95 of the best golfers in the world are at The Masters 2025, yet many people believe it will come down to just two players on Sunday afternoon.
Scottie Scheffler is the world number one and defending champion, while Rory McIlroy has played better than anyone this year.
It never usually pans out this way, but it does feel like the Green Jacket could be contested between these two giants of the game.
Former European Tour winner Paul McGinley has explained whether Scheffler or McIlroy is the favorite to win at Augusta National.
Paul McGinley chooses between Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as the leading contender at The Masters
McGinley thinks both players have an excellent chance to win The Masters this year, but when it comes to naming “the guy to beat,” there’s no contest.
The Irishman sided with Scheffler in this particular discussion, even though he’s not been at his best since returning from injury in late January.
After all, it’s hard to look past the world number one at any event, let alone when they’ve won it twice before already.
McGinley said: “The last time he went and won The Masters, he was going in on the back of two and three wins in the season. He obviously hasn’t done that yet this year but he’s certainly trending towards that. We saw that in Houston a couple of weeks ago. He seems to be putting well.
“I don’t think he’s on his game the way he was last year coming in, not quite, but I think he’s got enough form to go and win. He’s got a lot of confidence around here. The golf course obviously suits him. He’s got a style of play that really suits it. He’s quite a patient golfer in general.
“Although, we are seeing a little bit more edginess from him this year, and he’s a little bit out of his comfort zone and getting a little bit ratty, which is unusual for him. We’ll have to keep an eye on that this week.
“I still think he’s the guy to beat. I think if Rory can finish ahead of Scheffler, he’s going to have a wonderful chance of winning. That’s not dismissing anybody else – there’s a great quality of players around – but I really do think that anybody who finishes ahead of Scheffler is going to have a great chance of winning.
“There are so many things in his favour, and he’s trending. He’s coming into form. It’s only a matter of time before he bursts through with a win again. His skill sets are really well married to the skill sets that you need around Augusta, and it’s no surprise that he’s won two Masters. He’ll win many more.”
Scottie Scheffler has slight advantage over Rory McIlroy at The Masters already
Some will dismiss the importance of tee times – and they might be right – but the consensus seems to be that players would rather tee off on Thursday morning.
Even the best in the world, like Scheffler and McIlroy, will be nervous in the build-up to the first round and would like to get it out of the way as soon as possible.
| Tee Time | Scheffler & McIlroy’s groups | ||
| 10:15 | Scottie Scheffler | Justin Thomas | Jose Luis Ballester (A) |
| 13:12 | Rory McIlroy | Ludvig Aberg | Akshay Bhatia |
Scheffler will have that opportunity, alongside Justin Thomas and amateur Jose Luis Ballester, whereas McIlroy will play with Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia much later in the day.
The Northern Irishman will surely be pleased to have grouped with two fast-playing youngsters, though.
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