The Masters is one of those special sporting events that makes the whole world stop and take notice. Legends are made on the back nine at Augusta on Sunday, and the 2015 Masters could see another memorable chapter written to that remarkable legacy.
The first major tournament of the year is often considered the sport’s most dramatic event. The Open Championship may be older and the “U.S. Open” may be the most difficult tournament, but when it comes to beauty, drama, shotmaking and heroic play, no tournament can match the Masters.
All the stars come out for this one, and that includes “Tiger Woods”. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued Woods’ game for more than a year, and it doesn’t seem likely that he will be at his best here. However, no player can come close to matching his charisma, and all eyes will be on him when the tournament tees off on Thursday.
There is no room for nostalgia when it comes to finding golfers who are going to compete on your DraftKings roster. The competition will be at a peak level, and the idea is to put six sharp golfers on your roster at a cost of no more than $50,000.
We intend to give you a team that has a chance to compete for the big prize money. Rory McIlroy is the top player in the world, and Bubba Watson is the defending Masters champion and has won this tournament twice. We are not going with either player. Instead, we will try to win with a balanced roster that remains in contention for 72 holes in this great spectacle.
| Player | Country | Key Stat | The Skinny | Salary |
| Adam Scott | Australia | Earned $8.9 million in 2013 and 2014 | Earned Masters win in 2013 | $10,800 |
| Jason Day | Australia | Second-place finishes at Masters and U.S. Open in 2011 | Best player without a major title | $11,300 |
| Keegan Bradley | U.S. | Ranks third in total driving | Emotional player must hone his game | $7,700 |
| J.B. Holmes | U.S. | Three top-two finishes this season | Razor sharp after winning last week | $7,200 |
| Ryan Moore | U.S. | 1.718 putts per hole | One win, three top-10 finishes this season | $7,000 |
| Kevin Na | South Korea | Ranks ninth in sand saves | Four top-10 finishes this season | $6,000 |
PGATour.com and DraftKings
First tier: Adam Scott ($10,800) and Jason Day ($11,300)
Adam Scott may have the best swing of any player on the tour. He has risen to the occasion at big moments throughout his career, including the 2013 Masters, when he won the event in a dramatic playoff over Angel Cabrera.
Scott is known for his remarkable tee-to-green play when he is on his game. Scott won just a shade under $9 million in prize money in 2013 and 2014, along with three championships and three more third-place finishes in those two seasons.
Scott has played just four PGA Tour events in the current season, and his best showing was tying for fourth in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The key to Scott’s chances is his consistency as a ball striker. He is averaging 309.0 yards off the tee, and he is hitting 73.93 percent of his greens in regulation. We are counting on Scott to continue to get excellent distance and retain his trademark accuracy.
If he can do that, he has proven that he can be a money putter at Augusta. We are counting on Scott to rise to the occasion.
Jason Day is one of the tour’s most consistent players, and he may be the best player in the world who has not won a major. However, he has been close, as he tied for second in the Masters and the U.S. Open in 2011.
Day had more than $7.4 million in earnings in 2013 and 2014, and he picked up one victory, three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes in those two seasons.
Day has already earned a victory this season and has also recorded a third-place finish, so he comes into the Masters with a legitimate chance of pulling out his first major title.
Day is averaging 305.1 yards off the tee, and that makes him the tour’s ninth-ranked player in terms of distance off the tee. He is also among the most accurate golfers, as he is finding the green in regulation 72.22 percent of the time, and that ranks third among players who have competed in enough events to qualify for ranking leadership.
The key for Day is his putting, which can be a bit inconsistent. He ranks 52nd in strokes gained putting, and he’s going to need to pick that up if he is going to be at his best in the first major of the year.
Second tier: Keegan Bradley ($7,700) and J.B. Holmes ($7,200)
While Keegan Bradley may lack some consistency, he can pound the ball a long way, and he has also proven he can come through on golf’s biggest stage since he picked up a major championship victory when he won the PGA Championship in 2011.
Bradley won more than $6.4 million in 2013 and 2014, and while he didn’t win a tournament during those two seasons, he finished second twice and also finished third.
Bradley has been quite busy on the tour this year, playing nine tournaments and making the cut in eight of them. He has two top-10 finishes and has finished in the top 25 three times.
Like Scott and Day, Bradley is a big hitter who can bust long shots off the tee on a regular basis. He is averaging 302.8 yards with his driver, and that ranks 12th on the tour. Bradley has struggled a bit with his accuracy, as he is finding the fairway on 62.66 percent of his tee shots, and that ranks 73rd on the tour. He is going to have to pick it up in that area at the Masters.
Bradley’s putting has been a problem this year, but the key to his game is harnessing his emotions and playing at a peak level. Bradley gets turned on for his sport’s biggest events, and we expect him to put on a show at the Masters.
J.B. Holmes comes into the Masters with tremendous momentum after winning the Shell Houston Open last weekend, where he survived a three-way playoff. Holmes came from way off the pace by firing a final-round 64, and that allowed him to tie for the lead with Jordan Spieth and Johnson Wagner, and he maintained his superior form in the playoff.
Holmes has won nearly $3 million this season with a victory and two second-place finishes under his belt. He has four top-10 finishes this season, and he has made the cut in nine of 11 events.
Holmes is another big hitter, averaging 305.3 yards per drive, and that ranks seventh on the tour. He is averaging 4.38 birdies per round, and that’s the primary reason he has done so well this year. That figure ranks fourth among tour regulars.
Third tier: Ryan Moore ($7,000) and Kevin Na ($6,000)
Ryan Moore may not have the high profile of some of the top players on the tour, but he won a tournament earlier this season, and he also has three top-10 finishes.
Moore won more than $4.5 million in 2013 and 2014, and he has victories on the tour in three of the past four years.
Moore is not a huge hitter, and he may suffer in that area compared to most of the other contenders in the field since he is averaging 278.3 yards off the tee, which ranks 178th. Moore has a chance to make an excellent showing at Augusta because of his putting. He is averaging 1.718 putts per hole, and that ranks eighth on the tour.
Kevin Na appears to be an outsider, but the South Korean has made the cut in 10 of the 12 events he has played this season, and he has recorded a second-place finish and has been in the top 10 four times.
Na has earned $1.262 million this year after picking up $3.15 million last year. Na is a slender-appearing 167-pounder, and he is not a big hitter. While he averages just 274.8 yards off the tee, he knows how to score. He is averaging 70.448 strokes per round, and that ranks 28th among all golfers. He also has a 65.71 sand-save percentage, and that ranks ninth on the tour.
We expect these six golfers to give us a legitimate chance to come away with the money at what is often the most dramatic event of the year.