So, with that being said, who at this year's Masters has a realistic hope of walking away with the Green Jacket and becoming a maiden major champion?
Russell Henley
The often overlooked Henley might not be a star name on the PGA tour, and he might not be the flashiest of players, but he is consistent and in fine form so far in 2025. After a T5 finish at Pebble Beach followed by a T6 at the Cognizant Classic, the world number six won his first PGA Tour title since 2022 at last month's Arnold Palmer Invitational.
It was a victory long in the making, and doing it at a tournament with all the big boys whilst shooting -11 under par?
This was a statement win.
Henley has a calm persona, and even as he tapped in his final put to claim the famous Arnold Palmer title, he held his emotions in check.
Perhaps the fact that he isn't as big a personality as some of the other stars on tour is part of the reason why he goes under the radar. Because whilst he has yet to be in contention on a Sunday of a major, Henley has recorded five top-25 finishes at his last eight major appearances, including a fifth-place finish at the 2024 US Open.
The reality is that Henley is a real threat at Augusta, and if it isn't to be this week, then don't be surprised to see the American win one of the other three majors later this year.
Will Zalatoris
Zalatoris might not be the hot topic he was a couple of years ago, but the world number 66 still possesses an abundance of talent.
He has also found a level of impressive consistency that had been missing in the past when he was competitive at majors and despite not being in contention to win on the PGA tour this year, his game is looking much better than the numbers suggest.
The fact that Zalitoris has made the cut in every tournament since the Wyndham Championship last August highlights his impressive consistency that constantly gives him a chance come the weekend.
It might be a big ask for it all to come together this week at one of golf's most unforgiving courses, but if it does, then the American has all the assets to his game to get an extraordinary win over the line.
Akshay Bhatia
Bhatia is one of golf's rising stars. The young American is making just his second Masters appearance after finishing T-35 on his debut last year. There has been a building excitement surrounding Bhatia over the last couple of years.
However, he hadn't been setting the world alight in 2025 before getting his game spot on for the Players Championship to finish T-3. Going into the weekend, Bhatia was tied for the lead and flying but J.J. Spaun and Rory McIlroy broke away on the final day to leave him two shots off being involved in a play-off.
It was an extremely encouraging week though, and one which reminded people of Bhatia's immense talent.
It has been inconsistent performance that has hurt his game at times because, whilst recording two other top 10 finishes in 2025, he has also missed the cut twice.
His all-around game is top class, though, and there is every reason to expect to see Bhatia in contention come Augusta Sunday.
Min Woo Lee
Woo Lee is a fun emerging player for lots of reasons. That is because, as well as being an incredibly talented player who is high off winning the Houston Open, he is also an entertainer.
The 26-year-old shows his emotions around the holes and plays up to the crowd at every opportunity. He also happens to be a TikTok sensation, and his catchphrase 'Let Him Cook' has certainly caught on since he has 360k followers and 6.5m likes.
Whilst he openly admits to struggling to focus for a full four rounds (something which has been his Achilles heel a few times), when he is on it, he is a joy to watch, and Houston was evidence of growing maturity in his game.
Whilst golf purists might not love his antics, I think personalities like his are vital to the sport because people want someone to root for, right?
And there is good reason to root for Woo Lee at Augusta after he showed brilliant mental resilience to win his maiden PGA title at Houston. Woo Lee found the water and scrambled for a bogey at 16 on Sunday to give hope to the chasing pack.
The response was one of a champion to hold off world number one Scottie Scheffler in a heart-pounding final round.
If he carries that mental composure over to Augusta this week, then anything is possible.
Either way, it should be a spectacle you don't want to miss.
Ludvig Aberg
Last year's runner-up at Augusta and world number five is one of the favourites again this year, and for good reason. Aberg is the best talent in golf right now: he plays with maturity beyond his years, is the perfect professional and just happens to be very good at golf.
Aberg's game has no obvious weakness, which is rare to find and makes him stand out from the other emerging talents. But whilst his all round game is strong, the speed and distance he is capable of finding with his driver is his special asset and one which makes him a threat to the best players in the world.
Aberg's form in 2025 has been mixed. He's missed the last two cuts at the Players and Texas but won the Genesis Invitational by one shot in February for his second PGA title.
The Swede sensation might not be going into Augusta high on confidence, but he should be. Last year, Aberg showed he can master this great course (something many top players fail to do) and his CV to date is one of a major champion in the making.