
Caption
Scottie Scheffler, the No.1 ranked golfer in the world, is expected to perform well in the 2025 Masters tournament at Augusta National April 10 to 13, 2025.
Credit: AP Photo/Matt York, File
GPB's Orlando Montoya speaks with Gabby Herzig from The Athletic about the 2025 Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga.
Scottie Scheffler, the No.1 ranked golfer in the world, is expected to perform well in the 2025 Masters tournament at Augusta National April 10 to 13, 2025.
Golf legend Tiger Woods played an April Fool’s Day joke on his social media fans this week, saying he had miraculously healed from a ruptured Achilles tendon and would be playing at The Masters next week.
Six minutes later, he said it was just a joke. He won’t be playing at Augusta National Golf Club for this year's tournament, which runs April 10 through April 13 and airs on CBS, ESPN and Paramount+.
As golf fans gear up for the traditions and spectacle of the biggest tourism event of the year in Augusta, Gabrielle Herzig, who covers golf for The Athletic, told GPB what to expect.
"So, the first name that comes to mind is world No.1, Scottie Scheffler, defending champion," Herzig said. "If he wins this year, he'll become the first golfer to ever win three of the last four Masters. He also won in 2022."
Scheffler made headlines last year when he was arrested outside the PGA Championship in Louisville, Ky., but the charges were later dropped.
"He's coming off of a little bit of an injury from earlier this season over Christmas," she said. "He cut his hand when he was making Christmas dinner and had to undergo a hand surgery. But ... he finished solo second at last week's PGA Tournament and shot 64 on the final day. So I don't think it would surprise anyone to see him slipping on that green jacket again."
"The next name I would definitely mention is Rory McElroy," she added. "He's currently ranked No. 2 in the world, and he's coming into next week's Masters as ... probably in some of the best form of his career.
The one thing for Rory is he has some painful past history at Augusta," she said. "In 2011, he was leading the tournament by 4 strokes. It was basically his to win as a 21-year-old and he ended up shooting 80 in the final round. And kind of ever since then, it's been a hurdle for him to jump over at the Masters."
Augusta, Ga., suffered extensive damage from Helene last September, primarily from storm damage to trees, home and power lines, resulting in outages that affected thousands and $417 million in property losses across the state.
"It was a huge factor," Herzig said. "Hurricane Helene was devastating for the surrounding area and the club. I believe the club has pledged $5 million to the surrounding areas to help it recover from the storm. ... But I think that in addition to repairing their own grounds, they're really committed to helping the surrounding community recover because it is such a huge part of the tournament is Augusta as a whole."
Andy Brown takes a break on top of what remains of a tree that destroyed his SUV when it fell during Hurricane Helene on in Augusta, Ga., Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
The Augusta Chronicle published a story ahead of the Masters showing the damage from the hurricane that, even six months later, is still fresh in the memory of local residents.
Associated Press reporter Doug Ferguson reported from Augusta National this week, writing that the course was "minus some trees lost when powerful and deadly Hurricane Helene roared through town last September."
But those who have played the Augusta course in the past few months say it is in immaculate condition, with more open views of the course from the loss of trees, he wrote.
Masters chairman Fred Ridley told Ferguson that Augusta National sustained a lot of damage, but CBS, now in its 70th broadcast of the Masters event, CBS told AP there would not be any before-and-after images to show the difference.
“That is not in the plans,” CBS producer Sellers Shy said. “We’re covering the tournament the way it is presented to us and the way the club would like to present it.”
The current long-range forecast predicts partly-cloudy skies with temperatures in the low-to-mid 70s and a 20% chance of rain, but that can and likely will change before players start the first round on April 10.
Storms and wind make the game more difficult, Herzig said.
"Last year, we saw some swirling winds take over early in the week and make scoring conditions really difficult for those guys out there," she said. "You know, when the wind is blowing at Augusta, it's especially difficult because there are a lot of pockets and really those tall towering pines make it really difficult to actually judge the wind from the ground ... the weather changes the way these guys can approach from a strategy perspective. And I would say that's the biggest unknown right now."
A pimento cheese sandwich and potato chips pictured in the style in which they are served at August National Golf Course during The Masters Tournament.
Facts and figures for the Masters:
Tournament: The 89th Masters Tournament.
Dates: April 10-13, 2025
Site: Augusta National Golf Club.
Length: 7,555 yards.
Par: 36-36—72.
Purse: To be determined ($20 million in 2024).
Field: 96 players (five amateurs), with one spot open for Texas Open winner.
Cut: Top 50 and ties.
Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler.
Last year: Scottie Scheffler won the Masters for the second time in three years by pulling away late with a 4-under 68 for a four-shot victory. Ludvig Aberg, making his Masters debut, Collin Morikawa and Max Homa each had a chance. Morikawa took two shots to get out of a bunker on No. 9, Aberg hit into the water on No. 11 and Homa made double bogey from the bushes behind the 12th green.
Tiger tales: Tiger Woods had surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon on his left foot on March 11 and will miss the Masters for the first time since his car crash in 2021.
Grand Slam: Rory McIlroy for the first time in his career has two wins on the season leading to the Masters as he tries to get the final leg of the career Grand Slam.
The odds (BetMGM Sportsbook): Scottie Scheffler (+450), Rory McIlroy (+650), Collin Morikawa (+1400), Ludvig Aberg and Jon Rahm (+1600), Bryson DeChambeau (+1800), Xander Schauffele (+2000).
Key statistic: Rory McIlroy is playing in his 17th Masters. Sergio Garcia (19) is the only player who had that many appearances before finally winning.
Noteworthy: The field has players from 26 countries and territories, the most ever for the Masters.
Quoteworthy: "It's like a different place than the world just outside the gates. And you pull in, and everything else just kind of melts away." — Scottie Scheffler on driving through the gates of Augusta National.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-7:30 p.m. (ESPN); Saturday-Sunday, noon to 2 p.m. (Paramount+), 2-7 p.m. (CBS).
Interactive: Live video channels from the 4th, 5th and 6th holes, Amen Corner, the 15th hole, 16th hole and a featured group.
Estimated times — Hole Nos. 4,5 and 6 from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the weekend; Amen Corner (Nos. 11, 12 and 13) from 10:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 11:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the weekend; Nos. 15 and 16 from 11:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the weekend; and featured group from 9:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 10:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekend. The Masters iPad application will display the video channels and a live digital simulcast of CBS Sports' weekend coverage.