Folks, the azaleas are in bloom, and the world’s best golfers will soon be battling for the coveted Green Jacket at the Masters Tournament. Undoubtedly, a dream for many, the tournament is expected to host 92 players. It will also include five amateurs! Besides these rookie players, you and I are anticipating quite a few names, including the defending champion, Scottie Scheffler. Despite his staggering performance, Scheffler will be looking to win his third Masters title!
Similarly, Rory McIlroy will have another opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam. Xander Schauffele will be vying to win his first green jacket after having won the last two majors in 2024. Tiger Woods is likely not to play, given his Achilles tendon injury. Meanwhile, LIV golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm will be locking in as strong contenders from the Saudi-backed league. So, several big names have already made it to the Masters. But there are quite a few names that will likely not make it. Let’s dive right in.
Rickie Fowler
Knowing Rickie Fowler, seeing his name here may be just as shocking to you as it was to me. However, considering his recent performances, it makes sense why the World No. 105 made this list. His last win came in 2023 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He also achieved a T5 finish at the U.S. Open.
Fowler will likely miss his chance at this year’s Masters Tournament unless he secures a win at the upcoming Texas Children’s Houston Open or the Valero Texas Open. Last year, he missed six cuts and finished T30 at the Masters after missing the tournament in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Despite going winless throughout the year and falling out of the top 50, Fowler has a solid history at the Masters, having finished runner-up in 2018 and achieving several top-12 finishes in the following years.
Jake Knapp
As surprising as it sounds, Jake Knapp is indeed struggling. The World No. 85 registered his last win at the 2024 Mexico Open. And what about the rest of his year, you ask? Pretty disappointing. He missed cuts five times, including at the Masters and the PGA Championship. In 2025, he missed cuts twice, once at the Valspar Championship, and had only 1 top-10 finish at the Cognizant Classic in his 10 appearances. His next-best finish came at the 2025 PLAYERS Championship with a finish of T12. He ended the year with 85 and is still stuck at that giant number.
Interestingly, Knapp made his debut in 2024, thanks to his win at the Mexico Open. If everything goes well at the upcoming tournaments, he will likely be seen teeing off at the Augusta National. And well means: securing at least a runner-up finish at his next event to qualify through his OWGR.
Gary Woodland
Honestly, Gary Woodland deserves to be on Augusta National this coming April. Having fought through a brain lesion pressing on the part of the brain that controlled fear and anxiety, Woodland bravely said, “At the end of the day, I’m fighting.” The golfer has understandably been struggling with his game in recent times. His 2024 came with 10 missed cuts, including the one at the Masters. This year, his best came with T16 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, an incredible feat in itself.
However, Gary Woodland will miss his 13th Augusta National appearance this year. Consequently, it will be his first Masters since 2017 that he will not be attending. Having played in every major since 2016, the 33 streak will be coming to a close this April. If the World No. 186 had made it into the Augusta National, it would have been another inspiring story from the star golfer.
If this course could talk. #themasters pic.twitter.com/hEXVmhYYKN
— The Masters (@TheMasters) March 17, 2025
Si Woo Kim
The youngest golfer we’ve discussed so far, Si Woo Kim, has experienced relatively moderate seasons. His last victory came at the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2023. However, the remainder of that season was uneventful, a trend that continued into 2024 and 2025. In 2024, he achieved three top-10 finishes. Despite these ups and downs, Kim has maintained a reputation for qualifying for major events throughout the year. He is currently ranked 66th in the OWGR.
In his eight-year career, Si Woo Kim has missed just one major championship—the 2021 Open Championship. However, despite his drop in OWGR ranking earlier this year, he is likely to miss the Masters this season. Now, Kim must finish solo third or higher to have a chance of breaking into the top 50 in the OWGR.
Michael Kim
Thanks to regular interactions with fans, Michael Kim is quickly becoming a favorite on the PGA Tour. His best finish in the last three years was a fourth place at this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Since 2023, he has faced a series of missed cuts and moderate finishes, recording 13 missed cuts last year compared to three this season.
However, Kim has made significant progress this year. He achieved three top-10 finishes and climbed from a ranking of 156 to 52. He credits his improved form to swing enhancements made with coach Sean Foley and a short game lesson from Mayo. However, if his performance is anything to go by, he will make a name this week at the upcoming Texas Children’s Houston Open. His fate for the Masters will be sealed by a hopeful performance within the top 50.
Will they be able to make it to the prestigious Masters Tournament? Well, only time can tell.
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