Which LIV Golf players are qualified for the Masters?
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I look at the LIV Golf players in the field at Augusta and analyze their chances of becoming the first LIV golfer to win The Masters.
Twelve months ago, the golf world made the journey up Magnolia Lane to Augusta National with the eager awareness that it was the first Masters Tournament of the LIV Golf era.
Questions about the likely competitiveness of the rebels abounded, many of them influenced by a smug complacency among traditionalists that LIV’s stars would be undercooked and ill-prepared. As it happened, it was Jon Rahm – then a stalwart of the PGA Tour – who slipped his arms inside a Green Jacket before reiterating his love of the game’s history and his place within it.
But before the Spaniard had expanded his wardrobe, LIV’s Brooks Koepka had threatened to run away with the event and ultimately shared second place with fellow renegade Phil Mickelson, who had turned the clocks back with a sensational final round of 65. By the end of Sunday’s final round, the rival tours split possession of the top six (Patrick Reed claimed a share of fourth), which suggested that LIV’s sparse schedule was far from as detrimental to major ambition as conventional wisdom had assumed.
Koepka backed up that notion by almost immediately bouncing back from disappointment to land the PGA Championship, his fifth career major win and the first by a LIV Golf player.
Since then, golf has lurched ever deeper into acrimony, which means that this year’s venture to Georgia, whether real or imagined, is again fuelled by chatter, speculation, and intrigue. The eager awareness of LIV in 2023 has become the intense hyper-awareness of it in 2024.
The traditional introduction on the first tee at Augusta is the rather awkward announcement of “Fore please” but this year it would not be inappropriate were the comedian Harry Hill to deliver his school-playground-inspired cry of: “Who’s better – PGA Tour or LIV Golf? There’s only one way to find out. Fight!!!”
Rankings free-fall
There are two elements of the antagonism. On the one hand – and now well-established – is the old world’s distaste of LIV’s new vision. The rebels argue that it is possible to co-exist but they want world ranking points and need them if their best players are to play in the majors. The problem is that LIV’s competitive procedures have failed to comply with the demands of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Bryson DeChambeau is among the many who refute this. He told LIV’s own podcast: “They said ‘You need certain requirements’ and we have fulfilled all those requirements, despite what everybody thinks. If you go look at their handbook, we have fulfilled every single criteria. It’s been over two years now. What’s going on guys?”
Which is true? Both sides argue the toss but it is rarely discussed exactly why LIV’s limited fields present a problem for OWGR and it is because they are not just limited fields with no cut but essentially the same field in every event for a year.
Last year those fields were 48, this year 54, but with many players in those tournaments uncompetitive the fields are, in essence, even smaller and that makes it troublesome to judge the performance of those playing well. It’s surprising how poor some records are. Thomas Pieters has one top 10 in 17 LIV starts. It took Ian Poulter 24 starts to land two. Lee Westwood has gone 20 starts without a top 10. The flipside is that problems always present themselves on any tour and mathematical answers are always found.
Ultimately LIV players have remained frustrated. Cameron Smith said: “We’ve got some guys out here who are playing some of the best golf in the world and they’re outside the top 100, 200 in the world. It’s pretty ridiculous.”
The Australian was thinking primarily of Talor Gooch who won three times last year, was second this year in Las Vegas, and is actually outside the world’s top 500. Or Abraham Ancer, a winner this year, but set to drop out of the top 200. Both are ineligible for the Masters.
Other prominent LIV performers who will not play include Louis Oosthuizen (a Masters runner-up in 2012 and a two-time winner on the DP World Tour this season), Dean Burmester (also a two-time winner on the DP World Tour this season), David Puig (a winner in Asia before and after New Year), and Paul Casey (currently fourth in the 2024 LIV standings).
Check out the full Masters field here.
Joaquin Niemann told the Mirror in January: “It is pretty unfair right now. Obviously I took the decision to come to LIV and I knew it was going to be hard to get into the majors because of it, but I think now they have to find a way to get us in.” When he won the Jeddah event the TV presenters asked if he considered himself among the favorites to win a major this year. “How is that possible?” he asked with a knowing look. “I’m like 100 in the world.”
At the start of last month, LIV withdrew its bid to be recognized by the OWGR. Commissioner Greg Norman wrote in a letter to LIV membership: “We have made enormous efforts to fight for you and to ensure your accomplishments are recognized within the existing ranking system. Unfortunately, the OWGR has shown little willingness to productively work with us.”
Rahm, who had been critical of OWGR’s algorithms in November 2022, responded by saying: “I didn’t think it was a good system back then, and if anything, the more time that goes on, the more it proves to be wrong.
“If anybody in this world doesn’t think Joaco deserves to be in the top 10 or doesn’t know that he’s a top player in the world, I don’t know what game you’re watching.”
There is an edge among LIV golfers, a sense of unfairness, and they spoke last year of using it to fuel their Masters efforts. This year they are bound to revive such feelings as they warm up for Augusta at LIV Miami hosted by Trump National Doral.
Come together
For all the acrimony there is something very delicious about the prospect of the world’s elite golfers taking one another on for the first time since last July. Delicious and also ironic.
Because LIV’s driving principle was to create a limited schedule of tournaments starring the world’s elite. LIV wanted the best playing the best for an awful lot of money. When that proved impossible they went for the best they could entice.
In response the PGA Tour bolstered its schedule with signature events featuring limited elite fields and enormous purses. Sound familiar?!
It’s an absurd state of affairs in one sense. A new league that isn’t what it hoped to be and an old tour that looks like a silly copycat. Both would argue otherwise, of course, but LIV is not yet the product it hoped to be and the PGA Tour’s new format has proved distinctly underwhelming.
The accidental net result is that the major championships, the original best-of-the-best showcases, are now elevated beyond even previous heights. As the first in the calendar, the Masters has always generated the greatest anticipation and speculation.
The promise is that this one will deliver great, and maybe controversial, drama.
What would a LIV win mean for golf?
It depends which LIV golfer slipped his arms inside a green jacket. When Koepka won the PGA Championship he wasn’t much concerned with the idea of turning his triumph into a propaganda vehicle. Others might be more inclined to make a point.
Dustin Johnson is no politician but he might not shy away from a dig. Cam Smith or Joaquin Niemann might also feel the need to throw in the odd comment. Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau are less likely winners but were they to do so the needle would veer towards polemic and potentially increase the distance between the two warring sides.
A successful defense by Rahm offers a different prospect. Although he surprised many with his move to LIV he remains a passionate golfer who appreciates history. You suspect he hopes for future reconciliation within the sport and maybe believed his defection would accelerate it. A Masters win might further those dreams.
And what of potential PGA Tour winners? Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Will Zalatoris would also prompt wholesome narratives that the Ponte Vedra HQ would like.
And what if Rory McIlroy were to win? It would provide redemption for past hurt in the tournament, end the major championship drought that stretches back to 2014, and complete the career grand slam.
The benched Gooch is not so sure, however. He told Australia’s Golf Digest: “If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his grand slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk. It’s just the reality.”
Who wants a PGA/LIV final round head-to-head? We can all say Amen (Corner) to that, surely?
LIV golfers at Augusta – ranked!
Jon Rahm (Odds with bet365 12/1)
Augusta record: 27-4-9-7-5-27-1
Winning a Green Jacket is difficult and defending it has defeated everyone bar the elite trio of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Nick Faldo. Put simply, media and menu duties play havoc with the back-to-back quest and the Spaniard has the extra hassle of dealing with LIV questions. He hasn’t won since visiting the Butler Cabin last April and has one final chance to change that in LIV Miami on a course that should suit.
Brooks Koepka (Odds 20/1)
Augusta record: 33-21-11-2-7-MC-MC-2
The reigning PGA Championship winner has justifiably written off his two missed cuts at Augusta (“I wasn’t at 100%, I’ve been successful when I’m healthy”) which means his tournament record is really rather good and the raw memories of last year’s near-miss could easily motivate him. He’s also very, very good at majors with 18 top 10s in 38 starts including those five wins.
Joaquin Niemann (Odds 25/1)
Augusta record: MC-40-35-16
Having won the Australian Open in December, followed by LIV Mayakoba in February and LIV Jeddah in March, he’s clearly one of the hottest players in the world right now. He’s yet to land a major championship top 10 in 19 tries, however, but he has been 10th after 36 holes at the last two Masters so this is a golden opportunity to at least get in the mix.
Cameron Smith (Odds 28/1)
Augusta record: 55-5-51-2-10-3-34
In theory (or maybe coincidence), the Aussie favors the even-year Masters so maybe pencil him in for a top-five finish. He rediscovered his best form with play-off defeat in Hong Kong last month and will be keen to contend in another major because last year’s two top 10s were courtesy of fast finishes.
Dustin Johnson (Odds 33/1)
Augusta record: 30-38-38-13-MC-6-4-10-2-1-MC-12-48
Are we done with DJ’s Augusta drama? He struggled in his early visits, worked it out, mysteriously fell down the stairs ahead of the 2017 event (forcing a withdrawal), won the delayed 2020 tournament, and has labored in the LIV era. He was a winner this year in Las Vegas.
Patrick Reed (Odds 80/1)
Augusta record: MC-22-49-MC-1-36-10-8-35-4
He’s yet to win on LIV and hasn’t won anywhere in three years but 2023’s fourth place made it four top 10s in his last six Masters appearances. Victory would make for X-rated chatter on what was Twitter.
Bryson DeChambeau (Odds 35/1)
Augusta record: 21-38-29-34-46-MC-MC
“I’m looking at Augusta as a par-67,” he said in 2020, setting himself up for a pratfall with startling naivete. He has broken that par… once. He’s also equaled it… once. And in all his 24 rounds at Augusta, he’s failed to break the actual par of 71 18 times. He can go low, of course, closing out LIV Greenbrier last August with astonishing rounds of 61-58.
Tyrrell Hatton (Odds 80/1)
Augusta record: MC-44-56-MC-18-52-34
The Englishman’s own words suggest this is unlikely to be the scene of his major championship breakthrough. In 2021 he said: “This isn’t a course I feel particularly comfortable on. It’s just a case of trying to get through the best that I can. I haven’t enjoyed it.”
Sergio Garcia (Odds 140/1)
Augusta record: 38-40-MC-8-28-4-MC-46-MC-MC-38-45-35-12-8-MC-17-34-1-MC-MC-MC-23-MC
In 2012 the Spaniard walked away from Augusta so demoralized that, when asked what he felt he was missing to win a major, he said: “Everything.” Five years later he was slipping his arms inside a green jacket. Since then, however, he has a best major finish of 19th.
Phil Mickelson (Odds 125/1)
Augusta record: 46-34-7-3-MC-12-6-7-3-3-3-1-10-1-24-5-5-1-27-3-54-MC-2-MC-22-36-18-55-21-2
It was so typical of the 53-year-old that he should card a dazzling 65 in the final round last year to grab a share of second. Can he keep pulling rabbits from the hat though? Even he will have to bow to Father Time sooner or later.
Charl Schwartzel (Odds 225/1)
Augusta record: 30-1-50-25-MC-38-MC-3-MC-MC-25-26-10-50
Winner of the first-ever LIV event, he was second in Jeddah at the start of March, but he has no major championship top-five finish since 2017.
Adrian Meronk (Odds 150/1)
Augusta record: MC
The big Pole is yet to achieve much in the majors and will need to do something quickly if he wants to keep playing them as his world ranking withers in exile.
Bubba Watson (Odds 240/1)
Augusta record: 20-42-38-1-50-1-38-37-MC-5-12-57-26-39-MC
No top-five finish in two seasons at LIV for Bubba and he’s also recorded just one major championship top-five in the 10 years since he won his second green jacket. See how the former champ tackles each hole in our Augusta course guide.
About the author
Matt Cooper
Writer
Matt Cooper has been a golf journalist for 15 years. He’s worked for, among others, Golf365, SkySports, ESPN, NBC, Sporting Life, Open.com and the Guardian. He specializes in feature writing, reporting and tournament analysis.
He’s traveled widely in that time, covering golf from Kazakhstan to South Korea via Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
More straightforwardly, he’s also covered numerous Majors, Ryder Cups and Solheim Cups.
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Which LIV Golf players are in the Masters field?
