by CHRIS LANG

PLAYING FAVORITES : There ’ s plenty of golf to be played between early February and the start of the Masters in April , but early odds tend not to fluctuate too much . As of the first week of February , two-time Masters champ Scott Scheffler (+ 420 ) and Rory McIlroy (+ 650 ) were the overwhelming favorites , with Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm behind them (+ 1300 ). While this event has crowned its share of stunning winners — Danny Willett ’ s lone PGA Tour win was in the 2016 Masters — it ’ s been a lot of chalk as of late .

The last six winners : Scheffler twice , Rahm , Hideki Matsuyama , Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods . Sure , scour the list for value for your top-20 bets , but don ’ t stray too far from the heavy favorites when selecting a winner .

Evan Beck

BECK ’ S CHANCE : It ’ s been nearly 50 years since Curtis Strange became the last Virginian to earn low amateur honors at the Masters , doing so by shooting 3-over in 1976 . Can Evan Beck join the short list of native Virginians ( Strange and Vinny Giles ) to finish as low amateur ? As of early February , Beck was one of five amateurs invited to Augusta , and like the other four , he ’ ll be a first-time competitor at the season ’ s first major .

The others : U . S . Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester , Latin America Amateur winner Justin Hastings , U . S . Amateur finalist Noah Kent and 2024 NCAA Individual champion Hiroshi Tai . When asked after his U . S . Mid-Amateur victory last fall if he had ever played Augusta National , Beck said he hadn ’ t but that he had some fellow Wake Forest alumni like Will Zalatoris and Webb Simpson who he could call to set up some

early practice rounds . The last mid-amateur to finish as low amateur was Stewart Hagestad — who bested Beck in the 2023 U . S . Mid-Am final — in 2017 . Wenyi Ding , winner of the Asia Pacific Amateur in 2024 , gave up his Masters exemption to turn pro .

HELENE ’ S AFTERMATH : Like much of the southeastern U . S . last year , Augusta National sustained significant damage from wind and rain associated with Hurricane Helene . Aerial footage of the club shared widely on social media showed numerous downed trees , even some on Magnolia Lane . Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley spoke with reporters ahead of the Latin America Amateur in January and shared an update , noting that though the club did sustain some tree damage , the course is in “ spectacular condition ” ahead of April ’ s playing of the

SPECIAL EXEMPTIONS : LIV Golf competitors have few chances to qualify for the Masters , seeing as the Official World Golf Ranking ( OWGR ) does not award points to LIV players . A win in a major is usually the only path into the field . Of the 12 players who were invited to the 2025 event , 10 are past major champions . Tyrell Hatton earned his nod by finishing in the top 12 of last year ’ s event , and Joaquin Niemann is in the field via special invitation . Young Dane Nicolai Hojgaard — who plays on both the PGA and DP World tours and was a member of the 2023 European Ryder Cup squad — also nabbed a special invite , despite finishing outside of the top 50 in the OWGR last year . “ In support of Augusta National ’ s efforts to develop interest in golf globally , deserving international players not otherwise qualified have been invited throughout the tournament ’ s history ,” Ridley said in a social media post . “ The tradition continues as we welcome Nicolai and Joaquin back to the Masters , as both players have showcased their talent while competing around the world .”

USGA