The 2026 Masters Pool Cheat Sheet

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here . The first major championship of the 2026 PGA Tour season is finally here, which means you’ve likely already received an invite or two for the annual Masters pools.

I’ve got a few tricks of the trade to share, in addition to a number of my favorite Masters picks to help you finish in the money in this year's pools. Keys to winning a Masters pool Making the cut and playing the weekend is critical Course history and current form go hand-in-hand when targeting favorites Picking the right favorite likely won't win a pool, but picking the wrong one can lose it Prioritize a contrarian or against-the-grain golfer or two, but don't overdo it Identifying the right middle-tier players is paramount 2026 Masters player tiers Favorites You’re going to need the winner and multiple players at the top of the leaderboard to win your pool, and thankfully, betting favorites have played well, and course history at Augusta National annually proves as predictive as any track on the PGA Tour circuit. Xander Schauffele: Has gained true strokes across the board in each of his past five events and each of his past three trips to the Masters, so you want him on your team and betting card this week.

Scottie Scheffler: It’s been a unique start to 2026 for Scheffler, and while he could be leading by six going into Sunday, the other end of the extreme is probably finishing Top 20 and still incredibly good. Rory McIlroy: The last golfer to win the Masters in consecutive years was Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002, so while McIlroy winning might be a bit rich, it might not be, given his undeniable elite form and track record at Augusta National. Bryson DeChambeau: Consecutive LIV Golf wins and major championship pedigree should have DeChambeau on your radar with a T5-T6 run at Augusta.

Jon Rahm: If there’s a LIV Golf discount attached to Rahm, there shouldn’t be, and the 2023 Masters champion is back in top ball-striking form. Contenders This is the tier where the pool contenders truly separate themselves from the pretenders. Pinpointing the right golfers from the middle of the pack who will show up on the Sunday leaderboard will leapfrog you up the standings.