How to Run a Masters Pool in 2026

The Masters is the unofficial start of the golf season, and running a pool is the perfect way to bring friends and family together for the weekend.

Setting up a Masters pool might seem complicated with over 80 golfers and a weekend cut to worry about, but with the right format and automated scoring, it's incredibly easy.

Here is your complete step-by-step guide to running a successful Masters pool.

Step 1: Choose Your Pick Format

The most important decision is how your participants will select their golfers. PoolFrenzy supports the two most popular formats:

Tiered Selection (Highly Recommended)

This is the standard for most golf pools. Golfers are divided into tiers based on their Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). For example, you might have 6 tiers, and participants must pick one golfer from each tier.

• Why it works: It prevents everyone from just picking Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Everyone has to dig deep into the field, ensuring diverse lineups.
• PoolFrenzy Options: You can customize this by choosing 4, 5, 6, 8, or 10 tiers, and deciding how many players are in each tier (5, 10, 15, 20, or 25).

Pick X Golfers (Simple Format)

Everyone simply picks a set number of golfers (e.g., Pick 6) from the entire field.

• Why it works: It's the simplest format for very casual fans.

Step 2: Decide on the Scoring Method

How will you determine the winner? PoolFrenzy automatically tracks several scoring methods on our live leaderboards:

• To Par (Standard): The lowest combined score to par wins. This is how the actual tournament is scored.
• Total Strokes: The lowest combined strokes wins.
• Prize Money Earnings: The highest combined official prize money won by your team of golfers. This is a very easy concept for casual fans to follow.
• Daily Best Ball: A fun twist where you only count the single best score from your team each day.

Step 3: Handle the Missed Cut

This is where spreadsheet pools become a nightmare. What happens when someone's golfer misses the Friday cut?

To keep things fair (and keep participants engaged on the weekend), you need a penalty system for missed cuts. PoolFrenzy automates this, allowing you to choose:

• Highest Score + Penalty Strokes: The golfer receives the highest score of the day from the field, plus an additional penalty (e.g., +2 or +5 strokes).
• Cut Line Score + Penalty: The golfer receives the cut line score, plus a penalty.
• Fixed Penalty Score: A flat score assigned for the weekend rounds.
• Round Average + Penalty: The golfer receives the average round score of the field, plus a penalty.

Step 4: Set the Points Structure and Tiebreaker

Since your pool is for entertainment purposes only, you'll want to establish a points structure for the winners. Be clear on how points are distributed for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. (Tip: Use our free Office Pool Points Calculator to quickly figure out the perfect distribution).

Don't forget the tiebreaker! A common tiebreaker (which is built into PoolFrenzy) is having participants predict the Winning Score (To Par) of the tournament champion.

Step 5: Invite Your Friends

Once your rules are set, it's time to invite participants!

• Keep it Free or Upgrade: On PoolFrenzy, pools with 4 or fewer entries are completely free. If you have a larger group, the commissioner pays a flat $20 platform hosting fee for unlimited participants.
• Share the Link: Simply copy your pool's unique invite link and drop it into your group chat, email, or text thread.

Ready to start your tradition? Let us handle the heavy lifting.