The Augusta National Golf Club is seeing to it that being a golf fan during Masters Week has its perks.
Sports fans might be familiar with Fantasy Football in which participants selecting players for hypothetical, or virtual, teams in the hopes the players’ real-life performance on the field translates to points and winnings.
The Masters Tournament is offering its own version, for the third year in a row, with an impressive package of merchandise on the line.
Masters Fantasy, available to play for free via the official Masters App, lets users compete with friends, family or even fellow fans across the world, by choosing players and earning or losing points based on how those golfers fare on the green.
Participants can create an account at any time but can only pick players who have not yet teed off for the day.
The scoring differs from the tournament’s 72-hole medal-play format, instead using the Modified Stableford format, which scoring is based on the number of strokes taken at each hole.
A double eagle is eight points, an eagle is five, a birdie is two and a par is scored one point.
Masters Fantasy contenders can select one player each from one of four categories: former Masters Champions, players born in the U.S., international players and a “Wild Card.”
Contestants can research player stats by reading bios and press on the In the Media Tab, using the Watson feature on the Masters app.
The free game offers daily prizes, as well as first, second and third prizes for the whole tournament. The grand prize is a package worth more than $2,400, and includes items such as a dated watch, a leather golf bag and three sets of a dozen pro golf balls.
For more information, or to start an account, visit www.masters.com/fantasy.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
