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Nicklaus, Player, Watson Pick McIlroy to Win Green Jacket

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex Miceli | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 10:33 AM ET

Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tow Watson have played in 91 Masters and won 11 Green Jackets, giving their voices more credence than most on who may win the 89^th Masters.

While they rarely agree, the pick of Rory McIlroy to win his first Green Jacket was unanimous on Thursday morning as the three participated in a Masters ritual.

“I think Rory McIlroy will win the Masters this year, and I hope he does because it would give golf a great boost to have another winner of the Grand Slam,” the 89-year-old Player said. “He has the best swing in golf without a question.”

Many in the betting world like McIlroy to contend, but defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the favorite, according to punters, not those who have played the game at the highest levels.

McIlroy, 35, has had few legitimate opportunities to win the only major that has alluded him. Still, with two wins in 2025 at Pebble Beach and The Players Championship, McIlroy has been most focused on winning this week.

“I just have a gut feeling that Rory is the guy that's going to win this week,” Watson said. “That's the bottom line. That's my gut feeling.”

Last week, McIlroy skipped the Texas Open and spent the time practicing and having lunch with Nicklaus to review his game plan for this week.

“We went through it shot for shot,” Nicklaus said of McIlroy. “And he got done with the round, and I didn't open my mouth. And I said, well, I wouldn't change a thing. That's exactly the way I would try to play the golf course.”

Except for the second hole, Nicklaus has always advocated that a shot into the middle of any of the other 17 greens provides a player with a good look at birdie, and chasing hole locations is not a winning strategy.

Nicklaus likes McIlroy's strategy but feels he lacks the discipline needed to win, even though he has all the shots and the game.

“Go back and see his history the last few years; he gets to a place a lot of times an eight or seven pops up, and that keeps you from getting to where he needs to go,” Nicklaus explains when McIlroy lacks restraint. I’m a big fan of Rory’s and like Rory a lot, so that's what I think."

If McIlroy wins this week, he will be the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam or win all four majors.

The current list includes Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. Woods last achieved the feat in 2000 when he won the 129 ^th Open Championship at the Old Course.

While the three believe in McIlroy, Nicklaus also likes the defending champion.

“But I think obviously Scottie Scheffler is just coming back in again, he's a defending champion, there's nobody playing any better in the game than Scottie,” Nicklaus said. “Between the two of them, I think you're going to find your winner.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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