Augusta National made it official on Tuesday that it won’t stand in the way of LIV golfers competing in the 2023 Masters in April. Invitations will be sent to all players who meet the existing qualification criteria.
It’s been a hot topic of discussion almost since Scottie Scheffler donned the Green Jacket in April and LIV Golf began to take shape. Would the private club, which makes its own rules for the tournament held each April in Augusta, Georgia, update its qualification criteria to prevent LIV golfers from competing in the season’s first major? For now, the answer is no, but the green jackets left the door open to make changes as it sees fit in the future.
LIV Golf signed a host of former Masters champions and there are also several major champions who have won their titles in the last five years and are thus eligible as well as players who appear to be locked into finishing the year in the top 50 in the world.
Ahead of ANGC Chairman Fred Ridley’s announcement, Golfweek asked more than a dozen players, including past champions Jordan Spieth (2015) and Trevor Immelman (2008), whether LIV golfers should be allowed to play in the Masters. Here are their answers.