AUGUSTA, Ga. — With the smallest contingent of LIV Golf players (12) in this year’s Masters Tournament field since the league began, Augusta National Golf Club plans to stand firm on its qualification criteria that does not guarantee any invites for members of the controversial tour, which does not receive Official World Golf Ranking points.
“We feel we can deal with that issue, whether it’s a LIV player or a player on some other tour that might not otherwise be eligible for an invitation, that we can handle that with a special invitation,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said Wednesday at his annual pre-Masters interview.
Joaquin Niemann, LIV’s top points-earner through five events in 2025, received a special invite to play in The Masters in January, before his tour’s season began. Tyrrell Hatton, who received an invite via his world ranking (currently No. 18), is the only other LIV player who hasn’t previously won The Masters or a recent major championship.
Organizers of the U.S. Open and the Open Championship (also known as the British Open) recently created new qualification methods for LIV players to potentially earn a spot in those major championships. But that hasn’t changed the strategy for Augusta National.
“Some of the issues that have been raised in connection with world golf rankings, and that is pathways for players to come and go on the LIV Tour as well as the team aspect of the LIV Golf, certainly creates some concern in that regard,” Ridley said. “As it relates to the USGA and the R&A, they certainly act independently. We respect their decisions. We are an invitational tournament.”
To Merge or Not to Merge
While Ridley said he’s not in a position to say what form a PGA Tour–LIV Golf reunion should look like, he did say he would continue to “encourage cooperation” between the rival tours.
“I’m going to continue to be saying that and encouraging the leaders of the organizations involved to try to work together to come up with a solution,” he said. “But I think we all agree that four times a year is not enough to have the great players of the game together.”
Earlier this week, 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm admitted he didn’t think a merger would be coming “anytime soon.”
Both PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil are in Augusta for The Masters this week, although it’s unclear what talks, if any, the two leaders are having.
