Who needs the master to win the greatest victory?

Check out our writers and editors weekly unfiltered opinions when breaking down the sport’s hottest topics and join the conversation by tweeting on Twitter @golf_com. This week, we previewed the 2025 Masters and decomposed the end of the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Amateurs.

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Welcome to Masters Week, no shortage of storylines: Rory McIlroy (again) tries to finish a professional grand slam; stars like JT and Xander will try to win their first green jacket. Scottie Scheffler will try to win his third place. Two-time champion Bernhard Langer will say goodbye. Although his pursuit of the Grand Slam will always be the main storyline before Rory won this game? Does he need to win the most masters?

Josh Berhow, executive editor (@Josh_Berhow): Rory’s Grand Slam will always be the obvious main storyline for Augusta until Scottie or some future stars hope to win the third straight win, or until the Woods Masters Sendoff. But it’s just because of its level – he lost the 2011 Master’s way of bothering and has now reached a significant drought of ten years. He has a few years left and he will win. He is so good.

Josh Schrock, Associate Editor (@schrock_and_awe): Agree with Berhow. Rory will be the master’s main storyline until he wins one or has a golf-style storyline for everyone else to focus on. Augusta National is tailored for Rory’s game, and his different ways – from the explosion volume in 2011 to not pushing Patrick Reed in the final group of 2018, to the backdoor runner-up in 2022, making him a storyline 1a and 1b unless the tiger is present.

Jack Hirsh, Associate Device Editor (@jr_hirshey): There is nothing to argue about in these two answers. Beyond that, Rory is perhaps the best leader of his entire career and will be under tremendous pressure this week. I agree with the rumor factory on social media, he mentioned that his elbow disturbed him last week so it could raise some expectations, but I think most people forget that.

Why would Rory win this week? Why doesn’t he?

Beljo:Why? Because he is playing some of the best golf in his career. He has won twice this year and has been under high pressure (player championship playoffs). No, he didn’t win the Masters, but he’s already finished in the Top 10. He may be involved at some point, and if you get enough bats, one of the forces is destined to be in your favor, especially for one of the richest and wealthiest players in the game. The golf god works in a mysterious way. Now it’s time to even some heartbreaking people (like his Pinehurst loss). Why doesn’t he win? Because golf (and life) is not fair, there is no promise in Augusta on Sunday.

Schroker: He claims to be the most complete golfer he has ever had, and the statistics are from this season. The work done during the offseason was to work again, coupled with course management and new golf balls, which made him fire at nearly all cylinders. Rory has suffered a lot of scars in recent years trying to break this drought. He arrives at Augusta without searching or hope, but plays the best golf ball for anyone in the world. If not now, when?

hirsh: It’s easy to see his victory. The driver started cooking and we saw that he never saw players getting hit in the game because they played the defense of the court (and then they built a bunch of new t-shirts and played 8,000 yards on the court next year). He lost his failure, he started to perform well, then went to tenth and began to feel the 2011 demons back. He may just be broken in Augusta.

What is a storyline, no one is talking about it, should get more attention?

Beljo: I don’t have a storyline under the radar to provide, but there is a random idea to enter: Crazy We have reached the 10th anniversary of the Jordan Spieth Masters (followed by his Chambers Bay U.S. Open victory). He has won only one Grand Slam since the two in 2015 (opened at Real Burkedale in 2017), and he continues to be a hard-to-predict player. His last four masters start – MC, T4, MC, T3. The sport became even more fun when he was involved. I hope he will join this week.

Schroker: I would have gone with Spieth, and I hope the Augusta Nationals will stir up the elderly next week. I’m going with Jon Ram. His first major season as a member of Liv Golf was a fool outside the Open T7. His Masters defense went bankrupt last year, and he missed that in the PGA Championship. He is still one of the most talented golfers on the planet, but will this year’s phase show?

hirsh: I will follow Schroker’s lead and go with another Liv golfer in Joaquin Niemann. I’m going to say that the people who call him the best player on Earth now have exaggerated, but his expectations for him this week should be like no one named Scottie or Rory. He still has never been better than the T16 in the big championship game, and if he continues to do so, the competitive balance of the Liv Golf is not a great look.

Most likely to win the green jacket first: Morikawa, Xander or JT?

Beljo: Xander and Collin both performed well here, but I would nod to Morikawa, who is the perfect match for this golf course. He has also performed well so far – two runner-ups, the T10 and the T17 pair. Oh, his last three start with Augusta? All top 10. His batting rate has returned to the best in the game (currently No. 1 in the stroke: approach), and he is confident that he has a little chip on his shoulders to find the next victory. Oops, maybe he won this this year?

Schroker: I think the possible answer is Xander, but I’ll make a reason for JT. In the age of track and field athletes and dome golfers, JT was a real artist. When he performs his best, his game and imagination should be perfectly suited to Augusta. He finally got out of the wilderness and had been playing like the top 10 players for six months. Don’t be surprised if he glided on his green jacket on Sunday.

hirsh: It’s Morikava. He just deserved it. If it weren’t for McIlroy, he might be my choice. Although he doesn’t have a huge length, his elite ball is tailored for Augusta, one of the few important courses on the tour. I liked him this week.

Despite several PGA Tour headlines last week, more than a dozen Augusta players competed in the Liv Golf game. The top five Masters contenders in the group that just adjusted in Florida.

Beljo: My subjective rankings 1) Bryson, 2) Ram, 3) Brooks Koepka, 4) Phil Mickelson and 5) 5) Cameron Smith. Joaquin Niemann seems like a guy ready to burst out at some point, but we haven’t seen it yet. Smith is a curious guy – five top 10 in his last seven trips, but he didn’t do much in his other three major starts last season (T63, T32, MC). Did he jump back to everyone’s radar this week?

Schroker: Man, it’s tough. I go 1) Bryson, 2) Ram, 3) Brooks, 4) Sergio Garcia, 5) Tyrell Hatton. I think the top three are very clear. Sergio Garcia has been playing very well for most of the year and has a good history in Augusta National. It felt like a week he could compete. I know Joaquin Niemann has been lighting up Liv, but I didn’t see him as a legitimate threat to make noise in Augusta until he finished the top 15 in the major. Hatton was kicked in the teeth by Doral, but he has been doing well for the past six months. Last year, he finished T9 at Augusta and I think he will start on the weekend. Phil is likely to go back again, but he is a pass for me.

hirsh:1) RAHM, 2) Niemann 3) Sergio 4) Brooks Koepka 5) Bryson. Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Bryson didn’t advance. He did not make layoffs in 2022 or 2023. The idea of ​​him finding out last year that something seemed stupid. No one really came up with the Augusta country except the tiger. Rahm is the clear Dawg here because he needs to show that he can continue to play in the Grand Slam after his unremarkable performance last year. As I mentioned above, Neman wanted to shake the doubts of his main prospects. Sergio Garcia’s recent drama really makes me think he can do something special in his 40s.

Carla Bernat’s Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain won Lottie Woad and Talley on Saturday, winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. What impressed you most about Bernat Escuder’s drama is what you learned in the latest version of Anwa?

Beljo: Her fearless game. Staying a lead on the back nine is not easy to do, she does it when hitting some large shots, like that from awkward lie to the 13th green fairway wood, building two birdies (and three leads). The competition quickly became one of the few circles on the amateur and professional golf calendar. It’s fun to see how top female AMS play and introduce the world of golf to golf. This is the perfect master appetizer. Although I still hope to be more on TV.

Schroker: She is so stable in the cauldron. She never retreated as the pressure bulged in the rear nine rods. She took a lot of par on the second shot of 10th and 13 to build a key birdie. I do want to yell at the asterisk Talley, arguably two of the most impressive feats of the day, with the number one Out Eagle and the 17th ridiculous birdie. She is really impressive.

hirsh: I like how she quoted the “Master Starts on the Next Nine Sundays” slogan during the press conference. I think it’s really impressive that she’s her own at the press conference, not stiff and awkwardly on the lights (and the green jacket). We also learned this week that Asterisk Talley didn’t have a hot season last year – she will be a contender for years regardless of her game level. As for Anwa, why don’t we play more in Augusta National? It is known as the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, but only 33% of them are broadcast in Augusta National. Also agree we need more TV coverage.