The Augusta National Golf Course can be a nightmare even for the best golfers in the world. Just ask Rory McIlroy, who got absolutely annihilated at Firethorn and Nandina to go from 4-under to on par within a matter of minutes. The Irishman was on the path to match, if not overcome, Justin Rose. But a single fumble pushed him 7 strokes away from the top. Well, McIlroy might still have time to recover and rise up the rankings. But others on the field might have sunk too low on the leaderboard to fight back.
Let’s take a look at 5 big names that are at risk of missing the cut in the second round of the 2025 Masters Tournament.
Phil Mickelson
Yes, Phil Mickelson has made the list. In his illustrious career, compiling 45 PGA Tour wins, this was Lefty’s 32 appearance in the Green Jacket event. And in the past 31 attempts, Mickelson has only missed the cut thrice. That’s equal to the number of Masters Tournaments he has actually won. Unfortunately, the 54-year-old is on the verge of making it four missed cuts after an abysmal 18 holes. Despite years of experience and familiarity with the iconic golf course, Mickelson managed to score five bogeys and two birdies to go 3-over par 75 in the first round. Teeing off on Friday, Lefty is 1 stroke above the expected cutline. It’s not that he can’t make it, but he has a lineup of extremely great golfers in front of him to overcome if he wants to avoid another missed cut at Augusta National. If he doesn’t, then this would be the first time in nine years that Phil Mickelson will not play the weekend leg of the tournament. The last time he failed to rise up the rankings was in 2016. Interestingly, that was the same year Danny Willett pulled a shocker against Jordan Spieth to win his only PGA Tour title.
Jon Rahm
In 2023, Jon Rahm beat Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and everyone else on the field by 4 strokes. A year later, he absolutely dominated LIV Golf to become the Player of the Year. At the same time, his form in the 2024 Masters Tournament dropped as he finished at T45 with a 9-over par 297. In 2025, it seems that Rahm has faltered even further as he sits outside the cutline at Augusta National. Much like Mickelson above, Rahmbo also went 3-over par 75 with 5 bogeys and two birdies. Overall, he looked like a shell of himself that ruled the golf world in 2023. The 30-year-old seems to be struggling, and h,e too is feeling it after the patrons witnessed his outburst at Carolina Cherry right off the tee. ‘Such a loser,’ said the fans as Rahmbo nearly destroyed his driver after the misshit. If his terrible run and temper tantrums continue on Friday (2nd round), then Jon Rahm might miss the cut at the Masters Tournament for the first time in his career.
Adam Scott
Adam Scott also had a horrid time in the first round of the 2025 Masters Tournament. The 2013 Masters Tournament champion has been in the business since Y2K. During this time, he has played at the Augusta National 23 times. Scott has an outstanding record in the Green Jacket event as he has only missed the cut twice and played the weekend rounds 21 times. In his 24th appearance in the Masters Tournament, the Australian managed four bogeys and one double bogey in the first 18 holes. He could only complement it with one birdie to end with a 5-over 77. 3 strokes away from the projected cutline, Scott will have a lot to cover by the time everyone else completes their rounds. For now, he seems to be on the path to missing his first cut at Augusta National after 16 years.
Wyndham Clark
Wyndham Clark has been one of the best golfers in the world for the past couple of years. He bagged wins at the U.S. Open and Wells Fargo Championship in 2023. Clark followed it up with a triumph at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. That helped him rise up the rankings and become the third-best golfer in the world for a short time. Unfortunately, Denver local hasn’t been able to replicate that form in 2025 as he has failed to impress so far. Clark has only managed one top-10 finish this year at the Texas Children’s Houston Open as he finished T5 with a 15-under 265. He has already had one missed cut and a withdrawal. Interestingly, Clark has had just one Masters Tournament in the past in 2024. He had not made the cut that year either. In 2025, he’s at 4-over par 76 after scoring four bogeys and one double bogey. Two strokes away from the projected cutline, Wyndham Clark has a mountain to climb if he wants to play the weekend at Augusta National for the first time in his career.
Sepp Straka
Sepp Straka has been on a great run of form in 2025. He has already managed a win at the 2025 American Express. He got two other top-10 finishes at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Many were expecting the Austrian to be competing for the title at Augusta National this year. Unfortunately, he missed the cue completely in the first round and managed a 6-over par 78. Straka had four bogeys, a double bogey, and another triple bogey, dropping him down by 9 strokes in just six holes. He fortunately managed to add three birdies throughout the day to bring the deficit down to 6-over. However, that might just prove to be too much for Sepp Straka as he is three strokes away from the expected cutline going into round two.
There were quite a few surprises in the first round of the 2025 Masters Tournament. But these five golfers are some of the notable ones among the bunch. Whose downfall shocked you the most in the first 18 holes at Augusta National? Let us know in the comments section.
The post Masters 2025 Cutline Prediction: Top 5 Golfers Projected to Miss the Cut appeared first on EssentiallySports.
