Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images The 2025 Masters is halfway finished. Scott Phillips provides picks to win the Green Jacket after Friday’s cut. Three of golf’s biggest superstars are on top of the leaderboard as the Masters enters the weekend. As Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler chase leader Justin Rose, there is plenty of golf ahead in what should be a memorable major championship weekend. McIlroy is the current favorite despite being two strokes back of Rose. Trying to complete the career grand slam while winning his first major since 2014, McIlroy faces extraordinary pressure to win his first green jacket. DeChambeau is attempting to claim his third major after two U.S. Open titles. For Scheffler, a win would make it back-to-back Masters wins and three green jackets in four years — the fastest in history to get to three. With two days of the Masters left, here are the updated Masters odds to take home the green jacket — provided by FanDuel Sportsbook. Masters bettors can take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook’s Daily Profit Boost Token promotion each day that can be used on any Masters wager. Can Rory finally close it out at Augusta? Or will a talented leaderboard full of superstars and former major winners claim golf’s most coveted title? Overall favorite Rory McIlroy (+330) All eyes will be on McIlroy this weekend when he attempts to make history. Shaky down the stretch to end the first round, confidence was down on McIlroy when he made two double bogies on 15 and 17 to finish the day at even. After nearly reaching -5, only to fall outside of the top 10, McIlroy looked potentially defeated. But Rory came to life on the second nine at Augusta during the second round. Firing a five-under 31 to close out the round, including a memorable eagle on 13 after a ridiculous approach off the pine straw, McIlroy is in his best spot entering the weekend in seven years. When it comes to being in contention at the Masters after 36 holes, McIlroy was T4 after the second round in 2018 (T5) and second place after 36 holes in 2016 (T10). Although McIlroy put a scare into eventual champion Patrick Reed with a strong third round in 2018, McIlroy faltered during both weekends and fell out of contention. Although McIlroy owns two top fives in the Masters this decade, both of those finishes came from poor starts and strong finishes — particularly Rory’s Sunday 64 to secure a solo second finish in 2022. If McIlroy can maintain his confidence and improve some errant drives (61 percent fairways hit compared to 73 percent for the field) he should generate enough birdie looks to stay in the mix. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player both said they believe this is the year Rory finally wins the Masters. Will McIlroy finally get it done? Longshot Hideki Matsuyama (+4000) If you’re looking for longer odds entering the weekend then the 2021 Masters champions presents an interesting case. Sitting five shots off the lead at -3, Matsuyama put together a very solid second round -4 after a sluggish opening day. Hitting 86 percent of fairways and 82 percent of greens through two rounds, Matsuyama is beating the field by a healthy margin in both categories so far during a solid ball-striking start. The putter lets down Matsuyama at times, however, with consistent greens in regulation regularly ending in pars. Matsuyama only has six birdies and an eagle this week, with more scoring needed to make a weekend comeback. Matsuyama can heat up quickly with flurries of birdies, which led to wins in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, FedEx St. Jude and the Genesis Invitational. A third-round 65 during the 2021 Masters gave Matsuyama a comfortable four-shot cushion on the way to his only major championship. Although Matsuyama is playing from behind in this scenario, a hot second round, strong ball-striking and a recent win at Augusta makes Matsuyama a player worth watching.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Here are the tee times for Saturday at The Masters. A leaderboard full of future Hall of Famers makes for a potentially riveting weekend at the Masters. Golf’s ultimate test features a top-heavy leaderboard through two rounds Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Bryson DeChambeau are among the favorites. The final group on Saturday will feature 36-hole leader and former major champion Justin Rose and reigning U.S. Open champion DeChambeau. Although Rose has led after the first round of the Masters five times, he’s never claimed a green jacket as he tries to hold off some of golf’s biggest stars. DeChambeau is trying to win his first non-U.S. Open major championship after leading after 36 holes in this event last year. Masters odds favorite McIlroy leads the penultimate group only two shots back of the lead and in his highest position on the Masters leaderboard entering the weekend since 2018. McIlroy is joined by Corey Conners, who has solid recent Masters history with three top-ten finishes this decade. Defending Masters champion Scheffler anchors another featured group for Saturday. Looking for an unprecedented third green jacket in four years, Scheffler is paired with talented LIV golf member Tyrell Hatton. If you’re looking for a morning group to enjoy, look no further than the 10 a.m. pairing with former Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Joaquin Niemann. Both players feature a full arsenal of shots and can go low in any round. Here’s a look at the tee times for the third round of the Masters. All times are Eastern Standard Time. Round 3, Saturday, April 12 From Tee No. 1 9:50 a.m.: Tom Kim 10 a.m.: Joaquin Niemann, Jordan Spieth 10:10 am.: Stephan Jaeger, Max Greyserman 10:20 a.m.: Danny Willett, J.T. Poston 10:30 a.m.: Jon Rahm, Zach Johnson 10:40 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Akshay Bhatia 10:50 a.m. Denny McCarthy, J.J. Spaun 11:10 a.m.: Maverick McNealy, Charl Schwartzel 11:20 a.m.: Brian Campbell, Byeong Hun An 11:30 a.m.: Aaron Rai, Justin Thomas 11:40 a.m.: Sahith Theegala, Davis Thompson 11:50 a.m.: Matt Fitzpatrick, Wyndham Clark 12 p.m.: Nick Taylor, Daniel Berger 12:10 p.m.: Tom Hoge, Max Homa 12:30 p.m.: Harris English, Min Woo Lee 12:40 p.m.: Sam Burns, Nico Echavarria 12:50 p.m.: Brian Harman, Bubba Watson 1 p.m.: Davis Riley, Michael Kim 1:10 p.m.: Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood 1:20 p.m.: Patrick Reed, Collin Morikawa 1:30 p.m.: Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama 1:50 p.m.: Jason Day, Sungjae Im 2 p.m.: Rasmus Hojgaard, Viktor Hovland 2:10 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton 2:20 p.m.: Matt McCarty, Shane Lowry 2:30 p.m.: Rory McIlroy, Corey Conners 2:40 p.m.: Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images The 2025 Masters has hit the weekend. We break down the odds heading into Saturday. Heavy hitters line the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Masters. Attempting to complete the career grand slam, Rory McIlroy is the current favorite to win the coveted green jack on the odds board. But a loaded leaderboard full of former major winners, including Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler, also have their eyes on history. DeChambeau outlasted McIlroy to win last summer’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst in memorable fashion. Scheffler is trying to become the fastest to three Masters titles after winning last year and twice in the last three years. After 36 holes, here are the updated Masters odds to win the green jacket entering the weekend, provided by FanDuel Sportsbook. With two days left, FanDuel Sportsbook maintains its Daily Profit Boost Token promotion each day that can be used on any Masters wager. Here’s how the top of the odds board looks heading into the weekend. Masters Top Ten Rory McIlroy +330Bryson DeChambeau +360Scottie Scheffler +400Justin Rose +750Corey Conners +1200Shane Lowry +1600Tyrell Hatton +2000Collin Morikawa +2500Viktor Hovland +3000Ludvig Aberg +3000 Rory McIlroy (+330) will be a popular choice entering the weekend. Attempting to garner the career grand slam with a win at Augusta, McIlroy shook off the end of his shaky first round to fire a six-under 66 on Friday. McIlroy hasn’t won a major since 2014. But with two wins under his belt spring, McIlroy is in elite form. Finding himself in the mix at another major is Bryson DeChambeau (+360). The reigning U.S. Open champion maintains a steady presence atop the leaderboard at recent majors by mixing his trademark power off the tee with solid shot-making in the second round. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (+400) is once again in the mix. Vying for his third green jacket in the last four years, Scheffler is the only Masters champion among the top ten players on the odds board. First-round leader Justin Rose (+750) finds himself behind golf’s current crop of superstars despite leading the event. Part of the reason is the veteran’s shaky Masters track record after strong starts. Leading five times after the first round during the Masters, Rose finished T22, T5, T36 and 7th the previous times he was in the same position. The rest of the top ten includes former major winners like Shane Lowry (+1600) and Collin Morikawa (+2500). Meanwhile, superstar talents like Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland make for an intriguing duo a few shots back of the lead.

Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The first high-profile holdout in college football is here. The University of Tennessee football team and starting QB Nico Iamaleava are at a bit of an impasse. After rumblings of a rift between the Volunteers’ starter and the team began a few months ago, the first public shot has been fired, with Iamaleava holding himself out of Tennessee’s spring practice session on Friday until he gets a new name, image and likeness (NIL) deal, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Sources: Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava did not attend Tennessee spring practice today. He’s been in conversations with Tennessee about a new contract. The no-show of practice came as a surprise. pic.twitter.com/VXsXTPDZpu— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 11, 2025 As Thamel stated, this holdout was unexpected by the Vols, and is the first prominent example of a player holding out at the college level. So, how did we get here, and where will this go? How did we get to this point? Iamaleava had been in talks with Tennessee about a renegotiated NIL deal since the middle of December. The QB’s current deal was for about $2.4 million, sources told ESPN. After the season ended, Iamaleava and Tennessee went to the negotiating table for a reworked contract. It was reported by On3 that Iamaleava’s representatives were looking for an increase to the $4 million range for his deal but the Vols wouldn’t budge on their stance. According to On3, the two sides met Thursday in regards to a reworked deal, but nothing else came from it. Iamaleava’s holdout on Friday came as a “surprise” to the team. This is from ESPN’s Chris Low: Iamaleava’s reps were adamant Thursday to news outlets that there was no NIL renegotiation going on. But sources tell ESPN there has been growing frustration among the administration and players about the situation, especially when Iamaleava didn’t show for practice.— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) April 11, 2025 When Iamaleava first committed to Tennessee, his deal was unprecedented at the time for a high school recruit, paying him over $8 million across the span of his career. That math works out to about the $2.4 million we discussed earlier, and Iamaleava wants to add more to it. What other QBs have gotten big NIL deals this offseason? When Carson Beck transferred to Miami and Darian Mensah transferred to Duke, both QBs earned “significantly more” money than Iamaleava was set to make this upcoming season, according to ESPN. There’s been no reports that Iamaleava wants a deal around those numbers, but a $4 million tag seems about right. What are the important dates to know in this case? Tennessee’s spring game is on Saturday, but the bigger date comes next Wednesday, April 16. That is when the transfer portal opens for the football spring window. Hypothetically, if Iamaleava doesn’t get the deal that he’s looking for, he could enter the portal and test the waters there. Tennessee might also be feeling the pressure here as well, because they would end up in a scramble for a starting QB who can at least be SEC competitive. How good is Nico Iamaleava? Well ... it’s complicated. Iamaleava finished the season with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, but eight of those touchdowns came in games against Chattanooga, Kent State, and UTEP. Against SEC competition, Iamaleava looked overmatched and the Tennessee offense which is notoriously Mickey Mouse-caliber ended up looking even more watered down than before. This culminated in a disheartening 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff where Iamaleava went 14-for-31, didn’t throw any touchdowns and was sacked four times. However, he was a top recruit coming out of high school, with some scouting sites comparing him to Chargers’ QB Justin Herbert. The potential might be there, but the production and tape hasn’t shown so far. Who has the leverage here? Honestly, it’s Tennessee. With Iamaleava’s performance leaving a lot of fans and media uninspired, the Vols could let the QB walk and enter the portal, taking a risk at finding someone who can produce better in the offense. If Iamaleava doesn’t want to leave, he’s gotta take that same NIL deal and bear it until the end of the 2025 season, or he’s SOL. However, the thing that’s working in Iamaleava’s favor is time. With the spring portal opening, Iamaleava could leave and force Tennessee to scramble for a QB with four months until fall practice begins. That might not be enough time for a QB to come in and learn the ins and outs of the offense, so if Iamaleava wants to push this, time is working with him. Who could get Iamaleava out of the portal, if he entered? Iamaleava is from California, so USC seems like a leading candidate. They didn’t portal in any QB and last year’s starter, Miller Moss, is now at Louisville. They might have some faith in QB Jayden Maiava, who transferred in from UNLV, but Iamaleava would give them someone with much more potential. Staying in California, UCLA added former App State QB Joey Aguilar in the portal, but could make a move for Iamaleava if they wanted to. What happens next? Now, we have to play the waiting game. Tennessee and Iamaleava’s reps have under a week before the transfer portal opens to figure this out, or they risk losing their starting QB to the portal. With the frustration growing and time running out, it would be surprising to me if they got a deal done. I don’t think this is going to lead to more high-profile names holding out for better deals, but I also think it’s dependent on the outcome of this holdout. It feels like a cop out answer, but if more players see this holdout go poorly for Iamaleava, not many will feel bold enough to take that risk again. However, if Tennessee folds and gives the QB what he wants, I think more players will have the power to ask for more money, applying the pressure on the university. Either way, this holdout could have major implications for the future of college football.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images One day after a pair of disasters, Rory McIlroy relied on his patience to soar back into contention. AUGUSTA, Ga. — The world watched Rory McIlroy chip his third shot into the water on Thursday afternoon. Then everyone saw him make a pair of unforced errors two holes later on the 17th, turning a marvelous round into a disappointing one. Some figured he threw the tournament away, eliminating his chance of completing the Grand Slam altogether... again. He was understandably frustrated, decided not to speak with the media, and went straight home to see his daughter Poppy before she went to bed. That helped him take his mind off golf for a while, as he reset for the evening and hit the hay with a clear head. On Friday morning, well before his 9:58 a.m. tee time, McIlroy chatted with his longtime coach Bob Rotella. Their discussion stemmed around one key attribute, something that McIlroy would rely on all day on Friday: Patience. “[We talked about] not pushing too hard too early and trying to get those shots back straightaway,” McIlroy said. “And you can see how I started today with eight pars and a birdie on the front nine. I just tried to stay really, really patient. I feel like that patience was rewarded with a nice little stretch there in the middle of the round.” After somehow making a birdie on the par-5 2nd from beside a tree, McIlroy penciled in a 1-under 35 as he made the turn. Then fireworks went off. He blistered a towering draw down the 10th fairway, the same hole that cost him a chance at his first major championship in 2011. McIlroy then stuck a wedge within a foot and tapped in for his second birdie of the day. Nearly the same thing happened on the 11th, where McIlroy hit a towering 359-yard tee shot down the middle of the fairway. But the moment of the round came on the par-5 13th. McIlroy was 3-under par for the championship and faced a good scoring opportunity. And yet his tee shot settled into the pinestraw off the fairway, leaving him in a precarious position. He only had 189 yards to the front of the green, though, so McIlroy had no choice but to go for it. Roaring into contention. McIlroy eagles No. 13 and is now tied for fourth. #themasters pic.twitter.com/1i65HRkd33— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2025 “I was between a 4- and a 5-iron. And usually the ball comes out of it spinnier out of the pine straw. So I hit a 4-iron, and the follow-through, definitely I saved it, and I was glad that I hit 4-iron. I covered that little corner there,” McIlroy said. “When the ball was in the air, I was like, ‘You idiot, what did you do?’ It’s one of those ones, as well, it’s a pin that even if you hit it into the hazard, it’s a pretty — not a routine up-and-down, but it’s a little easier than, say, where the pin was yesterday in that front section. Yeah, I rode my luck a little bit with that second shot, but was nice to take advantage of it.” McIlroy knocked it to nine feet and drained the putt for eagle, eliciting a roar that could be heard as far away as Hilton Head, where the PGA Tour heads next week for the RBC Heritage. On the next hole, the 14th, he hit a marvelous shot from the pinestraw again, hitting over the tree and making par when a bogey or worse loomed. He then added another birdie on the 15th, the hole that completely unraveled him the day before. “It was nice to make a 4 there,” McIlroy said. “I guess just keep the momentum going that I had built up through those previous holes, 10, 11, 13.” He signed for a 6-under 66, his best round at Augusta National since shooting a 64 on Sunday in 2022. Since that magical final round, which included him holing out from the greenside bunker on the 18th hole, McIlroy had not shot a round in the 60s at The Masters. Until Friday. “Golf tournaments are so long, and there’s so much that can happen, even in the next 36 holes,” McIlroy said. “My mindset was, ‘I shot even par yesterday. I probably need to get to somewhere between 12- and 15-under to win this tournament.’ You know, there was plenty of time to do that. So yeah, again, just about staying patient.” Now McIlroy needs to borrow from the great Axel Rose, who penned Guns N’ Roses “Patience” in 1988, the same year a fellow European, Sandy Lyle, won his first Masters: “I’ve got what it takes to make it, “We won’t fake it, “I’ll never break it, “Cause I can’t take it,” the song goes. “Need a little patience, “Just a little patience, yeah.” Patience has paid off for McIlroy so far. But now he needs more of it over the weekend. Time will tell, but to win the Green Jacket and become the sixth all-time player to win the career Grand Slam, McIlroy will need just a little more patience. Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.