Masters' Drama: LIV Golfers' Augusta Access in Limbo!

Masters' Standoff: No Easy Road for LIV Golf Stars to Augusta?

The green jackets at Augusta National have spoken — and it's a tough break for the LIV Golf crew! While 13 LIV-affiliated aces like Jon Rahm rocked the Masters' lineup, a surprising five top-10 LIV finishers are stuck at home. No special passes here; entry to the grand stage is a game of past glories, for now.

What's the Deal with LIV Players at the Masters?

Augusta National's very own Fred Ridley played it cool, dodging straight-shooting on the Saudi-backed tour's future in their fields. "I think it will be difficult to establish any type of point system that had any connection to the rest of the world of golf because they’re basically, not totally, but for the most part, a closed shop," said Ridley at his annual news hype.

Past major wins are the golden ticket for LIV players aiming for Augusta — no fresh Masters invites for those LIV tourney champs. And with the Official World Golf Rankings giving LIV the cold shoulder, some big names are taking a nosedive in the rankings.

But hope isn't lost — the power trio of Rahm, Hatton, and Koepka remain Augusta's LIV beacons. Despite the roadblocks, Ridley stands by the OWGR as the go-to for the creme de la creme of golfers. The Masters keeps its gates exclusive, and as Ridley puts it, it's all about having "the best field in golf, the best players in the worlds," — Masters-style.

International Invites: The Augusta Lifeline

Every now and then, Masters' honchos throw a curveball with a special invite — enter Joaquin Niemann. This 25-year-old Chilean hotshot, a familiar face in the top 50, snagged his golden pass despite falling off the rankings' radar. Ridley stresses Augusta's method: a mix of subjective talent-scoping and tweakable criteria to keep that field fierce.

However, it's a no-show for the likes of three-time LIV winner Taylor Gooch this year. It's an invite-only bash at Augusta, keeping the golf world on its toes about who gets the nod and who's left reading the green from afar.

Editor: Emilia Morozova