Masters predictions: Who will win, and who will disappoint at Augusta

The field is set for the 2025 Masters, and it's time to make some predictions about what will unfold at Augusta National.

Our golf writers, Dane Belbeck and Eric Patterson, share their picks on who they think will win the coveted green jacket, who will disappoint the most, and everything in between.

Let's dive in.

Masters champion

Rory McIlroy

If not now, when? Augusta National may have put Rory McIlroy in the friend zone years ago, but the all-around development in his game has him coming in as a different man. This is the first time he's driven down Magnolia Lane with two victories already under his belt in the calendar year, having secured wins at Pebble Beach and The Players. He'll run into enough birdies throughout the week to be in contention Sunday, but he'll need to limit bogeys if he wants to win. I bet he does, and he finally completes the career grand slam with an emphatic triumph. - Belbeck

Xander Schauffele

For the sake of being different - and to completely disagree with my colleague's boldest take below - we'll go with Xander Schauffele.

Schauffele seems to be flying under the radar despite holding two major championship trophies. There's a reason for that, though: A rib injury he sustained early in the season knocked him out for two months, and he's failed to finish inside the top 10 in his three starts since his return.

But his most recent start at the Valspar Championship suggests he's 100% healthy - he gained 11.2 strokes on approach shots, the best of his career. The last time he played Augusta, he was still dubbed the best player without a major. Now, he has the chance to be the first to hold three simultaneous majors titles since Tiger Woods. - Patterson

Top longshot

Will Zalatoris (+6000)

Will Zalatoris has never really struggled at the Masters. He has played the event three times, and his tie for ninth last year represents his worst finish ever. His approach game is elite, which is essential to thrive at Augusta, but his putting makes the difference. Zalatoris traditionally ranks outside the top 100 on TOUR in putting each season, but he ranked third in that statistic over his first two Masters appearances, according to Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group. - Belbeck

Sepp Straka (+6000)

You don't have to go too far down some of the PGA TOUR's most important stat categories to find Sepp Straka. He may not be a household name, but those paying attention this year know how well the Austrian is playing.

He won the American Express in January and followed that up with five top-15 finishes in his last seven starts. He's seventh in strokes gained: total, sixth in strokes gained: tee to green, and fifth in strokes gained: approach on the PGA TOUR this season. Don't be shocked if Straka secures Austria's first major championship title. - Patterson

Top Debutant

Rasmus Hojgaard

He might be a rookie at these Masters, but he's been wildly successful as of late at different Masters. The Dane played in the Qatar Masters, British Masters, European Masters and Andalucia Masters last year and posted three top-six finishes and a tie for 17th. He's also got the bonus of having his twin brother, Nicolai, to walk him through the debut process after a 16th-place showing in his first Masters last year. - Belbeck

Maverick McNealy

McNealy is, understandably, a +600 co-favorite to the top debutant at theScore Bet/ESPN Bet. He has four top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR this season, including a third-place showing at last week's Valero Texas Open. He has the length and iron-play required to navigate Augusta's tricky layout, and he's one of the best putters in the field. - Patterson

Boldest prediction

Schauffele misses the cut

Considering he's made 60 straight cuts, this is about as bold as it gets. Since his return from a rib injury earlier this year, Schauffele hasn't quite regained the form that saw him grab two majors in 2024. He currently ranks outside the top 160 on TOUR in strokes gained: off the tee, around the green and putting. Schauffele will eventually return to his brilliant output, but we'll take the shot at him missing the cut as our bold take. - Belbeck

Mickelson and Garcia both finish inside the top 10

Blast from the past, shall we? Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia have been playing well on LIV this season and, as past Masters champions, know a thing or two about contending at Augusta National.

Mickelson has two top-10s in his past three starts on LIV, including a solid showing last week in Miami. Garcia earned a LIV victory three starts ago and finished on the podium in his final prep event for the Masters. It's a long shot, but Lefty finished as a runner-up to Jon Rahm in 2023, and Garcia can easily keep his strong play going in his effort to make the 2025 European Ryder Cup team. - Patterson

Best player to miss the cut

Ludvig Aberg

Schauffele would undoubtedly be the biggest name to miss the cut outside of McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, but we used him for the bold prediction, so let's move further down the list. Aberg electrified the crowd with a second-place finish in his first Masters - and first major championship in general - last year. He also already has a win this year, but he's struggled in recent weeks. Aberg has missed two straight cuts and has broken 70 just once in his last eight rounds. - Belbeck

Viktor Hovland

Viktor Hovland has some question marks surrounding his game, even though he won his last start.

Hovland admitted after his Valspar Championship victory that he was surprised he won because he had little confidence in where his ball was going. He also gained 7.4 strokes putting en route to the win, the best putting week of his career and an area he's struggled with throughout the year.

Let's call Hovland's recent win a stroke of luck. Hovland missed three missed cuts in a row, and that form is far more likely to make an appearance at Augusta National than another week of flukey golf shots. - Patterson