The News

 On Florida's side, the lead-up to Monday's national championship game centered almost entirely around Walter Clayton Jr. The All-American guard was on a run not seen since Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker carried UConn to a pair of titles in the early 2010s.

It was evident immediately that Houston's scouting report did too.

After scoring a combined 64 points in his previous two games, Clayton didn't score his first point until the 14:57 mark of the second half against the Cougars. He didn't make his first field goal until there was 7:54 left in the game. It was the recipe for a comfortable Houston championship win, inevitably continuing the narrative about the Cougars' top-ranked defense.

But Florida's supporting cast kept the Gators in the game just long enough for Clayton to get going in the second half, erasing a 12-point deficit en route to a 65-63 win. Clayton was later named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player after finishing with 11 points and seven assists on Monday night.

The national championship was Florida's third since 2006, making 39-year old Todd Golden the youngest head coach to win the title since Jim Valvano in 1983.

Will Richard led Florida with 18 points, making four 3-pointers in the first half to keep the Gators within striking distance. Houston guard L.J. Cryer finished with a game-high 19 points in the loss.

The areas that carried Houston all season on the offensive end -- 3-point shooting and offensive rebounding -- were nowhere to be found in the first 20 minutes. The Cougars shot just 2-for-14 from behind the arc in the first half, and while they grabbed six offensive boards, they didn't score a single second-chance point.

Sampson was getting huge contributions from bench players Mylik Wilson and Ja'Vier Francis. The two players combined for six points in 22 minutes in the semifinal against Duke -- but had 13 points in a combined 24 minutes in the first half against Florida.

The same argument could have been made by Golden, however. Florida turned it over nine times in the opening 20 minutes and Clayton was shut out in the first half. It was only the third time all season he had a scoreless half, with the previous two both coming against Tennessee. Houston was aggressively hard-hedging on ball-screens, forcing the ball out of Clayton's hands early. The Cougars weren't letting him get into a rhythm going left, where he found so much success all tournament. He did have five assists in the first half.

Instead, it was Richard who singlehandedly kept Florida in the game early. He made four 3-pointers in the first half, going into the break with 14 points -- after shooting 1-for-6 and scoring seven points in the win over Auburn on Saturday. He finished with a team-high 18 points.

The big question going into halftime was whether either team could get hot from the perimeter and begin to open up the game on the offensive end.

After the break, however, it turned into a game of whistles, an endless parade of players going to the free throw line. Florida committed five fouls in the first 3:39 of the second half, plus a technical foul on the bench. The next several whistles went on Houston, leading to 12 combined fouls in the first 6:15 after halftime.

The game needed a spark, and the two stars that carried Houston and Florida to the title game obliged. Cryer had just five points in the first half but had 14 points after the break, making three 3-pointers. Clayton scored his first points at the free throw line, but then had two three-point plays to provide Florida with much-needed momentum.

 Ninety-five players, following Vijay Singh’s Monday withdrawal, will tee it up in this week’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has won two of the past three editions of the year’s first major.

Despite missing some time with a hand injury earlier this year, Scheffler still has not finished outside the top 25 this year. And while he hasn’t won since the Hero World Challenge last December, there’s no reason that Scheffler shouldn’t be the favorite to win a third green jacket.

Augusta National looks a little different this year, mainly because of the many trees that were lost during Hurricane Helene. There are also four new greens, according to Rory McIlroy (Nos. 1, 8, 15 and 16). But it’s still the same second-shot golf course that will favor elite approach play, crafty scramblers and strong putters, especially those who lag it well. With Scheffler coming off a strong putting performance in Houston, that bodes even better for him. Starting with Scheffler, here’s how I’d ranked the entire field:

1-10

1. Scottie Scheffler: Hasn’t gotten in the winner’s circle recently, but coming off a T-2 in Houston shows the two-time green jacket winner is primed to add to his dazzling record here. He’s still top-10 in the major ball-striking stats and enters this week ranked in the top 50 in strokes gained putting after a turnaround week on the greens at Memorial Park.

2. Collin Morikawa: Coming off his best Masters finish, a T-3, his third straight top-10 here. He’s also the PGA Tour’s leader in strokes gained approach and proximity, and is the hottest player according to Data Golf. A win Sunday would put him just a U.S. Open away from the career grand slam.

3. Justin Thomas: The model ranked Thomas first among PGA Tour players, as he’s top 10 in strokes gained approach and top 40 in strokes gained putting. Plus, he’s got three top-10s in his last four starts, so you can ignore those two straight missed cuts at Augusta that came when he was slumping.

4. Rory McIlroy: Enters this week with questions to answer about a right-elbow injury that he casually mentioned in Houston. But if he’s healthy, he’s got as good a chance as he’s had in a while. He’s won three of his last seven worldwide events and is nearly top 10 in strokes gained putting, but he’s not hit it particularly close this season (No. 87 in proximity).

5. Jon Rahm: Sunday’s T-9 at LIV Miami was his worst finish of the season. He’s third on that tour in greens hit, and he’s got a win and two other top-7s in his last five Masters starts.

6. Shane Lowry: His run of four straight top-20s includes three finishes of T-11 or better. And though he was T-43 last year at Augusta, he was T-3 two years prior as part of a run of four straight top-25s. He’s sixth in both proximity and strokes gained approach and nearly top 10 in lag putting. He’s the best outside of the no-brainer picks.

How to watch the Masters Tournament 2025: Schedule, streams, ‘Live From’ times

Here are live coverage and “Live From the Masters” TV times for the season’s first major at Augusta National.

• Golf Channel Staff

7. Russell Henley: Uncharacteristically average off the tee (barely inside the top 100), but top 25 in the other three major strokes-gained categories. And he’s got a win and two other top-6 finishes in his last five starts as he heads to a place where he tied for fourth two years ago.

8. Patrick Cantlay: Statistically in a much better spot than a year ago before this tournament when he tied for 22nd. He’s No. 1 in par-5 scoring, too.

9. Will Zalatoris: He doesn’t have a top-20 since AmEx, but he remains a top-15 or so ball-striker and excellent lag putter. Plus, his record at the Masters is crazy good – a second, T-6 and T-9.

10. Bryson DeChambeau: Slid back to fifth on Sunday at LIV Miami, but it was still his best finish since the season opener. Now, does he have Augusta somewhat figured out after last year’s T-6? I think so.

Getty Images

11-20

11. Tommy Fleetwood: Ranked 12th in the world rankings, which is a popular spot to be among Masters champions. He’s second in approach putting and nearly top 10 in strokes gained approach. And how about this crazy stat: He’s not finished outside the top 25 since The Open last July.

12. Sepp Straka: Has opened his Masters career with three straight made cuts, including a T-16 last year. And he continues to be solid since his AmEx win. He’s top 5 in strokes gained approach, proximity and par-5 scoring.

13. Xander Schauffele: Perfect time to buy low, as Schauffele finally shed the post-injury rust with a T-12 at Valspar, where he gained a career-best 11.276 strokes on approach.

14. Robert MacIntyre: Back in the Masters after two years away. He was T-12 in his debut and T-23 in his encore. The lefty loves this place and has really turned things around with four T-11 finishes or better in his last five starts.

15. Hideki Matsuyama: There’s always the unknown with Matsuyama. He’s coming off two straight missed cuts, including Friday at Valero, and yet no one would be surprised if he notched his ninth top-20 finish in his last 11 Masters. He’s not the top gainer around the greens on Tour, but he’s close, and he’s second in par-5 scoring.

16. Cameron Smith: Just a horse for this course with four top-10s in his last five Masters starts, including a T-6 last year.

17. Keegan Bradley: Has two straight top-25s at the Masters since getting back in the tournament after a few years away. Nothing spectacular at Valero, but he’s top 10 in proximity, which obviously will play at Augusta.

18. Min Woo Lee: Boosted by recent Houston win and now heads to Augusta, where he has two top-25s in three starts. He’s still outside the top 100 in strokes gained approach but surprisingly top 30 in proximity. Couple that was top-10 ranks in strokes gained around the green and putting.

19. J.J. Spaun: He’s the PGA Tour’s second-ranked player in strokes gained approach and possesses great speed on the greens. He’s enjoying a nice year with two runners-up already. Also T-23 in his Masters debut three years ago. My favorite sleeper this week.

20. Daniel Berger: Was T-50 in his last Masters three years ago, but his career resurgence has included six top-25s in his last seven starts. He’s top 50 in strokes gained approach and putting, but scrambling is where he’s really excelled, and that’s an underrated stat at Augusta.

21-30

21. Joaquin Niemann: No top-10s yet in his Masters career, but he has cracked the top 40 in four straight appearance. Not great, but it’s not terrible either. Plus, he’s already won twice on LIV this year.

22. Jordan Spieth: The wrist certainly isn’t an issue of the past, and Spieth does have two missed cuts in his past three Masters – with a T-4 in between, though. The good news is he’s not missing many cuts of late and he’s coming off a T-12 at Valero. Worth a flier.

23. Brooks Koepka: Was T-18 at LIV Miami after his runner-up in Singapore. He’s not been an elite GIR guy this year on LIV, but it wasn’t that long ago that he was posting a T-2 at the 2024 Masters. He should better his T-45 from last year easily despite the concerns.

24. Ludvig Åberg: I’m going to be honest; my model doesn’t love him this week. He’s nearly outside the top 100 in strokes gained approach and putting, and his play around the greens has been the most glaring issue. Still, the guy was second last year at Augusta and won Genesis earlier this year. I’ll keep him in the top 25.

25. Michael Kim: Hear me out on this one. Kim has cooled off a little since his hot run earlier this year, which included a runner-up in Phoenix and solo fourth at API. But the iron play and short game have been at a top-30 level this season and I think he’s a worthy sleeper.

26. Nicolai Højgaard: Contended for a while before ultimately finishing T-16 at last year’s Masters. He’s got length, is basically a top 25 iron player and is ranked inside the top 50 in strokes gained putting. Just needs to play the par-5s better than he’s been.

27. Viktor Hovland: Three straight MCs before winning Valspar. He’s taken a couple weeks off now. Let’s just hope he’s continued to get comfortable with his swing. He’s still around the top 10 in strokes gained approach and proximity. So, hopefully he can play more like his T-7 from the 2024 Masters and not last year’s MC.

28. Corey Conners: His T-18 at Valero snapped a streak of three straight top-8s, but it’s also worth noting that he’s barely inside the top 75 in strokes gained approach and has gone MC, T-38 in his last two Masters after a hot stretch there.

29. Patrick Reed: The guy is an Augusta bruiser with four top-12s since his 2018 win.

30. Denny McCarthy: Great putter; we know that. But he’s also nearly top 10 in proximity and top 30 in strokes gained approach. He also has five top-20s in six starts and was a solid T-45 in his Masters debut last year.

Getty Images

31-40

31. Sergio Garcia: The former Masters champ has a win and two other top-4s in his last four LIV starts. He’s also top 5 in GIR and scrambling. Three MCs in his last four Masters starts doesn’t scare me as much as it probably should.

32. Stephan Jaeger: Missed the cut in his Masters debut last year, but he’s playing solidly of late, and he’s top 40 in strokes gained approach, around the green and putting. Just have a feeling.

33. Tyrrell Hatton: Loved the bounce-back 70 after an 11-over start through 36 holes in Miami, but he’s still only posted one top-15 on LIV since winning the DPWT’s Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the year. Was T-9 at last year’s Masters, though.

34. Akshay Bhatia: MC at Valero was a momentum killer, but he still has three top-9s in his last five starts. Also was T-35 in last year’s Masters debut. All-around talent who especially excels on the greens (top 10 in strokes gained putting).

35. Lucas Glover: Equaled his best Masters finish last year (T-20), so perhaps it’s time that his iron play (top 25 in approach, top 5 in proximity) makes him a consistent fixture here. The model likes him.

36. Nick Taylor: Got burned by last year’s MC at Masters, and he’s riding a two-straight-MC streak entering this week, too. But I just think his elite approach play is going to be rewarded here at some point.

37. Jason Day: A couple finishes in the 30s since getting back in the Masters field after a year away. Has a couple top-15s in recent events, too. His stats are all over the place, though, as he’s outside the top 100 in strokes gained putting but fourth in approach putting.

38. Phil Mickelson: His sixth in Miami followed a third in Singapore a couple starts before that. He’s not missing the cut at Augusta, it’s just a matter of if he can contend or not. Just don’t be surprised, that’s all I’ll say.

39. Joe Highsmith: Another first-timer who can do everything above average except chip. Winning Cognizant was huge for his confidence. Gets the lefty bump.

40. Billy Horschel: T-38 is his best Masters finish in his last six starts here. T-4 at Valspar was his most recent result, so he has some momentum. I think he can lean on his iron game and putting enough to crack the top 40.

41-50

41. Wyndham Clark: T-5 at Houston gives him some momentum, but he’s outside the top 100 in strokes gained approach and MC’d in his Masters debut last year. He’s probably this high still based on name only.

42. Cam Davis: The T-12 last year was no fluke, but he’s not higher because he’s missed four straight cuts since a T-5 at Pebble.

43. Adam Scott: He doesn’t have a top-25 since Pebble and his Masters record of late has been average. Not worried about him too much on the greens, but he’s well outside the top 50 in strokes gained approach and proximity.

44. Taylor Pendrith: Masters debutant with a lot of power, second in par-5 scoring and a top-40 approach player. Also coming off a T-5 in Houston.

45. Tom Hoge: He’s a flusher (top 15 in strokes gained approach and fourth in proximity), but he just does not show up in majors.

46. Davis Thompson: Top-10 at The Players should give him some confidence in his Masters debut, but he’s got to putt better if he wants to contend here (nearly outside the top 150 in strokes gained putting).

47. Aaron Rai: He’s been a popular sleeper a lot in the past year or so. Top 40 in strokes gained approach with a handful of top-15s recently. Should be among the top finishing Masters rookies.

48. Maverick McNealy: Another Masters rookie who can putt the lights out and has been making huge improvements with the irons (top 30 basically in strokes gained approach).

49. Kevin Yu: Top 30 in strokes gained approach and approach putting. Has four top-20s in his last six starts.

50. Sungjae Im: Has had his moments here, and the name recognition will have some picking him, but he’s also outside the top 170 in strokes gained approach.

51-60

61-70

71-80

81-85