2025 Masters sleeper picks to watch: Here’s who might break out at Augusta National
The main leaderboard at last year's Masters.
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At the Masters, mostly everyone’s good.
And that’s good and all.
But who wins?
Curtis Strange and Andy North have a thought here. Talking on a pre-Masters teleconference for ESPN, the analysts and two-time major winners acknowledged the field depth. “Yeah, we could sit here and talk about everybody in the field that they could have a top five or top 10 or possibly be in the mix on Sunday because they’re all quality players,” Strange said. “Even the rookies there, they’re all quality players.”
But the champion, the analysts said, is someone who understands where they’re playing.
Augusta National is golf’s best show — so the winner may be the best showman.
“They love to show off,” North said on the teleconference. “You get them on a big stage and get playing well, you feed off of that. You just have an absolute blast hitting shots in front of the people there that really understand how important it is and how big a deal it is to hit a quality shot at the 12th hole or a quality shot at the 11th hole.
“The patrons at Augusta National know what it takes to play well there, and that’s really cool.”
Said Strange: “That’s a great point. We talked about getting energy from the fans. There’s no better place on the planet than to do it here at Augusta National because they’re so knowledgeable. They appreciate it. They know what they’re seeing here. They make a lot of noise, and they root for you. They really root for every player there to hit shots. They want to be entertained. You want to entertain them. There’s no place like it.
“So somebody who really enjoys that stage, I think, has a ball this week. Practice rounds included.”
With that, let’s continue to dig. Below, members of our staff have each made a long-shot selection to assist you with your own weekly picks, whether those are for a low-stakes office fantasy league, or (legal!) big-bucks bets with a sportsbook. It’s an enjoyable endeavor for us. Deploy it as you wish.
On to our analysis.
2025 Masters sleeper picks to watch
Josh Berhow
Sleeper pick: Russell Henley, +5000. I like Joaquin Niemann here, but his odds don’t suggest he’s much of a deep sleeper. Instead, I’ll take Russell Henley, who is ranked No. 7 in the world but doesn’t have odds like it. He’s always played OK here (four top-25s in eight starts) and is just starting to play the best major golf of his career — his three major top-10s are all from the past two years, including his past two majors played. He’s had a good season and won a month ago. Why not Russ?
Adam Christensen
Sleeper pick: Sepp Straka, +8000. When looking at sleepers for the Masters, I like to pick players who I think can survive the nerve-racking “I’m leading on the back nine at Augusta” moment. Straka has played in big events and has been consistently solid over the past two years. If he can miss in the right spots and have a hot week around and on the green, I think he can handle that back-nine moment.
Dylan Dethier
Sleeper pick: Why stop at one sleeper? I’ll give you a couple mid-level guys who I think will end up inside the top 10: Russell Henley (+5000) and Corey Conners (+6500). Keep scrolling to get to Daniel Berger (+11000), Patrick Reed (+9000) and Sergio Garcia (+9000). And if we’re talking like, top-40 plays? Why not spice up your week with a little Matt McCarty (+60000) and [grins very, very wide] Fred Couples? Happy hunting.
Alex Gelman
Sleeper pick: Jose Luis Ballester +100000. This past summer, he won the U.S. Amateur and found himself in the Masters. An amateur has never won the Masters before. Why not Ballester?
How often favorites win tournaments (and when to bet on them)
Jack Hirsh
Sleeper pick: Keegan Bradley: +11000. These odds are a joke right? Nonsense with the poor course history argument — he’s finished in the top 25 the past two years and he’s already got two top-6s this year. I think Keegan contends at Augusta this year and makes his job as Ryder Cup captain so much harder.
Jessica Marksbury
Sleeper pick: Corey Conners, +6500. His past three finishes prior to the Valero: 3, T6, T8. In seven appearances at Augusta National, he has three top-10s. Feels like pretty good odds given Conners’ current form and past Masters resume.
Maddi MacClurg
Sleeper pick: Russell Henley, +5000. If he’s seventh in the world right now, is he really a sleeper pick? With four top-10 finishes, including a win at Bay Hill, Russell Henley is a solid choice to win the green jacket. After nine appearances at the Masters, he’s gained a ton of local knowledge, giving him a leg up on the field. He also has incredible touch on and around the greens — which will come in handy while navigating Augusta’s punishing greenside bunkers.
Nick Piastowski
Sleeper pick: Daniel Berger, +11000. Berger’s in good form. He’s a good ball-striker. He’s got a good demeanor. I’m in.
Josh Schrock
Sleeper pick: Justin Rose +11000. Rose has always played well at Augusta National. While he hasn’t been in top form so far this year, the azaleas have a way of getting old lions to turn back the clock and roar one final time.
Josh Sens
Sleeper pick: Thomas Detry +18000. I actually don’t believe a sleeper can win this year. The chalk is just too strong. But these are very long odds for a player with this much potential.
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