Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club
Everyone loves an underdog, and there have been plenty of golfers who teed it up at Augusta National Golf Club that weren’t given much initial thought. However, as they made the final turn to the back nine on a Sunday afternoon, with the crowd swelling behind them, these scrappy dark horse contenders made believers out of all of us. Of course, if you’ve made it to the Masters, you’ve already established yourself as one of the best in the game. Could any of these talented golfers get the breakthrough they’re looking for this year.
World Golf Rankings as of February 19, 2025
Justin Thomas | Official World Golf Ranking 9
Tyrrell Hatton is popular to watch, partly because of his remarkable accuracy with his iron shots, and partly for his profanity following a poor shot. The Englishman has six victories on the European Tour, four of them coming in the prestigious Rolex Series events. He has one PGA Tour victory at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational and he has played on three Ryder Cup teams, winning twice. Hatton has not cracked the top-10 in seven Masters starts. He has five top-10 finishes in the other major championships. Hatton is ranked No. 17 in the world.
Harris English | Official World Golf Ranking 34
A former All-American from just up the road at the University of Georgia, Harris English already has a win under his belt this season after a stellar showing at the Farmers Insurance Open. The smooth-swinging Southerner from Sea Island is known as one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour, and his error-free style of play sets him up well at Augusta National. His start to the season was up-and-down with the win at Torrey Pines Golf Club being his best performance. But knowing how his game matches up to the tight fairways and speedy greens at the Masters, English figures to be in the thick of things on Sunday.
Jon Rahm| Official World Golf Ranking 52
That Jon Rahm? The one who won the Masters only two years ago and was a fixture near the top of the Official World Golf Rankings? Sure, it feels odd calling him a “dark horse,” but it’s only because the average golf fan simply hasn’t seen much of him after his 2024 move to LIV Golf. That doesn’t mean Rahm isn’t one of the most complete golfers on the planet, capable of dominating the field and overpowering any course. He showed his mettle last year, capturing the 2024 LIV Golf Individual Championship and finishing in the top 10 of every LIV Golf event he participated in. Rahm meshes raw power with an impeccable finesse that sets him apart from the field, making him a legitimate threat to capture a second Green Jacket.
Sepp Straka | Official World Golf Ranking 18
Long known as one of the steadier players on the PGA Tour, Sepp Straka has taken his game to new heights in 2025. During the season’s kickoff as part of the West Coast Swing, he recorded four top-20 finishes and won The American Express Golf Tournament. It’s a successful start to the year that’s rocketed him up in the Official World Golf Rankings and positioned him as one of the players to beat at Augusta National. Another former Georgia Bulldog, Straka is one of the best players on the PGA Tour when it comes to his approach to the green, which sets him up for more birdie looks than others. Cashing in on those opportunities will make all the difference during Masters week.
Nick Taylor| Official World Golf Ranking 13
Oh, Canada! Nick Taylor has quietly compiled one of the more impressive résumes in golf the past few years, tallying three skillful wins since 2023 including a win at the Sony Open in Hawaii. His approach to the green is considerably better than the field average, and he’s one of the most consistent putters on the PGA Tour. At Augusta National, with its dramatic undulations throughout the course and perhaps the most challenging greens in all of golf, both of his game traits could enable him to stand out from a crowded field. Taylor hasn’t won a major — yet — and this could be the year he puts everything together and emerges with a Green Jacket.
Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club
Seen in the April 2025 issue of Augusta magazine and the Augusta magazine Tournament Guide
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