Masters Will Not Adjust Qualifying Criteria to Help LIV Golfers in 2024
Having been denied accreditation by the Official World Golf Ranking, the LIV Golf League—which won’t be getting world ranking points in its events—is hoping the major championships will step up and give direct access to LIV via its points list.
But both Augusta National’s Fred Ridley and the R&A’s Martin Slumbers slowed that idea down on Thursday during a news conference at Royal Melbourne in Australia, where this week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is being played.
Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and LIV leadership have called for the majors to give LIV exemptions and acting COO Gary Davidson said last week that LIV was having discussions or hoping to have discussions with the major championships on the issue.
The Masters typically announces changes to its qualifications during the tournament and Ridley said that it is unlikely to make any changes going into 2024, but didn’t rule out doing so in the future.
Fred Ridley said 2024 Masters qualifying would not be adjusted specifically for LIV golfers.
Michael Madrid/USA TODAY Sports
“If you look back over the history of the Masters tournament, and the qualifications that existed, we have changed those qualifications in numerous times, dozens of times,” Ridley said at the news conference. “We look at those every year. We don't make changes every year, but we do look at them under the current circumstances. As you'll recall last year, there was some speculation as to whether or not we would invite LIV golfers. We stayed true to our qualification criteria. We invited everyone who was eligible.
“While we do not, at this time, anticipate making a change in 2024, we do always look at (exemptions), and we will continue to do that. Our qualifications are very much dynamic, and we adjust to what we feel is in the best interest of a tournament representing the best players in the world. We’ll always look at that.”
The Masters made three minor changes to its qualifications for 2024, including inviting the NCAA individual champion as well as winners of full FedEx Cup point-awarding fall events on the PGA Tour and making a tweak to the wording of the Tour Championship qualification.
The Masters typically invites the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the calendar year as well as a week prior to the Masters, along with PGA Tour winners and high finishers from other majors. Other than the PGA Tour’s top 30 at the end of the year, it does not offer direct spots to any other tour.
The British Open, over which Slumbers presides, has numerous qualification criteria as well as open qualifying. It gives spots to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and Slumbers said at the Open this summer that giving direct spots to LIV Golf is something that is not his first choice but something that would be considered.
“There's been some speculation in the media recently on the topic that you're raising,” Slumbers said when asked about talking to LIV officials about the matter. “I would say that it is completely off the mark. I would like to make it very clear that exemptions for the Open, we do not discuss them with anyone and nor would we at any point in time. I think it's very important that you don't lose sight of the fact that the Open is intended to be open to everybody; that you earn your place in the field, through exemptions, and that won't change.”
LIV players have seen their rankings plummet without access to points other than tournaments they play outside of LIV. As of now, only five LIV players are eligible for all four major championships in 2024: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith, DeChambeau and Mickelson.
There are 13 who are eligible for at least one major championship.
But LIV’s No. 1 player, Talor Gooch, who played in three majors this year and won more than $35 million in purses and bonuses while winning three times, is not eligible for any major championship in 2024. He is outside the top 200 in the OWGR.
“They (LIV golfers) made decisions based on what they thought was in the best interests of their golf careers,” Ridley said. “Our invitation criteria does say that we reserve the right to issue special exemptions to international players, we did issue a special exemption to an amateur and NCAA champion last year (Gordon Sargent). So, we're always looking at that. But these decisions have been made and will have to do with what’s in the best interest of the Masters."
The OWGR board is made up of seven members, four of which are represented by the major championships. Because the LIV issue was seen as a conflict, board members Jay Monahan of the PGA Tour, Keith Pelley of the DP World Tour and Keith Waters (also a DP World Tour employee), who heads the International Federation of PGA Tours, recused themselves from voting on LIV’s application.
That meant the four majors decided, and the vote was unanimous to reject the application with a stipulation that LIV Golf could reapply.
“From my perspective, without getting into detail, we make sure there are plenty of opportunities for any player in the world, who has (played) good enough, to have a chance to qualify and play in the Open Championship, irrespective of which tour they are participating on and that will not change," Slumbers said.
The winner of this week’s tournament at Royal Melbourne earns a spot in the 2024 Masters and Open.