2025 Masters Golf Pools: Strategy, Ideas, Expert Picks & Predictions For Augusta National
Written By John Haslbauer | Last Updated at April 9, 2025
The most popular time of the year for golf pools has arrived. So, if you're a casual sports fan, hesitant to bet Masters odds, and want to play in a contest with friends, you've come to the right place. This strategy guide will walk you through the best options in each tier for your 2025 Masters golf pool picks.
I've also already written about Masters DFS picks for fantasy contests. These could apply to traditional pools, too.
Masters Favorites: Top 10 In 2025 Odds
Find odds for this year's Masters favorites below. You can use these to inform your Masters pool picks as well. Click any odds to wager on Masters odds at betting apps in your area.
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Strategy For Masters Golf Pool Picks
Like a daily fantasy tournament strategy (DraftKings, FanDuel, etc.), game theory is key for your Masters golf pool picks. It’s best first to understand who the popular players in each tier will be, then decide which ones you want to double down on and which ones you’re comfortable fading for a more contrarian option. Below, we’ll review each tier's consensus popular and pivot plays. The format in each golf pool will vary, but the below tiers are structured in order of consensus betting odds, as is most common for golf pools.
How Do Masters Pools Work?
Typically, the best cumulative score under par of the players rostered wins a Masters pool. Some pools will severely penalize one of your players' scores if they miss the cut. For example, if a player misses the cut with a score of +2, the pool may add 10 strokes and make the player +12. That means it's critical that the players you pick make the cut. Also, check your pool rules to see if the worst score is not counted among your picks. Sometimes, this is a feature of golf pool rules and scoring.
Tier 1: Top 1-5 Players
The Popular Play: Rory McIlroy
This week, it's a two-man race, and most Tier 1 ownership will be split between Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy. I will go on a limb and say McIlroy winds up the higher-owned player in pools this week. The Scheffler fatigue is real, and this is the first time in the last two years that he does not feel like a consensus plug-and-play option at a major. McIlroy prevailed at THE PLAYERS, the biggest event of the season thus far, and he is the hottest player in golf.
The Pivot Play: Jon Rahm
If you choose to zag from Scheffler or McIlroy here, you'll have room to play more conservatively with chalk selections in the rest of the tiers. That's a path I find myself veering towards in Masters pools, as we can find plenty of leverage by slotting in the third-best player in the world. Rahm's history at Augusta is one of the best in this field, as he has posted five top-10 finishes over the last seven years, including the 2023 win. With five consecutive top-10 finishes on LIV, Rahm will be a formidable contender yet again.
Tier 2: Top 6-20 Players
The Popular Play: Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa is the best player on the PGA Tour this season from an SG: T2G standpoint. I don't expect that notion to go overlooked in Masters pools for the two-time major champion, even if he is over a year and a half removed from his last TOUR win. Morikawa does not fit any of the traditional narratives at Augusta. He's not a bomber, and he's no short-game wizard. However, that hasn't stopped him from contending here, as he's now posted three consecutive top-10 finishes at the Masters.
The Pivot Play: Patrick Cantlay
Perhaps the best player in the world without a major championship to his name, Cantlay has been good but not great at the Masters. That resume includes four top-25 finishes over his last six appearances. That capped ceiling will likely give pool players pause on Cantlay, but with two top-five finishes over his last six starts, the upside is still there for Cantlay to play himself into contention this week.
Tier 3: Top 21-50 Players
The Popular Play: Russell Henley
Not known for being a chalk consideration in majors, Henley's reputation changed rapidly after his impressive signature event win at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Georgia native has high hopes for his return to Augusta this year, posting a career-best T4 finish here in 2023. Though not a bomber, Henley remains one of the best approach players in the world and has made significant strides with his short game, especially on Bentgrass greens of late.
The Pivot Play: Patrick Reed
Patrick Reed tends to be a free square contrarian pivot at the Masters, as pool players will see the strong course history and still look the other way to avoid having to root for him. A Patrick Reed top-20 finish remains one of the most dependable prop bets one can place at the Masters. He's paid that off in four of his last five appearances. He returns to Augusta this year fresh off back-to-back top-10 finishes.
Tier 4: Top 51-75 Players
The Popular Play: Maverick McNealy
Don't look now, but Maverick McNealy has suddenly emerged as one of the most unexpected OWGR top-10 players after yet another strong showing at the Valero Texas Open last week. McNealy has strung five top-10 finishes since his inaugural PGA Tour win at the RSM Classic last fall. Though making his Masters debut, Augusta should fit McNealy's eye as he continues to separate with his driving distance and reliable short game.
The Pivot Play: Harris English
While English's upside may appear more capped than McNealy's, English has a TOUR win to his credit in 2025. The Farmers Insurance Open champion has proven he can handle a long course emphasizing long iron approach proximity and scrambling in difficult scoring conditions. He's finished in the top 25 in two of the last three years and should welcome the homecoming trip back to Georgia.
Tier 5: Top 76+ Players
The Popular Play: Lucas Glover
Another Georgia native and recent TGL champion, Lucas Glover, is one of the most recognizable names in this bottom tier. The 2009 U.S. Open champion can rise to the occasion in big moments, as he showed most recently with a FedEx Cup Playoff win last year. He's come to Augusta red-hot off of back-to-back top-10 finishes. And he looked solid at this event last year, where he finished T20.
The Pivot Play: Stephan Jaeger
If comfortable taking a bit of a risk on better results to come, Stephan Jaeger profiles as a player who should eventually find some success at Augusta National. The 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open champion has consistently delivered on longer courses that accentuate the advantage of driving distance and long-iron approach play. He's also continued to make gains with his short game. He ranks top three in the field in SG: Short Game on Firm & Fast Bent greens.
Best of luck with your Masters golf pool picks!
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