10 surprising players who missed the 2025 Masters cut

We have officially reached the halfway point of the 2025 Masters, and Justin Rose is leading at eight under. Green jackets cannot be won on Friday, but they can certainly be lost. For the players who did not post two-over or better, the dream of winning the year’s first major is officially dead.

Fifty-three players survived the 36-hole cut at two over, while 42 players saw their week end early. And in the contingent of players who did not book a weekend tee time, there were plenty of big names.

Below are 10 notable players who missed the cut at Augusta National.

10 notables to miss Masters cut

Dustin Johnson

What he shot: 74-73 (+3)

Why it’s surprising: Johnson’s major struggles continued this week at Augusta as he fired two over-par rounds to miss the cut by a shot. The 2020 champ actually played solid golf for much of the week, and through 16 holes on Friday he was even par for the tournament. However, he finished 5-6 to drop three shots over the final two holes to miss the cut by a stroke. Since his triumph at the fall Masters five years ago, Johnson has not registered another top 10 at Augusta as he’s now missed the cut in three out of his past five trips.

Russell Henley

What he shot: 79-68 (+3)

Why it’s surprising: Henley has been one of the most solid players on Tour this spring as he’s racked up four top 10s and a victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. And with such a solid string of starts, he arrived at Augusta as a dark horse to contend come Sunday. However, he struggled to get out of the starting blocks on Thursday as his 79 bested just one other player in the field. Henley bounced back with an excellent second round, but a bogey on No. 18 left him a shot outside the cutline.

Bernhard Langer

What he shot: 74-73 (+3)

Why it’s surprising: After missing what was supposed to be his final Masters last spring, Langer arrived in Augusta this week making his 41st and final start in the event. And although at age 67 he had little hope of contending for a third green jacket, he did have hopes of making the weekend. Through 14 holes on Friday, that dream looked to be turning into a reality, but with a double on 15 and a bogey on 18, the two-time winner leaves Augusta for the final time having missed the cut. Nonetheless, Langer walks away from the Masters having turned in one heck of a career.

Phil Mickelson

What he shot: 75-74

Why it’s surprising: Lefty might be on the wrong side of 50, but as he showed at the 2021 PGA Championship, you can never count him out. This week at Augusta, he wasn’t able to turn back the clock though, as he couldn’t muster an under-par round on Thursday or Friday. It has now been 15 years since Mickelson won his last green jacket in 2010.

Sergio Garcia

What he shot: 72-76 (+4)

Why it’s surprising: Garcia has played some beautiful golf on the LIV tour this spring, earning a win and another top-three finish in the month leading into the Masters. However, at Augusta National, he could not recapture the magic that he’s summoned on the breakaway tour of late. This marks the sixth missed cut in seven starts at the Masters for the Spaniard since his 2017 triumph.

Brooks Koepka

What he shot: 74-75 (+5)

Why it’s surprising: The once lethal major-championship player has seldom been a factor in golf’s biggest events over the past several years. Since his win at the 2023 PGA Championship, Koepka has registered just one top-20 finish. In his quest for his first green jacket this week, the five-time major winner continued his listless play, missing the cut in spectacular fashion with an 8 on the final hole to cement a missed cut.

Sepp Straka

What he shot: 78-71 (+5)

Why it’s surprising: Entering the week at second in the FedEx Cup standings, Straka was a trendy pick to make a run at the green jacket. But after struggling to get any momentum going in Round 1, he found himself behind the eight ball early. Straka came out hot on Friday with six birdies over his first 16 holes, but a 6-6 finish dropped him back outside the cutline as he missed the cut at Augusta for the first time in his career.

Cameron Smith

What he shot: 71-78 (+6)

Why it’s surprising: There are few players who’ve had as much success around Augusta over the past five years as Smith. In his five previous Masters starts, the Aussie had four top 10s, including a T2 performance in 2020. This week, however, he struggled to capture that same magic as he hit just 36 percent of greens in regulation en route to missing the cut by four shots.

Will Zalatoris

What he shot: 74-78 (+8)

Why it’s surprising: In Zalatoris’ previous three starts at Augusta, he’d never finished worse than T9. This week, though, he wasn’t able to channel those same good vibes. Over the course of 36 holes, the 28-year-old made seven bogeys and four doubles en route to his worst-ever Masters performance.

Nick Dunlap

What he shot: 90-71 (+17)

Why it’s surprising: Dunlap missing the cut isn’t necessarily shocking, but the way it happened certainly was. The former U.S. Am champ — and two-time Tour winner — had a nightmarish opening round where he posted 90 (!) as he battled the driver yips all day. To Dunlap’s credit, he did not WD after that disaster, instead showing up in Round 2 and gutting out a one-under 71.