The three-time winner, Phil Mickelson to headline the LIV defectors at the Masters Tournament in 2023
Given the acrimonious situation between the PGA & European Tours on one side and the Saudi Funded LIV Golf Tour on the other, there has been speculation on what decisions the major championships like The Masters, US & The Open championship would take with allowing players who have defected to LIV.
In a good boost for players and fans, the Masters has clarified that everyone who is eligible will be allowed to play in the 2023 Masters tournament taking place from April 6-9.
This means that six past Masters champions in the LIV ranks – Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Charl Schwartzel – will be in the field. In addition, as many as 10 others from the LIV Tour have also qualified for the Masters under the current rules. They are headlined by British Open champion Cameron Smith, and include major champions Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Louis Oosthuizen. The other LIV golfers who have qualified are: Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na, Joaquin Niemann, and Harold Varner III.
The chairman of Augusta National, Fred S. Ridley, said in a statement on Tuesday that it was regrettable that recent actions had diminished the men’s game but the club’s focus was to bring back a “pre-eminent field of golfers” in April.
“Therefore, as invitations are sent this week, we will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament,” the statement read.
However, Ridley did not rule out making changes to the qualifying criteria for future Masters. “As we have said in the past, we look at every aspect of the Tournament each year, and any modifications or changes to invitation criteria for future Tournaments will be announced in April.”
Statement from Chairman Fred Ridley, regarding the 2023 Masters Tournament.
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— The Masters (@TheMasters) December 20, 2022
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While there were rumours that the PGA Tour has had informal discussions to bar those on the LIV Golf Tour from the majors, and a court case filed by LIV has accused Ridley of working behind the scenes to wean golfers away from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund-supported circuit, for now it’s clear The Masters will do what it thinks is best for The Masters.
What the other majors – the PGA Championship, The Open and the US Open – decide remains to be seen.
Credits:-
Photo – The Masters