The eyes of the golfing world have descended upon Augusta and the exception is that Scottie Scheffler or another highly ranked player will win the weekend. Still, there are plenty of players who could surprise. Here are some lower down on the list.
Jake Knapp – Current Ranking – 86th
Jake Knapp first made himself known to the golf world by winning the 2024 Mexico Open. Then at the 2025 Cognizant Classic, he shot just the 15th sub-60 in Masters history. Knapp is a player on the rise and came keep the momentum going with a strong Masters.
Jason Day – Current Ranking – 36th
There was a time when no one in the world was better than Jason Day, who reached a number-one world ranking in 2015. He was out for several years with a debilitating back injury, but is back to playing regularly on the PGA Tour and playing quite well.
Nico Echevarria – Current Ranking – 48th
A player from Medellin, Colombia, Nico Echavarria, has had a successful start to his PGA Tour career winning the 2023 Puerto Rico Open and the 2024 Zozo Championship. He may have hurt his chances by winning this year’s Par 3 Contest, but time will tell.
Min Woo Lee – Current Ranking – 23rd
Australian Min Woo Lee is not in the top 20, but he’s not far off after winning the 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open. He has played in the last three Masters with some impressive finishes including a T14 in 2022 and a T24 in 2024.
Daniel Berger – Current Ranking – 43rd
The 2014-15 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Daniel Berger’s best finish at the Masters came in 2016 when he tied for tenth place. He has not played the Masters since 2022, but he is playing well this year with T2’s at the Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational.
Denny McCarthy – Current Ranking – 40th
Denny McCarthy is regularly placed among the best putters of the game. And while a long driver could do well at Augusta, a player who putts well can play well anywhere. McCarthy has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he could break through at the Masters.
Rasmus Hojgaard – Current Ranking – 55th
Danish golfer Rasmus Hojgaard is another long-ball hitter whose game is well suited for the Augusta National. He is playing in his first Masters, but has been strong on the European Tour, winning five events, including the 2024 Amgen Irish Open.
Gary Woodland – Current Ranking – 96th
Gary Woodland, a fine player who reached a world ranking of 12th after winning the 2019 U.S. Open. He has had to battle back after missing time with brain surgery and is playing well, recently finishing T2 at the Houston Children’s Texas Open.
Aldritch Potgieter – Current Ranking – 126th
It has long been said that the Augusta National course favors players with strong long games. Aldritch Potgieter is by far the leader in yards per drive, and he’s playing good golf, finishing as the runner-up at the Mexican Open.
Hiroshi Tai – Amatuer
Hiroshi Tai is not ranked going into the Masters as he is still playing at Georgia Tech. Tai earned an invite to the Masters by winning the Collegiate National Championship in 2024. The Singaporean player had the opportunity to play in the 2024 U.S. Open but failed to make the cut.
Josele Ballester – Amatuer
21-year-old Josele Ballester is playing in the Masters after becoming the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Amateur, which he did in 2014, and the European Amateur, which he did in 2023. Ballester uses Sergio Garcia’s swing coach and has a real shot at making some noise this year.
Jordan Spieth – Current Ranking – 65th
It is strange to see Jordan Spieth ranked 65th in the world, considering just how dominant he was at the beginning of his career. He has won once at Augusta and almost won the following year. He hasn’t won since the 2022 RBC Heritage.
Will Zalatoris – Current Ranking – 66th
A top-flight player who has finished in second place at three different major events, but back problems have stalled his momentum a bit. Zalatoris is back in 2025 and looking to match the way he played in 2021 when he finished solo second.
J.J. Spaun – Current Ranking – 29th
The winner of the 2022 Valero Texas Open, J.J. Spaun, is playing the best golf of his career and very nearly won the Players Championship before falling to Rory McIlroy in a playoff. Spaun is on a roll and could keep it going during the Masters.
Sahith Theegala – Current Ranking – 26th
Sahith Theegala has not played great so far in the 2025 season, but he has had some impressive results in his career, including a win at the Fortinet Championship in 2023 and a top-ten finish at his first Masters the same year. He could be due.
Stephan Jager – Current Ranking – 44th
Stephan Jager turned pro in 2012 and is tied for second all-time in Kohn Ferry Tour wins with 6. He’s off to a good start in 2025 with a T3 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and a tie for sixth at the Mexican Open at Vidanta World. He’s looking to improve on his 2024 Masters, where he was cut.
Tony Finau – Current Ranking – 34th
One of the most popular players in golf, Tony Finau has won six times on the PGA Tour with his last win coming at the 2023 Mexico Open. He’s played well at Augusta National in the past with his best finish being a T5 in 2019.
Tom Kim – Current Ranking – 33rd
It feels like it is only a matter of time until Tom Kim becomes a big star but it hasn’t happened just yet. The South Korean has played in two Masters so far in his career, finishing in a tie for 16th in 2023 and a tie for 30th during the 2024 event.
Sam Burns – Current Ranking – 37th
Sam Burns is an excellent player who has won five PGA Tour events and reached a world ranking high of 9 during the 2023 season. The former LSU Tiger missed the cut at the Masters in 2022 and 2024 and will look to improve in 2025.
Chris Kirk – Current Ranking – 73rd
After an eight-year gap between PGA wins, Chris Kirk has captured the 2023 Honda Classic and the 2024 Sentry. Kirk also has been good at the Augusta National, with a tie for 23rd in the 2023 event and a tie for 16th place in 2024.
Phil Mickelson – Current Ranking – 1009
Phil Mickelson is the only player in the Masters who has won the event thrice. He’s been great there relatively recently, finishing in a tie for second place in 2023. Mickleson is 54 years old and no longer plays on the PGA Tour, but an outstanding performance this weekend can’t be ruled out.
Bubba Watson – Current World Ranking – 1,826
Bubba Watson is another player whose world ranking has cratered since he has been playing on the LIV Tour. Watson will always be a sentimental favorite at Augusta where he won the Masters in 2012 and 2014. He certainly has the game to give the crowd a thrill.
Joaquin Niemann – Current World Ranking – 89
Still only 26 years old, Joaquin Niemann has been known as a true contender for several seasons. Now on the LIV Tour, he has won four times in 2024-2025 with victories at Mayakoba, Jeddah, Adelaide and Singapore and comes into the Masters in good form.
Bernhard Langer – Retired
Bernhard Langer won the Masters in 1985 and 1993 and has continued to play the event into his 60s. Langer, who had a top ten in 2014 and a T24 in 2020. Langer has announced this will be his last Masters and he could look to do something special.
Fred Couples – Retired
Fred Couples proved that he was capable of amazing things with a T18 in 2018 and a T50 in 2024 when he was 64 years old. That made him the oldest player to make the cut in the event’s history and he could possibly set another record this year.
Jon Rahm – Current World Ranking – 80
Jon Rahm is one of the very best golfers in the world, but is now ranked 80th in the world now that he is playing fewer events on LIV. That doesn’t mean that Rahm can’t come to Augustra and win the event just like he did in 2023.
