The PGA TOUR’s 2026 major championship season is in full swing, with its first big event of the year starting this weekend. With the Masters beginning this week, DraftKings users can play in DraftKings PGA Pick6 contests for all four rounds. If you’re new, Pick6 is a single-user daily fantasy game where you select players to go over or under the totals.
This week, the PGA heads to Augusta National for the Masters, where players will compete in what is considered to be the most prestigious event in golf. The field of 90+ golfers will compete across four rounds, with a cut after Friday that includes the top-50 players and ties. The venue is a longer Par 72 that comes in over 7,600 yards and features some of the most sloping fairways and greens on the PGA. Winning scores for this event have rarely exceeded 12-under par in recent years, and with dry weather, expect a firm and fast course where birdies are at a premium once again.
I reviewed additional statistics and course dynamics in the Masters PGA Cheat Sheet and included some notes on the course below for Pick6 research.
“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, respectively. 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. In 2024, Scottie Scheffler won by four strokes at -11, and only one other player posted a score of -5 or better (Ludvig Aberg -7). Then, in 2025, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose tied at -11, with no one else getting in at double digits under par.
The first two days of this year have higher wind forecasts, with potential gusts of 15-20mph on Thursday. While the weekend does have slightly lower winds, warmer temperatures and a lack of rain mean the course is expected to play very firm and fast. It seems likely we’ll once again see a winner come in around the -10 to -14 range.
Augusta has seen winning scores range from 5-under to 20-under over the past 10 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 at 40-1 or greater.
However, with the course lengthened in multiple areas in recent seasons, the venue has favored the off-the-tee specialists. 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. In toss-up situations this week (for DFS and betting), leaning slightly towards the bigger hitter (or better off-the-tee player) is warranted.”
As of now, we have Round 1 totals up on the Pick6 site for play, so that’s where we’ll be focusing this week. The weather for Round 1 is a bit cooler and does have some wind expected, so expect higher scoring again this season.
With that in mind, I’ve focused on a few of my favorite plays for Round 1 below.
Top DraftKings Pick6 Plays for the 2026 Masters
Hideki Matsuyama Less Than 71.5 Strokes
Matsuyama has had a strong start to this year’s Masters. He had a disappointing early exit in Phoenix (losing in a playoff to Chris Gotterup), but has made the cut in every event so far and finished a solid T21 last week at the Valero.
It remains to be seen if he’s in good enough form to win again, but certainly, his game has improved to the point where I’d almost be surprised to see him struggle this week. He’s also the kind of player whose short game and iron play should excel in these tougher conditions. With a 71.5 total for Round 1, I’m happy to support him for a solid under-par start on DraftKings Pick6, where he’ll hopefully give us the boost we need for our lineups.
Adam Scott More Than 3.5 Birdies or Better
Scott has played well this season, despite failing to get himself in contention. The veteran Aussie golfer comes in ranked top-20 on the PGA in strokes gained tee to green stats and placed 4th just four starts ago at another long, tough course in Riviera. It’s hard to say whether Scott has it in him to land another major, but with this low birdie or better total for Round 1 for DraftKings Pick6, there are better ways to get exposure to him this week, if you’re bullish.
He comes in off a decent start in Houston (T21) and ranks top-40 in BoB% on the PGA this season as well. Given his overall experience at Augusta and on the Par 5s, this seems like a very low total that is worth taking advantage of for Thursday, even if the temperatures are cooler.
Ryan Gerard More Than 72.5 Strokes
This will mark Gerard’s first year at Augusta National. The veteran has played well over the past year, but he does come into his first Masters on a bit of a down swing, having missed the cut in two of his last three starts, including his last time out in Houston. I’m also not fully convinced that this week’s venue will be the best for Gerard, who can struggle at times around the green. If his approaches are a little off, he’s going to have a hard time on several holes he’ll be playing for the first time, and bring bogey or worse into play often on several spots.
While he’s capable of stemming the tide with his putter, it’s a tall ask, and he’s not someone I’m particularly bullish on this week, given how much he struggled his last few times out. An over-par score for Round 1 seems likely, and it’s a play I’d be happy to add to any Pick6 cards for Thursday.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
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