Masters 'No Change in Eligibility'... LIV 'Sad News'

Augusta National Golf Club Maintains Qualification Criteria
Players with Dropped World Rankings from LIV Face Disadvantageous Conditions
The Open Organizer R&A "Reviewing Next Year's Participants"

The 'Masters Legends' will not change the eligibility criteria for participation next year.

Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, said at a press conference held in Melbourne, Australia on the 26th (local time), "There was much debate about whether to invite LIV Golf players to this year's tournament, but we invited all players who met the eligibility criteria," adding, "The 2024 tournament will be the same." Chairman Ridley is attending the 14th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which opened in Melbourne.

Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club

The recent controversy over eligibility for major tournaments such as the Masters stems from the fact that LIV Golf tournaments, sponsored by Saudi Arabian capital, do not award world ranking points. The Masters grants eligibility to players ranked within the top 50 in the world rankings at a specific cutoff date before the tournament. Players active in LIV Golf do not receive world ranking points, causing their rankings to drop continuously. Phil Mickelson (USA), the 'face of LIV Golf,' expressed the opinion that "major tournaments should consider alternative ways to provide opportunities for LIV players to participate."

This year, 18 of the 87 players in the Masters were affiliated with LIV Golf. Among them, Mickelson and Brooks Koepka (USA) performed well, tying for second place. Next year, only nine players will qualify to participate, including Mickelson and Sergio Garcia (Spain), Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson (all USA), Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), as well as Koepka, Cameron Smith (Australia), and Bryson DeChambeau (USA), all of whom have won this tournament before.

On the other hand, Martin Slumbers, representative of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), which organizes The Open, said, "We are reviewing the eligibility criteria for the 2024 tournament." Slumbers stated, "The Open is always designed to feature the best players in the world," but drew a line by saying, "However, it is different from the issues recently raised in the media." This means that no special benefits will be provided for LIV players.