LIV players eligible for 2023 Masters Tournament | Golf News

Augusta National will open at LIV The biggest names in golf, confirming on Tuesday that breakaway tour players will be eligible to compete in the 2023 Masters if they meet established qualification criteria.
The decision will be seen as a major win for the Saudi-backed series, with the PGA Tour suspending players jumping on the rebel circuit.
LIV Golf has lured some of the top players on the US-based PGA Tour with huge sums of money, leading to a simmering feud within the sport.
“Unfortunately, recent actions have divided professional men’s golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacy of those who built it. While we are disappointed with these developments,” the Augusta National president said. Golf club. Fred Riley in a report.

“Our goal is to honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent group of golfers next April.
“We have reached a turning point in the history of our sport. At Augusta National, we are confident that golf, which has overcome many challenges over the years, will endure again.”
Under current criteria, marquee names from LIV, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Charl Schwartzel, will all compete April 6-9 at Augusta National, qualifying for the league’s first major. year as former Masters champions, which comes with a lifetime exemption.
British Open champion Cameron Smith, former US Open and PGA champion Brooks Koepka and former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau will also receive invites with winners from the other three majors receiving byes. Five-year Masters.
The Masters criteria also includes the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) at the end of 2022, which currently includes LIV defectors Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na and Louis Oosthuizen.
Ridley lamented the divisions within the sport at the moment and did not rule out changing the club’s qualifying criteria in the future.
The British Open has indicated that LIV golfers who meet qualifying standards will be welcome while the US Open and the PGA Championship have yet to confirm their entry criteria.
“As we’ve said in the past, we review all aspects of the tournament every year, and any changes or changes to the invitation criteria for future tournaments will be announced in April,” Ridley said.