The landscape of golf is about to change soon, with the LIV Golf Series, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour working towards a framework agreement to bring about a newer, bigger golf entity. However, for now, at least one thing remains certain – the four Majors.
With the 2024 Masters being the first of the Majors, there is still doubt about which LIV golfers will be a part of the tournament. Last year, 18 LIV golfers made their way to Augusta Nationals. However, the number might be less this year.
The main reason that fewer players will participate in the tournament this year is due to the fact that the breakaway tour is not awarded OWGR points, causing their golfers to slip down the golf rankings and not fulfil the Master’s eligibility criteria. While last year there were 7 players that qualified through the rankings, this year there will be none.
As of now, there are 10 LIV golfers who are eligible for the Masters. Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel and Bubba Watson have all won the Green jacket at least once in their careers. This makes them automatically eligible for every single Masters tournament for the rest of their lives.
Bryson DeChambeau won the 2020 US Open and also came fourth at last year’s PGA Championship. Both criterion make him eligible to participate in the 2024 Masters. Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, won the 2023 PGA Championship, securing his place at the Masters till 2028. Lastly, Cameron Smith won the 150th Open, which has secured his place at the Masters till 2027.
LIV Golfers denied ranking points by OWGR board, faces criticism from players
In late 2023, the LIV Series was denied world ranking points by the OWGR board. Citing it as a disappointing move, the series commented that the OWGR was no longer a true representation of global rankings. LIV said in a statement (according to Reuters):
“Professional golf is now without a true or global scoring and ranking system. There is no benefit for fans or players from the lack of trust or clarity as long as the best player performances are not recognized.”
With the exclusion from the OWGR points, all golfers have been slipping down the world rankings, which has been severely affecting their ability to participate in tournaments they could have been a part of. However, with the new framework agreement likely to be in place soon, it all could all change in the coming year.
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