Getty Image / Andrew Redington
The upstart LIV Golf Tour began competition after The Masters was played in 2022 which meant they never had to decide if LIV Tour golfers were eligible to play or not.
Golf’s other Major Championships appeared to follow The Masters‘ lead and LIV Tour members competed in the other Major Champions all while The Masters didn’t have to publicly announce eligibility until the following 2022-23 season.
On Tuesday, The Masters announced that LIV Golf Tour members are eligible to compete in the invitation-only Major Championship. This essentially sets the precedent for golf’s other Majors unless the PGA, US Open, or Open Championship decides to break with protocol but that would be a shock.
The 2023 field for The Masters will be stacked with members of the LIV Tour. The Masters features the smallest field of any Major with usually between 90 and 100 players. And much of the field is comprised of past Masters champions and golfers who qualified from winning other tournaments.
LIV Tour membership will be well represented with six former Masters champions: Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, and Charl Schwartzel.
Cameron Smith qualifies after winning the 2022 Open Championship. Best friends Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka both qualify for having recently won US Opens.
The top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings at the end of 2022 also receive invitations. That list is likely to include Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na, Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen according to ESPN who also notes that Joaquin Niemann finished in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup Standings and will receive an invitation.
That’s a total of 16 LIV Golf players who will likely be featured in the small field at Augusta National, the most hallowed ground in American golf.
Chairman of The Masters tournament, Fred Ridley, released a statement where he addressed the division in golf. He wrote:
“We have reached a seminal point in the history of our sport. At Augusta National, we have faith that golf, which has overcome many challenges through the years, will endure again.”
“Through the years, legends of the game have competed and won at Augusta National Golf Club. Champions like Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have become heroes to golfers of all ages. They have inspired some to follow in their footsteps and so many others to play and enjoy the game. They have supported the sport and, thus, all who benefit from it. They have shown respect for those who came before them and blazed a trail for future generations. Golf is better because of them.”
“Regrettably, recent actions have divided men’s professional golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacies of those who built it. Although we are disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers this coming April.”
Augusta National announces, in a roundabout way, that it will allow LIV golfers to compete in the Masters. pic.twitter.com/LKxg5Xj0z6
— Barry Svrluga (@barrysvrluga) December 20, 2022
This will mean LIV Tour golfers will be eligible to receive OWGR points in The Masters. 2022 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler received 100 points for winning. OWGR awards points to everyone who makes the cut at The Masters.
Golf Fans Have Questions About LIV Tour Players In The Masters
What remains to be determined:
Do the LIV past champs get the Champions Dinner invite? https://t.co/o6VZSKSDiM
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) December 20, 2022
Will LIV Tour golfers be invited to the Champions Dinner the night before the tournament? There are six former champions on the LIV Tour. Will they be invited?
It would be very weird if they didn’t. Chairman Ridley’s statement about ‘divide men’s professional golf’ and wanting to bring together these golfers suggests that everyone will be in the same room.
This is setting up what could be the most awkward dinner of all time but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, the ultra-wealthy and ‘American aristocracy’ do NOT air their dirty laundry out at the dinner table. You simply sit there, sip your wine, cut your steak, and bite your tongue.
It’s also worth mentioning that cellphones and cameras are banned on the Augusta National grounds. There will be no leaked video or audio from The Masters Champions Dinner and all the golf world will know about it will come from second-hand stories.
Of course, there were some jokes floating around:
Yes but it's at a separate smaller table like the kids would sit at at Christmas dinner.
— Graeme (@graeme1878) December 20, 2022
You mean diplomatic.
— Matty (@Matty2kRoyal) December 20, 2022
Tee times will definitely be chosen with nuance:
Here’s the current list of Masters invitees — 16 LIV golfers by my count. Hopefully whoever chooses tee times has some fun… pic.twitter.com/vpkBYE3IUN
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) December 20, 2022
No surprise. Never made any sense for Masters to ban LIV players—it’d have taken out like 20% of their field.
And let’s remember: in this post-schism world, the majors arguably have more significance than ever as the only times *all* the best players compete against each other. https://t.co/o8aXC21hqX
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) December 20, 2022
And just like that, the 2023 playing of The Masters has become the most highly-anticipated golf tournament in decades.