Fantasy golf pools are one of the best ways to make watching a Major championship more exciting. Instead of just cheering for your favorite golfer, you are tracking a team of six players across all four rounds. Here is how every part of the game works.
How the Draft Works
On Majors Pro, the tournament field is divided into six skill tiers based on world golf rankings. Tier 1 has the top-ranked players (like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy), while Tier 6 has longshots and lower-ranked players.
Each participant picks one golfer from each tier, building a six-player team. This ensures every team has a mix of favorites and underdogs, creating balanced and strategic competition.
The entire golfer field is auto-imported from official tournament data, hosts never need to manually add players or configure tiers. As soon as the official field is announced, tier assignments are ready.
Key rule: Multiple participants can pick the same golfer. You are not competing for exclusive ownership, you are competing on which combination of golfers performs best.
How Scoring Works
Your team's score is the combined to-par of your best 4 of 6 golfers (your two worst picks are dropped). Lower is better, just like real golf. Some pools count all 6 instead.
Nick Dunlap missed the cut: his two rounds (+6) still count, plus 80 (+10 to par) for each weekend round he did not play, so +26. His and Chris Kirk's scores are the two dropped, so only the best 4 count and the team totals -18.
What Happens When a Golfer Misses the Cut?
After the second round of a Major, roughly half the field is eliminated (the “cut”). If one of your golfers misses the cut or withdraws, they stay on your team. Their completed rounds still count, and each round they do not play is scored as 80 (+10 to par). A strong two days before missing still helps you; a bad two days still hurts.
This is why tier strategy matters: a Tier 6 longshot who misses the cut at +6 hurts your team less than a Tier 1 favorite who misses at +8, though both also take the per-round penalty for the rounds they do not play.
A golfer who never tees off counts as 80 for every round (+40 total), so a team can't gain by fielding golfers who do not show up. If a major is shortened by weather (for example to 54 holes), the missed-round penalty counts only the official rounds played.
When Do Picks Lock?
Picks lock when the first group tees off in Round 1, typically Thursday morning. You can change your picks as many times as you want before that deadline. Once the tournament starts, your team is set for all four rounds.
How Tiebreakers Work
If two or more teams finish with the same score, the tiebreaker runs in order: first, whoever's predicted winning score is closest to the actual winning score takes it. If still tied, a tier-by-tier face-off decides it (your Tier 1 golfer against theirs, then Tier 2, and so on, with the lower score winning each step). If every tier ties too, those finishing positions are shared evenly.
How Prizes Work
Majors Pro pools are free to join. Players compete for bragging rights and for any prizes the host chooses to offer.
The host decides on and awards any prizes themselves. Majors Pro runs the live scoring and the leaderboard, so the final standings are clear the moment the tournament ends. Majors Pro never holds or moves money between participants.
Live Tracking Features
Once the tournament starts, Majors Pro gives you several ways to follow the action:
- “My Card” live tracker: See real-time shot-by-shot impact on your team score. When your Tier 2 pick birdies the 15th, you will see your position change instantly.
- AI Caddie: Your personal commentator for the major. Picks confidence on Wednesday, cut-line check on Friday, recap on Sunday, all specific to your team. New for US Open 2026.
- Pool chat: Built-in messaging for trash talk during the tournament. React to big moments together without leaving the app.
- Live leaderboard: Real-time team standings updated as scores come in. Share the leaderboard link with your group for maximum engagement.
Quick Reference
Ready to Play?
Join a free public pool or host your own for the next Major.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does scoring work in a fantasy golf pool?▾
Your team score is the combined to-par of your best 4 of 6 golfers (your two worst picks are dropped; some pools count all 6). Lower is better, just like real golf. A team at -8 beats a team at -5.
What happens when a golfer misses the cut?▾
If a golfer misses the cut or withdraws, they stay on your team. Their completed rounds still count, and each round they don't play is scored as 80 (+10 to par). A strong two days before missing still helps; a bad two days still hurts.
When do picks lock in a golf pool?▾
Picks lock when the first group tees off in Round 1, typically Thursday morning. You can change your picks as many times as you want before that deadline.
How do prizes work?▾
Majors Pro pools are free to join. The host decides on any prizes and awards them directly to the winners. Majors Pro runs the live scoring and the leaderboard, so the standings are clear the moment the tournament ends, and never holds or moves money between participants.
Can multiple people pick the same golfer?▾
Yes. In the tiered draft format, multiple participants can pick the same golfer. You are competing on which combination of golfers performs best, not competing for exclusive ownership.
Related Guides
How to Run a Masters Pool
Set up a Masters pool in under 5 minutes.
Best Golf Pool Formats
Compare tiered draft, salary cap, pick sheet, and more formats.
Golf Pools vs Fantasy Football
Why golf pools might be the better fantasy sport.
PGA Championship Pool Guide
Keep the momentum going with the second Major.