PGA Majors-Only Golf Pools: Beginner’s Guide

When it comes to the Major Championships—The Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship—golf pools are one of the most fun ways to get action beyond traditional betting.

Whether you're running a pool with friends or building engagement for your sports page, the format you choose can completely change strategy and excitement.

At FTO, we participate in a number of golf pools, including a One-and-Done for the full season and a One-and-Done exclusive to the four Majors.

Here’s a breakdown of the most popular PGA Major golf pool styles and strategies:

🏌️‍♂️Tiered Pick Pools (Most Popular)

How it works:

Golfers are grouped into tiers (usually based on odds or world rankings). You pick one golfer from each tier.

Scoring options:

Total strokes (lowest wins); or

Best “X” number of golfers count toward score depending on the pool rules

Strategy:

You really need to know the course, the type of golfer that scores well at each event, and each golfer's history at the course. Most importantly, you cannot be afraid to be a little bold in the higher number tiers because this is where you can differentiate your build from the field.

Why people love it:

Tiered Pick Pools prevents everyone from stacking favorites and forces well-thought strategy derived from deeper knowledge.

Best for: Medium-to-large groups

🏌️‍♂️Salary Cap / DFS-Style Pools

How it works:

Inspired by platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel, each golfer is assigned a "salary". You build a lineup, typically consisting of six golfers, that fits under a cap (ex: $50,000).

Scoring:

Total strokes or DFS-style points (birdies, eagles, etc.).

Strategy:

Know your scoring rules and budget accordingly. It is typically better to focus on better budget bargains that you believe will finish top-15 than having the winner and a bunch of lower finishers.

Why people love it:

DFS-Style pools rewards highly-skilled and analytically-driven players.

 Best for: Experienced players / DFS and betting-savvy communities

🏌️‍♂️Total Purse Pools/One-and Done Hybrid

How it works:

Pick a set number of golfers (usually 4–8).

Different Style Purse Pools:

1. Each Major Individually: select “X” amount of golfers by pool rules

2. Five Total Payouts: One payout for each Major and one for overall earnings. Some pools will allow you to select golfers multiple times, but one-and-done style offers more competitive and strategic gameplay.

Scoring:

Your score = total prize money earned by your players.

Strategy:

For Individual Major Pools, knowing the course and the golfer that will play will is most important. Typically there is no tier or budget system so the entire field is open to select for everyone so knowledge gives you the advantage.

For Five Total Payout Pools, strategy is similar, but you need to understand each course that is being played and decide which top golfers you want to start for each event. You’ll typically only be allowed to pick a golfer once, so a top golfer that performs poorly at Augusta (The Masters) but has great success at Royal Birkdale (Open Championship) or a European links style golf courses is an indicator to save them.

Why people love it:

These pools are easy to track, mirror real-world results, and rewards competitors who find sleepers who perform well.

Twist ideas:

Require at least one longshot (odds 50+) and/or include bench/substitution rules after the cut.

Best for: Experienced players

🏌️‍♂️Draft-Style Snake Pools

How it works:

Participants draft golfers in a snake format. No duplicate players allowed.

Scoring:

Total strokes or combined finishing positions.

Strategy:

Strategy here is similar to a traditional fantasy league with a snake draft. You will want to rank 30-50 golfers depending on the size of our draft.

Why people love it:

Feels like fantasy football. Ownership of players adds intensity.

Best for: Tight-knit groups

🏌️‍♂️Survivor / Cut Pools

How it works:

Pick golfers each round or before the tournament. If your golfer misses the cut, you're eliminated (or penalized).

Variations:

Pick multiple golfers, but each must make cut and/or weekly survival across all majors.

Why people love it:

High risk, high tension. Keeps casual fans engaged through Friday.

Best for: Casual fans

🏌️‍♂️Prop-Based Pools

How it works: Participants answer prop questions like:

“Will Scottie Scheffler finish Top 10?”

“Winning score over/under -12.5?”

“Nationality of winner?”

Scoring:

Points per correct answer

Strategy:

Treat it like betting props on DraftKings

Why people love it: Mix of knowledge and luck.

Best for: social media engagement.

 ⛳️ Final Thoughts

The beauty of PGA Majors Pools is flexibility. Whether you’re building a competitive pool for serious players or a casual pool for friends, the format you choose should match your audience:

Casual fans → Tiered or One-and-Done

Sharp bettors → Salary Cap or Draft

Content creators → Hybrid + Props

*For more golf content, including a betting and DFS preview of each event all season, follow us on our new X accounts @FTO_picks and @FTO_Fun!