Masters Sleeper Picks: 3 Overlooked Golfers For Masters Pools (2025)

The Masters is finally here, and if you want a shot at the top of your pool standings, it will take more than picking chalk and hoping for the best. Identifying smart, under-the-radar players with real upside is one of the best ways to separate yourself in large Masters pools.

When to Pick Masters Sleepers (or Play It Safe)

If you want smarter Masters sleeper picks and a cheat sheet that shows when to trust the favorites and when to go contrarian, the PoolGenius Masters & Majors product gives you a real edge.

Just enter your pool’s rules, number of entries, and scoring format. PoolGenius then builds a custom cheat sheet using win odds, strokes gained stats, course history, and real pick popularity from major Masters pool platforms.

Think of it like a DFS optimizer, but for your Masters pool. It doesn’t just rank golfers; it shows you when to go with the crowd and when to fade them based on actual pick trends and how your pool is scored. 

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Xander Schauffele

Tier: 1
Odds to Win: +2000
Pick Rate: 3%

Schauffele is one of the sharpest Masters sleeper picks in Tier 1, the most loaded group featuring big names like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. If you’re in a larger pool and want to differentiate without taking a wild gamble, Schauffele offers that perfect middle ground. 

He’s coming off a two-major season, has four top-10 finishes at Augusta, and is finally healthy after a slow start. Despite that resume, just 3 percent of entries are picking him. That combination of elite course history, proven upside, and low popularity makes him one of the smartest leverage plays in Tier 1 if you’re looking to fade Scheffler and gain ground on the field.

Robert MacIntyre

Tier: 2
Odds to Win: +3300
Pick Rate: 8%

Tier 2 has recognizable names like Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry, and Russell Henley, drawing significant attention in Masters pools. But Robert MacIntyre is a potential sleeper who could give your entry an edge. He’s in solid form, with an 11th-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a 9th at THE PLAYERS Championship, and 11th on the LIV Tour in Singapore. 

LIV golfers, in general, appear to be flying under the radar this week, and MacIntyre is no exception. He’s also shown he can handle Augusta, finishing 12th and 23rd in his two Masters appearances in 2021 and 2022. MacIntyre is a sneaky-good pivot if you’re looking to bypass the chalk and find upside in Tier 2.

Will Zalatoris

Tier: 3
Odds to Win: +4000
Pick Rate: 8%

Zalatoris is the definition of a boom-or-bust Masters sleeper. He’s thrived at Augusta, posting three top-10 finishes in four starts, including a ninth-place showing last year. That kind of track record shows his game fits the course extremely well. However, his current form is shaky, which has kept his pick rate relatively low.

Whether or not Zalatoris makes sense for your lineup depends on your pool format. He might carry too much risk in smaller pools or those that heavily penalize poor finishes. But he’s a strong contrarian pivot in larger contests with 50 to 100 or more entries, where you need to separate from the pack. 

Find More Masters Sleeper Picks

Want to know if these or any other Masters sleeper picks are truly worth the risk in your pool?

Check out the PoolGenius Masters & Majors Optimizer, which analyzes real pick data, win odds, strokes gained, and course history — then tailors a cheat sheet based on your exact pool setup.

Whether you’re in a One and Done, Pick X, or tier-based format, the tool factors in:

• Pool size and scoring system
• Public pick popularity from pool hosting platforms
• Risk-reward tradeoffs specific to each tier
• Where to get leverage and when to trust the chalk

It’s the smartest way to identify value plays and maximize your chances of winning.

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Pictured: Will Zalatoris

Photo Credit: Getty Images