Every year at the Augusta National, there are players expected to do well who don’t make the cut to play over the weekend. And just like any other year, there are several big-name players who didn’t make it through. Here are some of the most notable examples.
Nick Dunlap
Nick Dulap is an outstanding young player who has won twice on the PGA Tour before age 22. But Nick Dunlap had a Masters for the ages in all the wrong ways. He had a big future, but Dunlap will never forget going 18 over in the first round of the 2025 Masters.
Sepp Straka
Sepp Straka has been a very good player for a few years, and fans and pundits have been waiting for him to take the next step forward by winning a major event. That step forward won’t happen at this year’s Masters as Straka was five over the first two days.
Sergio Garcia
2017 Masters winners Sergio Garcia now plays on the LIV Tour, but was looking to recapture his former glory in 2025. Garcia started fine, shooting a 72 during the first round. Garcia, however, missed the cut after going four over in the second round.
Nicolai Hojgaard
While Nicolai Hojgaard struggled on Friday, his twin brother Rasmus was shooting up the leaderboards, shooting a 67. Nicolai went in the opposite direction, missing the cut at an event where he finished T16 last year.
Will Zalatoris
Will Zalatoris finished in solo second place at the 2021 Masters and had runner-up finishes at the 2022 PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He was healthy for the 2025 Masters, but it didn’t do him much good as he shot six over the first two days of the tournament.
Cameron Young
Cameron Young has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he had back-to-back top-ten finishes at the Masters in 2023 and 2024. He looked to be off to a good start shooting even on day one, but he was seven over on day two but will have to try again next year.
Fred Couples
It’s not like it is an indictment on Fred Couples that he missed the cut at this year’s Masters. He is 65 years old, after all. But Couples made the cut just last year, finishing in a tie for 50th place, and he had a strong start with a one-under over the first round.
Angel Cabrera
Angel Cabrera was a controversial entrant into this year’s tournament, having recently faced a prison term for domestic violence. And Cabrera failed to enhance the controversy by playing quite poorly, finishing in second-to-last place.
Robert MacIntyre
Scottish golfer Robert MacIntyre has emerged as a real force on the PGA Tour, winning two events in 2024, the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open. His 2025 is off to a decent start with two top tens, but he won’t be moving forward at the Masters.
Brooks Koepka
One of the top players in the world, Brooks Koepka, has won five major championships and now plays on the LIV Tour. He has never won the Masters, though he finished T2 in 2019 and 2023. He will have to wait until next year to try again.
Matthieu Pavon
French player Matthieu Pavon rose to the top 20 in the world in 2024 after winning the Farmers Insurance Open. He also had a strong showing in the Masters in 2024 ending in a tie for 12th place. But he’s out of his year”s event after shooting a 76 and 78.
Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith has serious major championship bona fides, having won the 2022 Open Championship and finishing tied for second at the 2022 Masters. The now LIV player started well with a one under first round, but he was undone by a six over in the second.
Hiroshi Tai
Hiroshi Tai is an amateur from Georgia Tech who won the NCAA National Championship in 2024. He was hoping to play well at Augusta and did in the first round, but his chances at being low amateur washed away with a 77 in the second round.
