Augusta National GC announces Masters Fantasy Game for 2021 Tournament

COURTESY AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

For the first time, Masters Tournament fans have a stake in the results of the Tournament with the creation this year of the Masters Fantasy Game. Bragging rights and possible Masters merchandise will be on the line.

Masters Fantasy, accessed via www.masters.com/fantasy or the Official Masters App, is a free-to-play fantasy game that allows users to casually compete against friends, family or the world. Users will earn or lose points based on how well their chosen players perform. You can create an account at any time but can only pick players who have not yet teed off for the day. In addition to bragging rights, there will also be daily prizes for the best round and first-, second- and third-place prizes for the Tournament as a whole. For your best shot at the grand prize, make sure you make your picks before the first round.

How To Enter

To participate, you must register online at www.masters.com/fantasy or on the Official Masters App.

Eligibility: Anyone with an account can play, but you must be a U.S. citizen over age 18 to qualify for a prize (see official rules).

Scoring

The scoring for the contest is separate from the usual Masters 72-hole medal-play format. The Modified Stableford format rewards aggressive play, so players who are prone to make more eagles and birdies are probably more attractive as picks. The scoring is as follows:

Hole-by-Hole Scoring
- Double Eagle: +8 points
- Eagle: +5 points
- Birdie: +2 points
- Par: 0 points
- Bogey: -1 point
- Double Bogey or more: – 3 points
End-of-Tournament Bonuses
- Picked Low Amateur: 5 points
- Picked Tournament Champion: 5 points

Player Selections

Participants pick one player from each of these categories:

1. First Timers
First-time Masters participants (pros and amateurs)
Amateurs and first timers have always been an integral part of the Masters, with co-Founder Bobby Jones being one of the most famous and accomplished amateurs of all time. Continue the tradition by picking who you think will become one of the legends of tomorrow. Risk/reward plays a big role here: Having the Low Amateur on your roster will net you five bonus points. Or you can play the safer route and pick one of the first-time professionals. Some pertinent historic information: Only three first-time players have ever won the Masters – Horton Smith in the first Masters (1934), Gene Sarazen (1935) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1979). An amateur has never won the Masters, even though Frank Stranahan (1947), Ken Venturi (1956) and Charlie Coe (1961) all finished second. An amateur has made the cut in five consecutive Masters and the longest drought was four years (2006-9).

2. Past Champs
Past Masters Champions
The most battle-tested group in the field. Of the 84 Masters Tournaments contested, 31 have been won by past champions. These players know the course better than anyone in the field, keeping many in contention well into their 50s.

3. United States
Players Born in the U.S.
The largest group of players in the field. American-born players won the first 24 Masters and have taken home the Green Jacket in the last three.

4. International
Players Born Outside the U.S.
International players have won four of the last 10 and nine of the past 25 Masters. The longest drought between international winners in the past 50 years was four Masters (2004-7).

If you don’t know much about a player, read up on their bio or see what the press has to say about them from the In the Media tab as selected by IBM’s Watson. Watson has also highlighted key stats in the Statistics tab.

There are no ties for prizes, so users will also be prompted to submit a tiebreaker at the conclusion of completing their roster selections.

Your roster is automatically added to “My Group” so you can watch every shot from your team. Also, you can sign up for the Masters Newsletter to get nightly updates on the action.

Joining Or Creating A League

One of the best ways to enjoy Fantasy is to compete against your friends in a private league. From the main page, select ‘Start Your Own’ league, which will prompt you to create a private league. Once done, you will have the option to invite your friends to the league via email, Facebook, Twitter or a shared URL.

Changing Your Eliminated Picks

If one (or more) of your golfers has been eliminated from play (either by withdrawal, disqualification or at the 36-hole cut) you can replace that golfer with another golfer in the same category as long as the next round has not yet begun.