Happy Masters week! Let’s continue our PGA DFS picks series by looking at our Masters core plays. Not only that, look over everything involving any Masters DFS information you might need.
Growing up in the midwest, the Masters always marked the end of the long and dark winter for me. There’s something magical about this tournament. Even those who wouldn’t consider themselves fans of the sport find the time to catch the back 9 on Sunday. It really is a tradition unlike any other, and the biggest event we have in this wonderful sport.
Augusta National is a 7,500 yard par 72. Each year the course seemingly gets a bit longer as they buy new land, or rearrange tee boxes to try to keep up with the absurd length some of these players have off the tee. The fairways here are very wide, and the rough here is extremely short which really plays into the hands of the longer hitters. While tree lined fairways can block out poorly struck tee shots, for the most part this is a bombers course.
The main defense lies on and around these tricky greens, which are full of undulations both vast and subtle. The bent grass surfaces are some of the fastest these golfers will play on all year, and are extremely tricky to read even for the most seasoned Masters veterans. The last piece to keep in mind, course history at Augusta National is the most predictive out of any course on TOUR. Players who play well here are typically able to repeat their success. On the inverse, those who have struggled tend to struggle consistently.
Each week I use the Stokastic PGA Sims tool as an integral part of my process. By predicting the lineups I’ll be playing against, and leveraging hole by hole simulation technology, the game theory work is made easy. As always, I’ve used this tool to isolate my favorite plays of the week that I’ll be building my rosters around. For a limited time get 40% off any of our PGA Monthly packages using promo code MASTERS.
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While we have had some surprising winners of this event in the past (Danny Willett in 2016), most of the time an elite player is putting on the green jacket Sunday evening. Given what we know about Augusta National, I’ll be targeting good around the green players who have some length off the tee and a great track record at the Masters. Last week we featured four golfers in this article who all finished inside the top 40, including the winner Akshay Bhatia. Let’s keep the momentum rolling for golf’s biggest event!
These Masters core plays and picks will kickstart your PGA DFS process. You can perfect it by reading through Stokastic’s fantasy point and ownership projections, finding high-leverage plays using the top golfers tool or using the PGA Sims tool to build several high-ROI lineups in seconds!
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Masters Core Plays: PGA DFS Picks
Xander Schauffele – $9,800
Schauffele has been getting dragged a bit on social media for his inability to close out and actually win golf tournaments (if interested to see it, and it’s often vile, just search his name on Twitter/X). While that may be true to some extent given his last win was almost two full years ago, he’s still undeniably one of the game’s elite players. In eight starts this season he has 6 top 10 finishes, 3 top 5 finishes, and has yet to miss a cut. In six career Masters starts he has finished inside the top 10 three times, including two finishes inside the top 3.
His game sets up perfectly for Augusta. He’s long enough off the tee, excellent with his long irons, and a phenomenal player around the green. He will be a popular click in this range, but for good reason. Xander will be a core piece across my lineups this week.
Hideki Matsuyama – $9,000
Hideki has been firing on all cylinders in the lead up to the Masters this year. Over his last four starts he has finishes of 1st, 12th, 6th and 7th. Over this stretch, he gained 38 strokes tee to green on the field, an outrageous number that shows where his game currently stands. He’s also had fantastic results in his Masters career. In 12 career starts, he has 8 finishes inside the top 20 including his victory in 2021. Over the last 24 rounds, he ranks 1st in strokes gained around the green, 12th in strokes gained on approach, and top 10 in both birdie or better percentage and bogey avoidance in this field. When you combine his recent form and course history at Augusta National, you have one of my favorite plays of the entire week. I love the value on Matsuyama here.
Russell Henley – $7,200
Henley’s recent form combined with his impressive history at the Masters is a tantalizing combination to be had at the bottom of the $7k price range this week. Let’s start with his history at Augusta National, where he’s finished inside the top 15 three times in his last four starts, including a 4th place finish in last year’s event. His recent form is also very promising, with two 4th places finishes in his last three events. Last week at Valero he gained 7.9 strokes on approach over the field, his best figure in that category in over two years. There are a lot of signs that point to Henley having another solid showing at the Masters this year, and has a great opportunity to pay off his $7,200 price tag on DraftKings.
PGA DFS Flier Pick for The Masters: Adam Scott – $7,100
With four finishes inside the top 20 through six total starts, Adam Scott has quietly been putting together a nice 2024 season so far. A big part of his recent success has been his putter, where he has gained over 11 strokes on the field this season. Inconsistent iron play has held him back from some really high finishes this season, and appears to be keeping his ownership projections down this week.
However, he is the most seasoned veteran in the field in terms of course history at Augusta National, where has played 80(!) tracked rounds. He’s made the cut each of the last 14 years at this event, that include seven finishes inside the top 20 and a win in 2013. While he may not possess the upside at this stage of his career to win this event, he certainly has the ability to finish inside the top 10 and pay off his $7,100 price tag. I wouldn’t advocate this play for cash games, but as a GPP play projecting for single digits, sign me up!
