The Masters Round 2 Expert Picks for PrizePicks: Rose, Aberg, & Morikawa

The first round of the Masters is in the books, and Augusta did not disappoint. Scottie Scheffler (-4) near the top of the leaderboard is no surprise. But the leader of Round 1 is where it gets interesting. A red-hot 44-year-old Justin Rose (-7) turned back the clock to lead the pack through 18 holes.

We’ll look at some notable performances from Round 1 at Augusta National, and give you the top picks for Masters Round 2 for Friday on PrizePicks. 

PrizePicks is the best way to add to the excitement of the Masters on each day of Augusta. Just pick More or Less daily on golfer stat categories like strokes and birdies or better and cash in if your picks are right. 

With new picks and projections dropping for every Masters Round, the fun doesn’t stop until the green jacket is given out on Sunday evening.

The Masters Thursday Recap: Notable Round 1 Finishers

Here are some of the notable Masters performances from Round 1 on Thursday, including Justin Rose, Corey Connors, and Scottie Scheffler.

Justin Rose (-7)

Round 1: 65 Strokes

Nobody had a hotter start to the day than the veteran Justin Rose. Playing in his 20th Masters, Rose shot like he knew this course like the back of his hand.

That helped his approach for the entire round. Rose played every shot off the tee very well; he got it down the fairway as far as possible without rolling into the rough. Rose’s iron play was great, and he hit the green hit at 88%, with the tournament average being 63%. 

That put Rose in line for manageable putts all day. We’ll see if he can continue this run throughout the weekend with a three stroke lead going into Friday.

Round 2 Projections on PrizePicks: 72.5 Strokes, 3.5 Birdies or Better, 10 Fairways Hit

Corey Conners (-4)

Round 1: 68 Strokes

It was an excellent day for Corey Conners, especially his finish. Conner continually set himself up off the tee and had 92.9% driving accuracy. That helped him hit 77% of greens in regulation.

Even when Conners did get into trouble, he found ways to save himself. On the 17th, he sliced one into the rough, found the green on his second shot, and grabbed a birdie with a 24-foot putt. Conners capped off the round with a 13-foot putt and birdied two of his final three holes.

Round 2 Projections on PrizePicks: 72.5 Strokes, 3.5 Birdies or Better, 11.5 Fairways Hit

Scottie Scheffler (-4)

Round 1: 68 Strokes

Finishing at -4, Scheffler’s result makes it look like he had a fantastic day. But hole-by-hole, Scheffler had to work for it. He did not make it easy for himself; he was decent with his driver, but he was missing with iron shots and missed a couple of easy putts. 

He saved himself a few times with fantastic shots; nothing was better than the 42-foot putt on 16 for a birdie. He proved today why he’s won this tournament twice and is the best golfer in the world. Scheffler looked ready to compete for another jacket after Round 1.

Round 2 Projections on PrizePicks: 4 Birdies or Better, 10.5 Fairways Hit

Rory McIlroy (E)

Round 1: 72

The fan-favorite in this tournament, Rory McIlroy, did enough to keep himself in contention, but his performance on the back nine was underwhelming. The power stroke was there, as his 335 yards off the tee was the best of the day. 

On the front nine, McIlroy saved himself a few times, especially hitting the sand on two, and a few times overshot the green but made a couple of long putts to save par.

But McIlroy played with fire for too long, and the back nine got him. McIlroy overshot the green on 16 and 18, and his ball hit the pond in one instance. It’s only Round 1, but you have to wonder if the potential of getting the career grand slam and his first major win in ten years is in his head.

Round 2 Projections on PrizePicks: 70.5 Strokes, 1.5 Birdies or Better, 10 Fairways Hit

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Top Masters Picks for Round 2 on PrizePicks

Here are the five best picks for the Masters Round 2 on Friday on PrizePicks, where you can win real money every day of the Masters. Use these picks to build your PrizePicks Lineup for the Masters.

Justin Rose — 3.5 Birdies or Better

The Masters are about playing smart golf and approaching every tee on a course like a challenge. It felt like Rose had that for most of the day. Getting 14 of 18 green hits was one of the best of the group on Day 1. We shouldn’t be worried too much about 17 or his bogey on 18 — those were his two big mistakes, and he was able to save one for par. 

A veteran like Rose knows how to adjust his approach, and he should shoot better on those holes on Friday. Rose hit eight birdies on Thursday, and with his experience, he should be able to contend on Friday in Round 2.

Ludvig Aberg — 3 Bogeys or Worse

Ludvig Aberg was one of the young pool of golfers to pay attention to going into the 2025 Masters. He was the Masters rookie last year who almost took down the almighty Scottie Scheffler and finished as the runner-up.

He started this year playing solid on the front nine and was even, but he made a surge on the back nine with some impressive shots and put himself right into the mix. 

He hit a birdie four of the last seven holes to finish the day T-2. Aberg had a strong approach from the tee, great chipping, but his putting in particular was stellar and he hit a few putts from outside ten feet.

Putting is typically the worst aspect of Aberg’s game, and he finished with zero three-putts on Thursday. If he keeps that trend, Aberg could put in another excellent round on Friday and avoid going over par.

Denny McCarthy — 72.5 Strokes

Denny McCarthy is someone to pay attention to, as he can make a real run. This is only McCarthy’s second Masters, and his 71 on Thursday is a massive improvement from Day 1 last year when he shot 74. 

McCarthy played it a little safe with some of his iron choices, which kept him off the green — he could have had more manageable putts. 

McCarthy's sole bogey on the 17th was within ten feet, and unfortunately, it hit the lip. 

You have to like how McCarthy saved himself on 18 after a bad shot off the tee. He had a fantastic chip shot with a heavy backspin hit for par.

Collin Morikawa — 11.5 Fairways Hit

Collin Morikawa looked poised to make a name for himself in Round 1, and he might have — but not for the reasons he wanted. When he hit the eagle on 13, it looked like he was ready to be near the top of the leaderboard, then it all went downhill from there.

The final four holes ruined his Thursday, as he went bogey, bogey, par, bogey. Morikawa was great off the tee, but when he got to his irons, that’s where he started to stumble. However, the 86% of fairways hit (15-of-18) is ahead of the field (72%). As long as he stays consistent hitting off the tee, he can get back into contention.

Make Masters Predictions, Win Money on PrizePicks

The Masters tournament is in full swing, and Round 2 will decide who plays into the weekend to compete for the coveted green jacket, and who is going home.

With every hole during every round, you can win real money on the Masters on PrizePicks by picking individual golfers — and it’s not just who will win the round. You can ride with your favorite golfer to go under par, or a dusty vet to miss the fairway all day.

On the Masters board on PrizePicks, just pick More or Less two to six golfers to build your Lineup for Round 2, including some of the top golfers in the world, like Justin Rose or Rory McIlroy.

Stay tuned to the Playbook throughout the Masters for picks and analysis on every round for Masters DFS and PrizePicks.