The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings fantasy golf players with course info, player history and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.
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The Field
The Masters this season consists of 95 players, prior to any late withdraws or absentees. Brian Harman won last week in Texas but already had a spot thanks to his 2023 Open win. Vijay Singh withdrew recently to get the field down to 95 players.
This season will also mark the third time that the Masters has been played since the formation of the rival LIV golf league. Players from the TOUR will be competing head-on against the heavyweights of the PGA TOUR and for DFS and betting purposes that means that players like Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, and Brooks Koepka will all be all available for use.
Tiger Woods withdrew from the event a couple of weeks back and will not be playing this season.
One final note for DFS purposes: The cut line for this event is also unique. The cut still takes place after Friday, but only the top 50 and ties will play the weekend (the old 10-shot rule no longer applies). Getting all six of your golfers through the cut line will be especially crucial this week since over 50% of the actual field will get a chance to play the weekend.
The Course
Augusta National Golf Club—Augusta, Georgia
Par 72, 7,555 yards
Augusta National was built on the site of an old tree sanctuary, and every one of its holes has a name associated with its natural surroundings (usually a tree, bush, or flower). At its most basic, Augusta is a standard par-72 course that has four par 5s, four par 3s, and 10 par 4s. However, there truly isn’t anything standard about the setup of the holes or the course. Augusta is one of the hilliest tracks on the PGA TOUR, and the elevation changes and slopes between the tee box and green mean that experience playing the course can really pay off. The slick bentgrass greens offer up their own challenge, and missing an approach at Augusta on the wrong side of the green can often bring big numbers into play.
Players at Augusta often struggle in their first few outings and it’s easy to see why. On top of the green structures being the toughest the players face all season, the course has a lot of subtle and dramatic doglegs built in. Players who move the ball right to left have an advantage, and we’ve seen severe drawers of the golf ball like Zach Johnson and Patrick Reed net the biggest wins of their careers at this venue. Left-handers who fade the ball well like Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson have also thrived at this event.
As far as the individual holes go, here’s a brief breakdown of what awaits the players this week:
Par 5s 550-600: 2; Par 5s 500-550: 2; Par 4s over 500: 1; Par 4s 450-500: 5; Par 4s 400-450: 3; Par 4s under 400: 1; Par 3s over 200: 1; Par 3s 150-200: 3
The course was redesigned back in 2002 to catch up with modern technology and now plays quite long, but it has still seen winning scores range all the way from +1 (Zach Johnson 2007) to -20 (Dustin Johnson in 2020).
The par-4 11th hole and par-5 15th hole were both lengthened a couple of seasons ago and for 2024, the tee box on the par 5 2nd hole (typically one of the easiest on the course) was pushed back. The 11th has also had its fairway widened but been toughened in areas around the green to make bailing out a less viable option. It now stretches to 520 yards and is likely to play as the toughest hole again for the week. The 15th was already a classic risk-reward hole with a huge moat surrounding a skinny green, but the added length to 550 yards has made the tee shot much more important.
The course played much tougher the last three seasons, with Hideki Matsuyama and Scottie Scheffler winning at just 10-under par in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Jon Rahm put on a clinic in the final round and managed to get in at 12-under par but he was the only player to achieve that feat. Last season, Scottie Scheffler won by four strokes at -11. Only one other player last season posted a score of better -5 (Ludvig Aberg -7).
The first two days this year have higher winds forecast, with gusts getting up to 15-20mph on Friday. However, the weekend does have slightly lower winds. Regardless, with very little rain in the forecast after this Monday, expect the potential for a fast and firm golf course that again produces a winner in the 10-12 under range.
Augusta has seen winning scores range from 5-under to 20-under over the past seven years, and tougher conditions have often led to more long-shot winners. Hideki Matsuyama went off at 40-1 in 2021, and in 2017 and 2016, when the winning scores stayed well below 10-under-par, we saw long-shot winners of 40-1 or greater prevail.
However, with the recent lengthening of the course in multiple areas, the venue has tended to favor the off-the-tee specialists more in the last couple of seasons. The duel between Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka in 2023 (two of the best drivers of the ball in the game) certainly emphasized this point and in toss-up situations this week (for DFS and betting), leaning slightly towards the bigger hitter (or better off-the-tee player) is warranted.
2025 Masters Weather Outlook: The weather this week doesn’t look overly penal, although even a little wind at Augusta can cause the course to toughen up considerably as the players are already dealing with the fastest and hilliest greens on the PGA. There was some rain at the venue on Monday but expect the course to be dry by Thursday as there is only sun forecast for the rest of the week. Thursday sees winds start slower but rise into the 10-15 mph range by the afternoon. First-round leaders have often come from the middle-of-the-day groups as they can often avoid the dryer greens, heavier winds, and the cool morning air (something to keep in mind). Friday may be a little tougher as the wind stays strong but the temperature is set to be slightly cooler, which could make the course play longer. The air temperature drops over the weekend which again, could make the course play a little longer. There is little to no rain in the forecast (potentially a little Friday morning), so expect a firm, fast golf course again that plays into the hands of the big hitters and their higher ball flights.
Last 10 winners
2024–Scottie Scheffler -11 (over Ludvig Aberg -7)
2023—Jon Rahm -12 (over Brooks Koepka -8)
2022—Scottie Scheffler -10 (over Rory McIlroy -7)
2021—Hideki Matsuyama -10 (over Will Zalatoris -9)
*2020—Dustin Johnson -20 (Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith -15)
2019—Tiger Woods -13 (over Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele and Dustin Johnson -12)
2018—Patrick Reed -15 (over Rickie Fowler -14)
2017—Sergio Garcia -9 (over Justin Rose playoff)
2016—Danny Willett -5 (over Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood -2)
2015 – Jordan Spieth -18 (over Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose -16)
*Played in November
Winning Trends
- No player has won at Augusta in their first attempt since Fuzzy Zoeller back in 1979.
- Nine of the last 12 winners had achieved a top-five finish at Augusta in at least one previous Masters start.
- Since 1996, only one player has won the Masters after missing the cut here in the previous year (Patrick Reed 2018).
- 10 of the last 111 winners of the Masters had recorded a top-five finish in one of their last five starts before Augusta.
Recent statistical form of the LAST THREE Masters winners (over their FINAL FOUR starts before Augusta):
- Gained 2.0 strokes or more on approach in multiple starts
- Gained 2.0 strokes or more around the green in at least one start
- Gained 1.0 stroke or more putting in at least one start
Winners Stats and Course Overview
Scottie Scheffler (2024 — 11-under-par)
Scheffler Lead-in form for 2024: (T2-win-win-T10-T3)
- Strokes Gained: Tee to Green — 1st
- Strokes Gained: Approach — 14th
- Strokes Gained: Off the Tee — 2nd
- Strokes Gained: Around the Green — 1st
- Strokes Gained: Putting — 22nd
- Scheffler was again the top tee-to-green player in the field, and this time also led the field in strokes gained around the greens. It’s worth noting that he hasn’t been as good around the greens over his last couple of starts.
- Rahm killed the par 5s in 2023 which is a hallmark of most Masters winners. He putted well but was also excellent around the greens — that was also a hallmark of 2022/2024 winner Scottie Scheffler, who ranked second in strokes gained around the greens in 2022 and first in 2024.
- 2021 champion Hideki Matsuyama also excelled around the greens, ranking fourth in Strokes Gained: Around the Green in the year of his win.
- Strong tee-to-green play is a necessity. Rahm led the field in that stat, and four of the last five winners have now gained +12.0 or more strokes tee to green for the week.
- However, a nearly equal amount of success for top finishers at this venue in the last few years has been split between Approach and Around the Greens.
Finding Values (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Odds to win are one factor to think about when picking players (but not the only thing, so be careful putting too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.
Jordan Spieth +3500 and $9,000
Comparables
Tommy Fleetwood +4000 and $9,100
Viktor Hovland +4900 and $9,200
Joaquin Niemann +3500 and $9,300
Robert MacIntyre +6000 and $8,000
Comparables
Will Zalatoris +6500 and $8,300
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
HORSES FOR COURSES
1. Scottie Scheffler ($12,400; best finish: win-2022, win-2024): Scheffler has been dominant at this event over the past three years. He leads the field in strokes gained per round over the last five seasons and strokes gained total stats. His two wins have come by three and four strokes.
2. Jon Rahm ($10,400; best finishes: win-2023, T5-2021): It didn’t take long for Rahm to build up a massive portfolio of top finishes at this event. He’s now finished inside the top 10 at Augusta in four of the past six seasons and won this event by four strokes in 2023. He’s moved Tours but remains a top-tier player and someone very likely to contend this week.
3. Jordan Spieth ($9,000; best finish: win-2015, T2-2016, T3-2018 and 2021): Spieth has placed second here twice and won the event in 2015 by tying the then-scoring record set by Tiger Woods (-18). In 2018, he shot a brilliant 64 in the final round to vault him into third place. Among players with 30 or more rounds played at Augusta, he has one of the best scoring averages in the field.
4. Cameron Smith ($8,200; best finish: T2-2020, T5-2018, T3-2022): Smith has seemingly mastered Augusta over the last few seasons. Possessing a slick short game, he finished runner-up at this event in November of 2020 and was in the final pairing in 2022 as well before fading to T3 for the week. He’s been up and down this year but landed a T9 finish on LIV last week.
5. Patrick Reed ($7,300; best finish: win-2018, T4-2023): Reed won this event back in 2018 (his only major) and has since strung together a few more higher finishes. He finished T4 at this event in 2023 and T12 last year. He’s fifth in strokes gained total stats at this venue over the last five seasons.
Recent Form
1. Rory McIlroy ($11,100; T5-win): McIlroy enters with a near-perfect lead-in. He won the PLAYERS in dramatic fashion last month and has two wins on the season to date. It’s hard to see any flaws with his game right now.
2. Sergio Garcia ($7,100; T3-T32-win): Garcia has really turned back the clock this season. He already has a win on LIV and finished T3 at the ultra-long Trump Doral venue last week. He’s had trouble at Augusta since winning in 2017 but certainly looks ready to end that poor streak of play this season.
3. Jon Rahm ($10,400; T9-T5-T6): Rahm has yet to win this season but you can feel his form building. He’s still one of the top five players in golf and after watching Scheffler put on his second green jacket last year, would love nothing more than to match him in 2025.
4. Robert MacIntyre ($8,000; T9-T11): MacIntyre has played phenomenally well over his last few starts. He gained 5.9 strokes on approach at the PLAYERS, where he finished T9 and has a solid history at Augusta.
5. Corey Conners ($7,900; T18-T8-T6): Conners has been one of the best tee-to-green players on the PGA this season. He leads the PGA pros in strokes gained total stats over the last six weeks and has three top-10 finishes on the Florida swing.
DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY
Cash Games: McIlroy worth the discount
Given how well McIlroy ($11,100) has played this season, I think starting cash games with him over Scheffler ($12,400) is likely the correct call. The gap in price isn’t as warranted as it has been in previous seasons and with McIlroy playing so well, you may even need Scheffler to win to pay off and gain an edge over lineups that start with Rory. Below these two, there are plenty of interesting value options in the 8k range that start with Shane Lowry ($8,800) and Patrick Cantlay ($8,700) and trickle down to Cameron Smith ($8,200) and Robert MacIntyre ($8,000). In the low 7k range names like Patrick Reed ($7,300) and Sergio Garcia ($7,100) also stand out as solid veterans worth using to fill out lineups with.
Tournaments: Aberg’s price likely to keep ownership low
Ludvig Aberg ($10,800) enters this event off the back of two missed cuts. Since prices were released for the Masters before Valero, he looks relatively overpriced right now compared to others from the LIV Tour like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. That’s likely to keep his numbers much lower (from an ownership perspective) for this week in DFS. Abreg’s lead-in wasn’t ideal, but given he won less than two months ago, it’s also not reason enough to completely fade him in GPPs. Below him, I also like Akshay Bhatia ($8,100) this week for many of the same reasons. Long and a lefty, he sets up great for Augusta long-term, and coming off the missed cut, he is sure to have ruffled some people the wrong way last week, meaning his ownership will likely be lower than it should be. Below him, I also like debutant Davis Thompson ($7,00 -see below) for GPPs, and Byeong Hun An ($6,800), who enters off a solid start in Florida ( he also finished T16 at this event last year). For a cheaper play, Davis Riley ($6,400) also sticks out for stars and scrubs builds. He’s gained big around the greens of late and brings in a solid approach game, which should give him a shot to make some noise if he gets through the cutline of his first Masters.
MY PICK: Shane Lowry ($8,800)
I know Lowry isn’t the Irishman everyone expects or perhaps even wants to win this week, but the 38-year-old has a great shot at bringing home his second major title. He enters in superb form, having grabbed a runner-up at Pebble Beach in February and then four top-20 finishes on the Florida swing, which included a T8 in his final start at the Valspar.
Entering this week, only four players on the PGA are in front of him in short-term strokes gained approach stats and two of those names are Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa. From an experience perspective, it’s hard not to like what he brings to the table either. He was in contention in 2022 when he finished T3 and has made the cut at Augusta in each of the past five seasons.
For DFS purposes, Lowry’s priced up a little more than others around his range which will likely keep his ownership somewhat depressed and make him a better GPP play than he should be. His combination of form and experience gives him a little more win equity than others in his range, so using him as a second man in with one of the elite names feels like a great way to start building. From a betting perspective, I would not be shocked to see him contend again, and his outright odds of +4500 on DraftKings Sportsbook seem more than fair given the great lead-in he’s had in 2025.
SLEEPER: Davis Thompson ($7,000)
I think Thompson is a player people will be getting to know quite well over the coming months. He’s big off the tee, has a very good short game, and already has a win on the PGA (John Deere 2024, which he won -28) and a top 10 at a major championship (T9 US Open – 2024). This will be his first attempt at Augusta, which puts him at an experience disadvantage, but he sets up perfectly for the course.
As mentioned, he’s big off the tee but has also been firing well with his irons of late, having gained 6.6 and 3.0 strokes on approach in his last two starts. He shot rounds of 65 and 64 on the tough Memorial Park a couple of weeks ago in Houston and finished T10 at the PLAYERS, on a much less suitable venue for his skill set.
Since he’s new to Augusta, his ownership for DFS is unlikely to be very high in big-field GPPs, and for betting, he’s someone you can target in both the placing markets and top debutant markets on the DraftKings Sportsbook. He’s currently +275 for a top-20 and +600 to be top debutant.
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