Ridley Chairman "No Plans for LIV Participation Qualification" [Masters]

Position Stated at Pre-Tournament Press Conference
Maintaining a Different Stance from USGA and R&A
Twelve LIV Players, Including Past Champions, Competing This Year

Augusta National has announced that it has no plans to grant separate entry qualifications to LIV Golf players.

Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National

Fred Ridley, chairman, said at a press conference held on the 9th (local time) at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA, ahead of the 89th Masters Tournament, in response to a question asking, "Has there ever been consideration of creating a separate entry category for LIV players?" that "There are several issues related to the world rankings. The pathways for players to enter and exit LIV Golf, as well as the team competition structure, raise concerns."

LIV Golf, launched in 2022 with Saudi Arabian capital backing, had no direct way to participate in major tournaments until this year, but recently half of the four major championships have opened their doors. The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced the qualification criteria for this year's U.S. Open, allowing the highest-ranked LIV Golf player among the top three in the individual LIV Golf rankings as of May 19 who has not yet qualified for the U.S. Open to participate in the main event. Subsequently, The Open also granted entry to the highest-ranked player among the top five in the LIV Golf individual rankings as of the end of June this year who does not yet have qualification for The Open.

Ridley said, "The USGA and the R&A, which hosts The Open, are independent organizations, and we respect their decisions," but drew a line by stating, "The Masters is an invitational tournament." He added, "Whether a player belongs to LIV or another tour and does not meet the existing entry conditions, I believe they can be adequately handled through special invitations."

This year, 12 LIV players are participating in the Masters. Among them, seven are past Masters champions. Included among the past champions is Miguel ?ngel Cabrera (Argentina), who was arrested in 2021 on charges of assaulting his live-in girlfriend, served a 30-month prison sentence, and was released in August 2023.