LIV Golf League gamers who had been hoping the key championships would change standards to make it simpler for them to qualify for these fields in all probability aren’t going to get their want relating to the Masters.
Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership chairman Fred Ridley instructed reporters in Australia on Thursday that he did not anticipate the membership making any adjustments to its standards for the 2024 Masters, which can be performed April 11-14.
“As you recall final 12 months, there was some hypothesis as as to if or not we might invite LIV golfers, and we stayed true to our qualification standards and we invited everybody who was eligible,” Ridley stated forward of this weekend’s Asia-Pacific Novice Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Membership.
“And so, whereas we don’t presently anticipate making any adjustments in 2024, you already know, we do at all times have a look at them and we’ll proceed to try this. I might simply reply by saying that, you already know, that our {qualifications} are very a lot dynamic, and we modify to what we really feel is one of the best pursuits of the match representing one of the best gamers on the earth, so we at all times have a look at that.”
This previous April, there have been 18 LIV Golf League gamers within the Masters area, together with previous champions Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson, who’ve lifetime exemptions to play within the first main of the season.
LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka and Mickelson tied for second at 8 beneath, 4 pictures behind winner Jon Rahm.
Earlier than final week’s LIV Golf League group championship, Mickelson stated he hoped the 4 majors would create new pathways for the tour’s members to compete within the sport’s largest tournaments.
Mickelson and different LIV Golf members have voiced their issues after the Official World Golf Rating notified the breakaway circuit that the rating’s governing board had voted unanimously to not acknowledge LIV Golf for world rating factors.
“I believe that the majors want to guard their product, and there is in all probability different ways in which they’ll do this by creating slots,” Mickelson stated. “In the event that they wish to ensure that they’ve one of the best fields in golf, they may create autos for gamers on LIV to play in majors the place they do not have to make use of the OWGR, which might undermine the TV contract and income of the PGA Tour in the event that they gave factors to LIV.”
Together with the previous champions, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and Koepka are the one LIV Golf gamers at present eligible for the 2024 Masters area.
Talor Gooch, who received LIV Golf’s particular person season-long factors title and received 3 times this previous season, is ranked No. 214 on the earth as a result of he is not receiving world-ranking factors for LIV Golf occasions. Because it stands now, Gooch is not eligible to play in any main in 2024.
“You recognize, they made choices primarily based on what they thought was in one of the best pursuits of their golf careers, and we definitely respect that,” Ridley stated. “We do have in our invitation standards, it does say that we reserve the proper to ask particular exemptions to worldwide gamers, though we did subject a particular exemption to an beginner final 12 months. So we’re at all times taking a look at that.
“However these choices have been made and we’ll should do what’s in one of the best pursuits of the Masters and we’ll proceed to try this.”
The Masters introduced in April that it might invite the NCAA particular person champion and winners of occasions from the PGA Tour’s fall schedule that award a full allotment of factors in 2024. It additionally tweaked the language of an exemption for PGA Tour members who qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship.
In the meantime, R&A CEO Martin Slumbers stated The Open was within the strategy of reviewing its exemptions for the 2024 match, which is able to happen July 18-21 at Royal Troon Golf Membership in Scotland. The exemptions and standards can be launched early subsequent 12 months, he stated.
Slumbers added that The Open would stay “open to everyone, however you earn your home within the area by exemptions, and that will not change.”
“As I’ve said quite a lot of occasions, our circumstances are designed in a technique to create pathways for the easiest gamers on the earth to compete for the Open Championship subsequent 12 months at Royal Troon,” Slumbers stated. “I might say, although, there was some hypothesis within the media lately on the subject that you just’re elevating, and I might say that it’s fully off the mark. I want to make it very clear that exemptions for The Open, we don’t talk about them with anybody, and nor would we at any time limit.”
Ridley additionally confirmed that LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam, a 10-time main championship winner, is a brand new member at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership. Girls weren’t allowed to turn into members of the membership till 2012.
“I’m very enthusiastic about Annika,” Ridley stated. “She is a pleasant individual. As you already know, now we have quite a lot of ladies members and have for fairly a number of years. I believe it made us a greater membership, and they’re an integral a part of our tradition.”
