Golf Glance: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy chase Masters history

PGA: Masters Tournament - Practice Round

Apr 8, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits from the third tee during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.

PGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Valero Texas Open (Brian Harman)

THIS WEEK: Masters Tournament, Augusta, Ga., April 10-13

Course: Augusta National (Par 72, 7,555 Yards)

Purse: $20M (Winner: TBA)

Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler

FedExCup leader: Rory McIlroy

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN); Saturday-Sunday: Noon-2 p.m. (Paramount+), 2-7 p.m. (CBS)

Streaming (Masters.com/Masters app): Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 10:15 a.m.-7 p.m.

X: @TheMasters

NOTES: The 25 countries represented in this year’s 95-player field marks the most since 2015, and 21 players will be making their Masters debuts … 2015 champion Jordan Spieth’s 70.95 scoring average in 40 career Masters rounds is the lowest in history among players with 25-49 career rounds. … 2021 champion Hideki Matsuyama has made the cut in all but one of his previous 13 appearances. … Two-time champion Bernhard Langer will make his 41st and final Masters start. … 2013 champion Adam Scott holds the longest active streak with 93 consecutive starts in majors. … 2017 champion Sergio Garcia will make his 100th major appearance. … Cameron Smith is the only player to record four consecutive sub-70 rounds in a single appearance, posting 67-68-69-69 in tying for second in 2020. … A record eight left-handed players will compete this year: Akshay Bhatia, Brian Harman, Joe Highsmith, Robert MacIntyre, Matt McCarty, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Mike Weir. … Dustin Johnson holds the tournament scoring record of 268 set in his 2020 victory. The 18-hole record of 63 is shared by Nick Price (Round 3, 1986) and former LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman (Round 1, 1996).

BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+400 at DraftKings) has won two of the past three Masters as he seeks to join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win three in a four-year stretch. No one has successfully defended at the Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002 … Rory McIlroy (+650) has already won at Pebble Beach and The Players this year. He can complete the career Grand Slam with a victory this week. … Jon Rahm (+1300), the 2023 Masters champion, has five consecutive top-10 finishes to start the 2025 LIV Golf season. … Xander Schauffele (+1800) owns four top-10s in seven previous Masters starts, including a T2 in 2019 and T3 in 2021. … Bryson DeChambeau (+2000) had the most success at majors among LIV players in 2024, winning the U.S. Open after finishing second at the PGA Championship. … Ludvig Aberg (+2200) is coming off consecutive missed cuts on tour, but did finish solo second at Augusta last year and won the Genesis in February. … Brooks Koepka (+3000) finished T18 in last week’s LIV event in Miami after a solo second in Singapore. He tied for second at Augusta in 2023 after holding the 54-hole lead. … Joaquin Niemann (+4000) leads the LIV Golf individual rankings and has won two events in 2025, along with winning the PIF Saudi International in December. … Corey Conners (+6000) has only two career PGA Tour victories but is up to a career-best 21st in the world rankings with four consecutive top-20 finishes entering this week.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: RBC Heritage, Hilton Head, S.C., April 17-20

LPGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: T-Mobile Match Play (Madelene Sagstrom)

THIS WEEK: OFF.

Race to the CME Globe leader: A Lim Kim

NEXT TOURNAMENT: JM Eagle LA Championship, Los Angeles, April 17-20

LIV GOLF LEAGUE

LAST TOURNAMENT: Miami (Individual: Marc Leishman; Team: Ripper GC)

THIS WEEK: OFF.

Season Leaders: Individual: Joaquin Niemann; Team: Crushers GC

NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Mexico City, April 25-27

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS