Lowry and Mcllroy invited to the Masters

The first major golf action of the year will see invitees hit the famous Augusta National course in April. Among those heading to Georgia in the US are Irish contenders Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy. But can either of them bring back one of golf’s biggest prizes to the Emerald Isle?

The 2025 Masters starts on Thursday 10^th April and concludes on Sunday 13^th April. No golf tournament in the world matches the prestige of the Masters. It’s an event steeped in tradition, with its permanent home at the breathtaking Augusta National course, the iconic Green Jacket that the winner gets to wear and, of course, the exclusivity of players needing an invitation.

First-timers tackling the Masters Tournament this year will realise their dreams of playing on the greatest golf stage. For others who are seen as frontrunners for the Masters Tournament, such as McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, the stakes are a little higher.

For McIlroy in particular, his performance will be under heavy scrutiny. Due to his previous near misses and having another chance to finally put on that coveted Green Jacket and complete a career Grand Slam, the Irishman will be under the spotlight.

McIlroy’s hunt for a career Grand Slam

The Masters has cruelly evaded Rory McIlroy in a wild rollercoaster of appearances at Augusta National. He has recorded multiple top-10 finishes, but of his previous attempts, there is one that stands out the most.

After carding a seven-under-par 65 in the opening round of the 2011 Masters, McIlroy was at the top of the leaderboard at the start of the final day, four strokes clear of anyone else. Going into that final round, he looked something of a banker, but he had a nightmare, finishing one-over-par 37 on the front nine. He then collapsed further to card a round of 80, leaving him at four under par for the tournament and tied for 15^th.

Rory McIlroy’s last five Masters finishes

2024 – T22
2023 – Missed cut
2022 – 2
2021 – Missed cut
2020 – T5

2011 was a big missed opportunity, and in his following two Masters appearances, McIlroy failed to finish in the top 20. However, he then produced a phenomenal streak of consistent form at the tournament, posting five top-10 finishes on the spin, two of those being inside the top five.

Between 2014 and 2022 inclusive, McIlroy had a top-10 finish in seven of nine appearances. The closest that he got to landing the coveted prize was a runner-up spot in 2022. But there have also been blowouts.

After a T22 at last year’s Masters, McIlroy has only made the top 10 once in the last four editions, missing the cut in two of those efforts. However, the Northern Irish golf superstar heads back to Augusta National in some great form and expectations will again be high.

McIlroy’s current form

It has been a solid start to the new season for McIlroy, who will take on the Masters for the 17^th time in his career. He scored a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February. After a quiet time of things at the Genesis Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy was back in business at THE PLAYERS at TPC Sawgrass, beating J. J. Spaun on the first playoff hole.

This was potentially a significant win. Now, for the first time in his career, he heads off to the Masters with two wins under his belt for the season. In his final competitive action ahead of Augusta National, McIlroy carded a top-five finish in Texas at the Houston Open.

Last year’s Masters effort

McIlroy didn’t quite get into the swing of things at Augusta National last year. After a solid but unspectacular opening round of 71, he then slipped to a second-round 77, which at the time left him 10 shots off the lead. Another round of 71 was posted in round three, and with no recovery in sight, McIlroy finished tied for 22^nd.

The career Slam

Victory at the Masters would put Rory McIlroy into a very exclusive club of players to have achieved the career Grand Slam of winning all four majors. It is something that only four players in the history of golf have managed: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Following his efforts in Houston, the current world number two admitted that he had work to do on his game. He also raised questions about his fitness, stating that his elbow needed some treatment ahead of the Masters.

How will Lowry stack up?

At last year’s Masters, Shane Lowry posted a T43 effort, his lowest finish in a completed four rounds at Augusta National. He has, however, broken the top 25 in all but one of his last five appearances at the event. Lowry is making his 10^th Masters appearance this year and he has knocked on the door before at golf’s biggest event, carding a T3 finish in 2022.

So far this year, Lowry has recorded four top-12 finishes across the world, with the strongest of those being his joint runner-up spot at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM behind McIlroy. Last year at the PGA Championship, Lowry tied the major championship lowest-score record with a 62 in the third round, so he is more than capable of producing the goods.

Following a top-10 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March and a T20 at THE PLAYERS, Lowry most recently carded a T8 at Copperhead in the Valspar Championship in Texas, so he heads to the Masters in good, consistent form.

The Augusta National challenges

August National is an iconic and beautiful course, adorned with stunning arrangements of flowers. It is always immaculately maintained and manicured, and is famous for its bright and vibrant azaleas and pine trees.

It also comes with significant challenges, none bigger than what is called ‘Amen Corner’, which starts at the par-four 11^th, called White Dogwood. It’s a very long hole at more than 500 yards, with the green protected by a pond on the left, which forces a lot of players to lay up rather than attack the green.

The 12^th is then a dramatic 155-yard par-three hole called the Golden Bell. The green is protected by bunkers in front and behind, and there’s the famous Rae’s Creek in front of it. For the final round, the pin is typically placed towards the front of the green, raising the threat of the hazards.

The 13^th hole is called ‘Azalea’ and is a short distance par-five, partially guarded by Rae’s Creek at the front of the green. It can be a fair scoring hole when played right, however, and can ease some tension after the tough 11^th and 12^th.

The run of holes therefore is worth 12 shots on a player’s scorecard and it is defined as being a sequence that can make or break a championship run. Another feature of the picturesque Amen Corner is Hogan’s Bridge, which takes players to the green on the 12^th hole, and Nelson’s Bridge, which leads to the 13^th tee.

Last 10 Masters winners

2024 – Scottie Scheffler (2)
2023 – Jon Rahm
2022 – Scottie Scheffler
2021 – Hideki Matsuyama
2020 – Dustin Johnson
2019 – Tiger Wood (5)
2018 – Patrick Reed
2007 – Sergio García
2016 – Danny Willett
2015 – Jordan Spieth

Prediction for The Masters 2025

Who is in contention for the 2025 Masters title? Looking at the odds, the current world number one Scottie Scheffler is the one to beat. Scheffler was runner-up at the recent Houston Open after going seven-under in the final round.

Scheffler has finished in the top 25 of all six tournaments played this year, with three of those ending in top 10s. However, it’s his record at the Masters that makes him the stand-out candidate, as he has won two of the last three editions. In the broader picture, Scheffler, the 5.49 favourite, has reached the top 10 in 11 of his last 15 major tournaments.

Xander Schauffele claimed two majors last year, but hasn’t been at his fluent best this season, hampered somewhat by a rib injury. This leaves him a longer shot around the 12.0 quote at Tonybet, along with the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and previous winner Jon Rahm, players who can take any field by storm on their day.

Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas could push towards the top 10 on Sunday, while Ludvig Åberg is another name on the radar after his stunning effort last year. On his Masters debut 12 months ago, Åberg finished runner-up behind Scheffler. The Swede is currently ranked fifth in the world, but missed the cut at THE PLAYERS in mid-March. He did, however, discover his winning touch in February to land the Genesis Open.

Masters winners by nationality

USA – 39
Spain – 4
South Africa – 3
England – 2
Germany, Scotland, Wales, Fiji, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Japan – 1

The Irish challenge

As for the main Irish contingent, Lowry looks like a great option for a top-10 finish, given his overall steady improvement at the Masters over the years. McIlroy is carrying some great form into Augusta National this year and is the 7.51 second favourite. If he comes out swinging, especially in the first round, where he has never particularly been strong, then his name should be in the mix.

It’s four days of some of the greatest golf around on one of the most beautiful courses in the world. You can catch all the latest Masters golf odds at Tonybet ahead of the big tee-off, with markets such as the outright winner, top European and top 10. There will also be in-play markets along the way and a chance ahead of each round to look at the refreshed winner markets.