Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – The Masters

The Masters Fantasy Sleeper Report

There’s the fun way to win on the PGA TOUR, and then there’s the hard way.

Brian Harman had no choice but to opt for the latter at the Texas Open over the weekend, as strong winds and warm sunshine led to firm and fast conditions at TPC San Antonio.

The left-hander opened up with rounds of 66 before cranking it into reverse, playing his final 36 holes in +3 and making four bogeys and a double bogey on Sunday.

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But nobody else could get close, in a conclusion which echoed his win at the 2023 British Open – having opened up a lead, he ground out par better than anyone else.

Harman will now head to Augusta National with added confidence in the bag, although he’ll know – as a Masters veteran – just how difficult it is to compete with the very best on this hallowed turf.

Augusta is a physical examination – it measures 7,500 yards but plays much longer due to the grass growing back towards the tee boxes, while considerable elevation changes test the players’ fitness.

And, of course, there’s the psychological challenges of taking on a golf course with big doglegging fairways and rapid, contoured greens… not to mention handling the pressure of playing for what is, arguably, the most prestigious tournament in golf.

Although some funky weather has upended the early practice rounds, by the time the tournament proper starts we can expect warm sunshine and steady, but not apocalyptic, winds – ideal for major golf, you might agree.

There’s the classic Masters tropes – will Rory complete the career grand slam? Will a LIV player spirit the green jacket away? – as well as the plausibility of Scottie Scheffler becoming a three-time champion at the age of 28… only eight players have won The Masters three times or more in their entire careers, let alone before turning 30.

But this year’s edition could be even more nuanced, with concerns about Rory on the major stage compounded by his inability to close out the U.S. Open last year. And what about Scottie, who’s yet to win in 2025 (he’d already won the PLAYERS and Arnold Palmer by this time last year)?

With Xander Schauffele still battling back from surgery and Jon Rahm seemingly not playing his best golf for some time, there’s perhaps an opportunity for an unexpected champion to be crowned this week.

But who will come a-knocking? Maybe it will be one of the five guys that make up our sleeper shortlist for The Masters 2025.

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Will Zalatoris – 50/1 – Here’s a fun fact: of all the players in this Masters field that have competed three or more times at Augusta, Will Zalatoris ranks fourth in terms of scoring average.

He has recorded three top-10 finishes at the track in the last four years, with the sole aberration coming in 2023 when he missed the event through injury.

Zalatoris evidently loves it here, and while his formline doesn’t scream Masters champion, take a look at his ball-striking: he really is hitting the ball well right now.

His short game tends to pop occasionally, rather than being consistently good, but his fine record at Augusta – he finished T9 here last year despite lead-in form of MC-74 – suggests Zalatoris can come to life at what is a happy hunting ground for the Californian.

Cameron Smith – 60/1 – You have to go back to August 2023 for the last time Cam Smith won a golf event, which seems an aberration given his talent.

But his results on the LIV Golf tour have started to improve – including an excellent under-par round at Doral on Sunday, and so you wonder if the Australian is gearing up for another big showing at Augusta.

Because that’s what Smith does: he plays well at The Masters regardless of what’s gone before. His Augusta scoring average of 71.59 from eight trips is punctuated by a run of five top-ten finishes here in his last seven attempts.

To be able to back a major champion who loves life at Augusta at odds of 60/1 seems like an opportunity that’s too good to miss.

Keegan Bradley – 100/1 – In eight visits to Augusta, Keegan Bradley has only missed one cut… and recorded four finishes in the T22-T27 range. 

He’s knocked on the door here without breaking through, but a classical track like Augusta does feel like the ideal home for Bradley’s excellent tee-to-green game.

Form shown at the correlating Kapalua and Torrey Pines adds further intrigue for a player that finished T5 in a Signature Event just three outings ago.

Tom Kim – 100/1 – Newcomers to Augusta can occasionally struggle at Augusta, but not Tom Kim, whose two showings to date have yielded a 30-16 formline and some excellent rounds along the way.

The Korean caught the eye for an unexpected reason at the Texas Open. Yes, he missed the cut, but within those 36 holes he gained strokes on the field putting for the first time since February.

Assuming his wayward ball-striking in the Lone Star State was a blip – which we can, seeing as how well Kim has been hitting it this season, the 22-year-old could be an unexpected contender this week if his putting renaissance continues.

Harris English – 200/1 – A winner this year? Check. Form at Kapalua, Torrey Pines, and Riviera? Check. Some positivity to his name at Augusta? Check.

Harris English may not scream Masters champion to you, but he ticks a lot of boxes this week and can upset what are astonishingly long odds for a player of his class.

With T21 and T22 finishes to his credit at Augusta in his last three attempts, English has been on the periphery of the action here, but much more consistent ball-striking in 2025 – headlined by his Farmers Insurance Open win – suggests an improvement on those Masters outings is possible.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for The Masters here.

Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2024-2025)

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