The obvious big name of Tiger Woods is missing from the 2025 Masters field, but he's not the only past champion not teeing it up at Augusta National this year.
Along with the Green Jacket, one of the biggest perks of winning The Masters is the invitation to return to Augusta National and play in the event for life. You get a similar exemption for winning the PGA Championship while The Open champions get in until they turn 55 and US Open winners get just a 10-year pass.
And watching past champions returning down Magnolia Lane to play is always a thrill for fans of the event - who get to see their heroes teeing it up with the superstars of today.
But not all of them make the trip anymore, and as it stands this year there'll be 17 past champions not playing at The Masters in 2025, an identical number to last year, as it turns out.
Tiger Woods is the big name added to the list of past champions not playing this year after his recent achilles surgery, but there are a couple of former winners making a return after missing out in 2024.
Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods isn't in the field this year after recently undergoing surgery on a ruptured achilles tendon
Bernhard Langer is returning after missing last year with injury to compete in what will be his 41st and final Masters appearance - after the two-time winner announced this will be his Augusta farewell.
Angel Cabrera, the 2009 Masters champion, is also back in the field for the first time since 2019 having served time in prison during a troubled spell off the course.
Masters honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player will hit ceremonial opening tee shots on Thursday and also attend the Masters Champions Dinner on Tursday but have long since stopped competing.
Sir Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam have all stopped taking part in The Masters along with Trevor Immelman.
Cabrera and Langer are joined by fellow former champions such as Fred Couples, Charl Schwartzel, Mike Weir and Bubba Watson. However, Vijay Singh was a last-minute withdrawal due to injury, with the 2000 Green Jacket winner ending a 31-year streak as a result.
Past champions not playing in the 2025 Masters (and when they last played)
- Tommy Aaron (2005)
- Charles Coody (2006)
- Ben Crenshaw (2015)
- Sir Nick Faldo (2006)
- Raymond Floyd (2009)
- Trevor Immelman (2019)
- Sandy Lyle (2023)
- Larry Mize (2023)
- Jack Nicklaus (2005)
- Mark O’Meara (2018)
- Gary Player (2009)
- Craig Stadler (2014)
- Tom Watson (2016)
- Ian Woosnam (2021)
- Fuzzy Zoeller (2009)
- Tiger Woods (2024, still active)
- Vijay Singh (2024, still active)
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