DraftKings is proving that fantasy golf may not have reached its ceiling yet.
The numbers for DraftKings golf
The first major of the year, The Masters, marked the unofficial start to the daily fantasy golf season at DraftKings. (There are contests based on just about every PGA Tour event. But the biggest ones take place around the four major tournaments, including the US Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship.)
The metrics for Masters contests were impressive, any way you slice it. Some of the data DraftKings provided:
- DraftKings had the largest-ever single day of user entry fees into golf contests for the Masters.
- Thursday featured the most paid users in golf contests for a single day (170,409).
- The $3.5 million guaranteed Millionaire Maker is the largest golf contest that DraftKings has ever filled. (Just two years ago, when DraftKings started pushing fantasy golf, the top Masters contest was $2.2 million guaranteed.)
DraftKings recently embarked on an advertising push for fantasy golf.
All of this, despite a competing FanDuel product
DraftKings accomplished all of the above, even with a FanDuel entry into the fantasy golf vertical that went live recently.
But that obviously did not stop DraftKings from selling out most of its biggest contests; many of them filled well before the Thursday deadline for entries.
FanDuel’s top two Masters contests guaranteed about $1.2 million. Its biggest contest — a $750,000 guarantee with a $4 entry fee — fell more than $100,000 short of reaching its guarantee, resulting in overlay for players.
DraftKings launches ‘Weekend’ golf, as well
The Masters also marked the launch of ‘Weekend’ fantasy golf.
DraftKings’ traditional golf offering covers every round of a golf tournament. But the Weekend iteration only involves the final two rounds.
The rationale: Many users’ lineups are “dead” by the weekend, as golfers are cut from the real-world tournament. Weekend contests allow DraftKings users to get in on the action with contests that start on Saturday.
DraftKings sold out its initial $500,000 guaranteed contest with more than 147,000 entries.
