this as a future shortly after his win at The Sony to kick off the 2025 season thinking there's no way we see this number come April. Well, it's Masters week, and due to consecutive missed cuts, it's pretty close to this number. Hideki won the 2021 Masters not too long ago and has a win already in the 2025 season. His course history has been with 8 Top-20 finishes in 13 appearances. His recent struggles have been due to the putter which isn't a surprise. He is an elite iron player and when he is hitting the ball well, the putter doesn't matter because he is putting the ball within 10 feet on every hole. He is also incredibly crafty around the greens which will certainly play a factor this week. I was hoping he would come into this week in better form, but he still has the game to win his second career green jacket.
Strokes Gained Total - 13th
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 95th
Strokes Gained Approach - 34th
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 3rd
Strokes Gained Putting - 82nd
Will Zalatoris +5500
If you've read an article of mine in the past, it should come as absolutely no surprise that Will Zalatoris is here. One of my favorite golfers and someone who's due for a breakthrough major victory. His history at Augusta National is fantastic despite not having a win here yet. In 3 appearances, he has finishes of T9, T6, and 2nd. Last season when he struggled, one of his best finishes came at The Masters. This year, he is playing some solid golf making the cut in all 7 appearances this season and finishing Top-25 in 3 of those. The off the tee and approach play have been strong which is important. We know the putter is a struggle for Zalatoris, but he's shown he can spike at times and has gained on these greens in 2 of 3 appearances. I think the number is right to take your chances on him this week.
Strokes Gained Total - 38th
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 66th
Strokes Gained Approach - 18th
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 74th
Strokes Gained Putting - 130th
Robert MacIntyre +6500
As crazy as it may sound, MacIntyre is the player I was most excited to click. Who can resist a lefty at The Masters with a great course history and great current form! In his 2 appearances, he's finished T23 and T12. In 9 starts during the 2025 season, MacIntyre has 8 made cuts and 6 Top-20 finishes. Just last season he was also a 2 time winner at the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open. He is playing some of the best golf of his career and he's coming to a place where he's had success before. He fits the player mold of extremely strong off the tee and on approach. He is above average when it comes to around the green play which will be important this week. It'll all come down to the putter cooperating which we've seen in both of his previous appearances at The Masters. I'm manifesting a Robert macIntyre green jacket this week.
Strokes Gained Total - 21st
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 8th
Strokes Gained Approach - 21st
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 67th
Strokes Gained Putting - 137th
Keegan Bradley +15000
I wanted to add a couple long shots to my betting card this week and I looked no further than Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. In 8 appearances at The Masters, he's only missed the cut once and in his 2 most recent appearances, he's finished Top-25 in both. Keegan is playing with added motivation as a major victory will certainly put him in a position to be on the Ryder Cup team this summer and be a playing captain. He's expressed that he will not use a captain's selection on himself so he is doing everything he can to qualify. He's proven his motivation with great play thus far in the 2025 season. He's made the cut in all 8 of his starts and has 5 Top-20 finishes. Like all the previous players I've discussed, he is strong off the tee and on approach. He is also above Tour average around the greens. The putter is what will determine how the week goes. The storyline would be incredible and as a previous major winner, he has the win equity to make that storyline a reality.
Strokes Gained Total - 24th
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 30th
Strokes Gained Approach - 25th
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 55th
Strokes Gained Putting - 129th
Daniel Berger +21500
I had to do a double take when I saw this number next to Berger, who I've backed the past couple weeks. He's returned to form and is playing some amazing golf. In his history at Augusta National, Berger has made the cut in 4 of 5 appearances and has 1 Top-10 finish. It's been 3 years since Berger has teed it up at The Masters and I'd argue this is his best chance to date at winning. In 9 appearances this season, Berger has made the cut in 7 and has 6 Top-25 finishes. He is an extremely well rounded golfer as you can see from the strokes gained data below. What's held him back in his career is the putter, but he has been consistently gaining throughout the course of the season with the flat stick. I am confident he has the ability to make enough putts to win any golf tournament. The odds were too good to pass up on a golfer who is in great form.
Strokes Gained Total - 10th
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 41st
Strokes Gained Approach - 46th
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 19th
Strokes Gained Putting - 44th
DFS Selections
10k Range
Scottie Scheffler ($12,400) - If you read the Scottie Scheffler breakdown in the Outright Betting Selections section, this is going to be the same run down so feel free to skip over this! I think it's Scotties tournament to lose this week and I see him putting on his 3rd green jacket. In 5 appearances at The Masters, he has finishes of T19, T18, win, T10, win. Similar to his course history, Scottie hasn't missed a cut so far in the 2025 season, and his worst finish was a T20. It's weird to not see Scottie with a win this season, but he has 9 wins in his last 25 starts. As you can see below from his strokes gained data on the season, he is the best player on the PGA Tour. He is a complete player and is incredible from tee-to-green. What's even scarier is that the putter has been incredible for Scheffler so far this year. All signs and my model point to Scottie this week.
Strokes Gained Total - 3rd
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 7th
Strokes Gained Approach - 8th
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 49th
Strokes Gained Putting - 42nd
9k Range
Xander Schauffele ($9,700) - I think Xander is going to be severely overlooked this week which opens the door to play him in DFS. He's been out for most of the 2025 season thus far with a rib injury, but finished T12 last time we saw him tee it up at the Valspar Championship. His Masters history is strong. In 7 appearances, Xander has made the cut in 6 and has 5 Top-20 finishes. We saw Xander win his first 2 majors last year with the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. He has the ability to contend and win. If he weren't injured earlier this season, I think he would've been priced roughly $1,000 higher than this. His strokes gained data below is extremely misleading. If you look back to 2024, it'll show an extremely well rounded golfer who was in the top 15 of strokes gained total, off the tee, on approach, and putting. Depending on where the ownership comes in this week, I will absolutely be playing Xander in my lineups.
Strokes Gained Total - 123rd
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 161st
Strokes Gained Approach - 3rd
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 161st
Strokes Gained Putting - 165th
8k Range
Robert MacIntyre ($8,000) - If you read the Robert MacIntyre breakdown in the Outright Betting Selections section, this is going to be the same run down so feel free to skip over this! As crazy as it may sound, MacIntyre is the player I was most excited to click. Who can resist a lefty at The Masters with a great course history and great current form! In his 2 appearances, he's finished T23 and T12. In 9 starts during the 2025 season, MacIntyre has 8 made cuts and 6 Top-20 finishes. Just last season he was also a 2 time winner at the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open. He is playing some of the best golf of his career and he's coming to a place where he's had success before. He fits the player mold of extremely strong off the tee and on approach. He is above average when it comes to around the green play which will be important this week. It'll all come down to the putter cooperating which we've seen in both of his previous appearances at The Masters. I'm manifesting a Robert macIntyre green jacket this week.
Strokes Gained Total - 21st
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 8th
Strokes Gained Approach - 21st
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 67th
Strokes Gained Putting - 137th
7k Range
Keegan Bradley ($7,000) - If you read the Keegan Bradley breakdown in the Outright Betting Selections section, this is going to be the same run down so feel free to skip over this! I wanted to add a couple long shots to my betting card this week and I looked no further than Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. In 8 appearances at The Masters, he's only missed the cut once and in his 2 most recent appearances, he's finished Top-25 in both. Keegan is playing with added motivation as a major victory will certainly put him in a position to be on the Ryder Cup team this summer and be a playing captain. He's expressed that he will not use a captain's selection on himself so he is doing everything he can to qualify. He's proven his motivation with great play thus far in the 2025 season. He's made the cut in all 8 of his starts and has 5 Top-20 finishes. Like all the previous players I've discussed, he is strong off the tee and on approach. He is also above Tour average around the greens. The putter is what will determine how the week goes. The storyline would be incredible and as a previous major winner, he has the win equity to make that storyline a reality.
Strokes Gained Total - 24th
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 30th
Strokes Gained Approach - 25th
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 55th
Strokes Gained Putting - 129th
6k Range
Joe Highsmith ($6,300) - A debutant lefty at The Masters always piques my interest when it comes to DFS. This year, Highsmith fits the bill and has a price tag next to his name appealing enough to talk about. Highsmith got his first career PGA Tour victory a few weeks ago at the Cognizant Classic. Although he won at a score of -19, there are some extremely challenging stretches of holes on that course that he navigated masterfully. In addition to that victory, he also has 3 Top-25 finishes this season. He might not be the flashiest off the tee, but he is about Tour average and his approach and putting are great. I am concerned about his struggles around the green at a place like Augusta National, but given the price tag, I am more than willing to take a risk. We've seen lefty debutants have success here and I'm hoping Highsmith can follow suit.
Strokes Gained Total - 50th
Strokes Gained Off the Tee - 82nd
Strokes Gained Approach - 52nd
Strokes Gained Around the Green - 149th
Strokes Gained Putting - 36th
Disclaimer
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