Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner completely agree on the best longshot to win The Masters, nobody should be ‘surprised’ if he does

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The countdown to the first tee shot at The Masters 2025 is almost over, and everyone’s predictions have been made.

As always, the superstars have drawn most of the attention, but sometimes, lesser-known players walk away with the title.

Patrick Reed and Danny Willett are two recent examples of Masters champions who very few would have foreseen.

Now, golf experts Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner have picked the most likely player to cause an upset this week at Augusta National.

• READ MORE: 10 things the 2025 Masters champion will receive from the Green Jacket to a gold medal

Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner pick an outsider who could win The Masters

Anyone inside the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking shouldn’t be considered a longshot, yet Russell Henley falls into that category.

The world No. 7 is not spoken about in the same conversations as the likes of Justin Thomas (8th) and Viktor Hovland (9th).

That’s why Hoggard and Lavner named the Arnold Palmer Invitational winner as their best outsider pick to win the Green Jacket.

Hoggard said on the Golf Channel Podcast: “I came in with Russell Henley. As you’re quickly going to point out, he’s a top-10 player in the world. He’s a five-time PGA Tour winner. He’s just the perfect fit for what you think of as a longshot Masters champion.

“I go back to GIR (greens in regulation), and he’s third this season. He’s sixth in proximity to the hole. If he can putt like he did when he won a few weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, I don’t think anyone should be surprised.

Lavner agreed: “I do love that for you and for me. He was also the player that I picked.”

Russell Henley is the most underrated golfer on the PGA Tour

It’s a bold statement to call anyone the most underrated, but it seems applicable to Russell Henley in professional golf.

Of course, some will say that the rankings don’t carry as much weight as they used to, with an inaccurate assessment of LIV Golfers, e.g. Jon Rahm in 80th.

Likewise, one could argue that we shouldn’t overreact to any single performance, like Henley winning the Arnold Palmer earlier this year.

However, the 35-year-old has actually achieved far more in the game than people realize. This isn’t just a flash in the pan.

Henley has won five PGA Tour events, represented the United States in the Presidents Cup and has three top-10 major finishes.

It’s not unusual for golfers to reach new heights in their 30s, so don’t think that Henley isn’t here to stay as one of the world’s best.