Scoring Rules
Simple, transparent scoring – no surprises.
Quick Reference
Score to Par
Your pool score is the combined to-par score of all your counting golfer picks. The participant with the lowest total score wins.
Example – Classic 4-Tier Pool
Tier 1: Scheffler
–6
Tier 2: Spieth
–2
Tier 3: Scott
–1
Tier 4: Finau
E
Total
–9
Pick More, Count Best
Some pools let you pick more golfers than count toward your score. Only your best N scores count – the rest are dropped. This gives you a buffer against missed cuts and bad rounds.
Example – Pick 6, Count Best 4
Scheffler
–6
Counts
McIlroy
–4
Counts
Finau
–1
Counts
Rahm
+2
Counts
Spieth
+12 (MC)
Dropped
Scott
+12 (MC)
Dropped
Total (best 4)
–9
Two golfers missed the cut, but since only the best 4 count, those penalties are dropped entirely. Pick 6 Count 5 works the same way but only drops the worst 1 pick instead of 2.
Salary Cap Format
Instead of picking from tiers, you build a team within a $50,000 budget. Each golfer has a price based on their betting odds – favorites cost more, longshots cost less. All your picks count toward your score.
Example
Scheffler (favorite)
$18,000
McIlroy
$17,500
Spieth
$8,000
Scott (longshot)
$3,500
Total spent
$47,000 of $50,000
All scoring rules – missed cut penalty, withdrawals, tiebreaker – work the same as tier-based pools. Only the picking method is different.
Missed Cut Penalty
After Round 2, roughly half the field is eliminated (the “cut”). If one of your golfers misses the cut, they receive their score at the cut line plus an 8-stroke penalty.
Example
Score after Round 2
+4
Missed cut penalty
+8
Final score
+12
This makes the cut a meaningful part of strategy. A safe golfer who makes the cut at +1 finishes with +1 – far better than a risky pick who misses at +4 and ends up at +12.
Withdrawals
If a golfer withdraws (injury, illness, or disqualification):
Tiebreaker
If two participants have the same total score, the tie is broken by the lowest single round posted by any of their golfers across all four rounds.
Example – Both tied at –9
Mike’s picks
Best individual round: 67 (Scheffler, Round 1)
JT’s picks
Best individual round: 68 (McIlroy, Round 3)
Mike wins – 67 beats 68.
Customizable rules. Pool admins can adjust the missed cut penalty amount, switch between a flat penalty or per-round penalty (e.g., +4 per missed round instead of +8 total), and change the tiebreaker rule when creating a pool.