Augusta National confirms LIV Golfers will participate in 2023 Masters Tournament

Augusta National Golf Club has made a decision on its implications for golfers who have joined rival tours, including the controversial LIV tour, by making an official statement on Tuesday indicating those players will be permitted to play in the 2023 Masters Tournament.

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Augusta National published a press release on Tuesday as a long-awaited decision regarding players who have left the PGA Tour to join LIV and their eligibility was still up in the air. The Masters will allow those players to participate in the 2023 Masters, in an effort to “honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers” to compete for the first major of the season.

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The Augusta National Golf Club statement continued. “Therefore, as invitations are sent this week, we will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament. 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.

Perhaps one of the biggest factors in several players’ decisions regarding joining the LIV Tour was their potential disqualification from participating in Major Championships. One of the most notable was Bubba Watson, winner of the 2012 and 2014 Masters Tournaments. Watson joined LIV in late July, and made comments regarding his Masters’ eligibility just a month later (via Golf Digest):

“For me, it’s a weird situation being a Masters champion; right now, we can play in it, and I’m hoping and praying they make the right decisions. I sat my kids down and told them there is a possibility we can’t go to Augusta. If they [Augusta National] tell me I can’t go, [even as a] past champion, then I don’t want to be there anyway because that’s just the wrong way to look at it.”

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Watson’s comments were explosive, but understandable, as one of the greatest traditions of the Masters is the participation of past champions. Watson’s recognition as a two-time champion at Augusta brought into question whether the Golf Club would continue its tradition despite polarizing opinions regarding the LIV tour. Nevertheless, Augusta National has decided to allow these players to participate, even if they have qualified for the tournament through other exemptions.

For example, LIV’s Bryson DeChambeau has been included on the official list of golfers who can participate in this year’s tournament. The ‘2’ next to DeChambeau’s name on the official 2023 Masters Invitee List denotes his recognition as a U.S. Open Champion, a tournament he won in 2020. This qualifies DeChambeau for Masters Tournaments until 2025.

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Cameron Smith is another notable name that has been included on the official invitee list. His win at the Open Championship earlier this year qualifies him for the next five Masters’ tournaments.

However, he is also exempt through his Players Championship victory, a Top 12 finish in the 2022 Masters, where he finished in 3rd, his participation in the 2022 TOUR Championship, and his Top 50 ranking in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The full list of 2023 Masters Tournament Invitees:

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