Masters decision hands big win to LIV golfers

1 year ago 84

Players who defected from the PGA Tour to articulation Saudi-funded LIV Golf are inactive invited astatine the Masters adjacent year, adjacent arsenic Augusta National officials expressed disappointment Tuesday successful the part it has caused successful golf.

The Masters, the smallest tract among the 4 majors, is by invitation and determination was immoderate question whether it would grant the PGA Tour suspending players — including past Masters champions — for joining a rival league.

Chairman Fred Ridley enactment the tourney implicit the ongoing battle, which is present playing retired successful national tribunal with antitrust lawsuits and countersuits.

“Although we are disappointed successful these developments, our absorption is to honour the contented of bringing unneurotic a preeminent tract of golfers this coming April,” Ridley said successful a statement, which were his archetypal comments connected however Augusta National viewed the divide.

“Therefore, arsenic invitations are sent this week, we volition invitation those eligible nether our existent criteria to vie successful the 2023 Masters Tournament.”

Sixteen players with LIV Golf are among the 78 players presently eligible for the Masters. That includes six Masters champions — Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel.

Three others person won majors that travel with a five-year exemption: British Open champion Cameron Smith, erstwhile U.S. Open and PGA champion Brooks Koepka and erstwhile U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.

Joaquin Niemann qualified by reaching the Tour Championship, portion six others volition decorativeness the twelvemonth successful the apical 50 of the satellite ranking — Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na and Louis Oosthuizen.

Still to beryllium determined is however Augusta National volition respond aft the 2023 tournament.

“As we person said successful the past, we look astatine each facet of the tourney each year, and immoderate modifications oregon changes to invitation criteria for aboriginal tournaments volition beryllium announced successful April,” Ridley said.

Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, chose not to be past twelvemonth arsenic helium was recovering from the nationalist pushback implicit his disparaging comments astir the Saudi Arabians backing the caller league, the circuit and his eventual extremity of gaining leverage to alteration the PGA Tour landscape.

Ridley leaned connected the practice of the Masters and listed 9 players — from Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, to the Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. He referenced Tiger Woods and Tom Watson, each who whom helium said “have go heroes to golfers of each ages.”

Conspicuously missing from his database was Mickelson, regarded arsenic the main recruiter among players for LIV Golf.

“They person inspired immoderate to travel successful their footsteps and truthful galore others to play and bask the game,” Ridley said. “They person supported the athletics and, thus, each who payment from it. They person shown respect for those who came earlier them and blazed a way for aboriginal generations. Golf is amended due to the fact that of them.

“Regrettably, caller actions person divided men’s nonrecreational play by diminishing the virtues of the crippled and the meaningful legacies of those who built it.”

The British Open has said it would not crook distant those eligible. The U.S. Open hasn't said if its criteria volition change; that is expected astatine the USGA yearly gathering successful February. The PGA Championship has not said what it volition do.

The Masters prefers to support its tract nether 100 players and is people for that. Players who triumph PGA Tour events with afloat FedEx Cup points are eligible, and the nine volition instrumentality anyone other who gets into the apical 50 successful the satellite a week earlier the Masters.

LIV Golf does not get satellite ranking points — its exertion is pending — and it is improbable anyone other from LIV would ace the apical 50 by then.

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