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Dec. 20 (UPI) — LIV golf individuals who certified for the 2023 Masters Match can be invited to compete, ending hypothesis that the standards can be modified for the PGA Tour defectors, organizers introduced Tuesday.
The 2023 Masters will run from April 6 to 9 at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership in Augusta, Ga. Rumors about potential qualification adjustments swirled over the previous yr amid a rift between gamers who selected to depart the PGA Tour to compete within the rival, Saudi-financed golf competitors.
Gamers and officers from LIV Golf and the PGA Tour proceed to gas that rift by crucial feedback at information conferences and in ongoing authorized battles. The PGA Tour defectors have been suspended final season and never allowed to compete within the profitable FedExCup playoffs.
“Regrettably, latest actions have divided males’s skilled golf by diminishing the virtues of the sport and the significant legacies of those that constructed it,” Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership and Masters chairman Fred Ridley mentioned in a information launch.
“Though we’re disillusioned in these developments, our focus is to honor the custom of bringing collectively a preeminent discipline of golfers this coming April.
“Subsequently, as invites are despatched this week, we’ll invite these eligible underneath our present standards to compete within the 2023 Masters Match. As we’ve mentioned prior to now, we have a look at each facet of the Match annually, and any modifications or adjustments to invitation standards for future Tournaments can be introduced in April.”
Cameron Smith, the No. 3 participant within the Official World Golf Rating, is the highest participant on the LIV Golf Collection circuit who certified for the Masters. He did so by profitable the 2022 British Open and the Gamers Championship.
No. 22 Joaquin Niemann, No. 30 Abraham Ancer, No. 40 Talor Gooch, No. 41 Dustin Johnson, No. 44 Harold Varner III, No. 46 Jason Kokrak, No. 48 Kevin Na and No. 49 Louis Oosthuizen are among the many different High 50 gamers who compete in LIV Golf and are on the Masters invitation listing.
No. 51 Brooks Koepka, No. 65 Bryson DeChambeau, No. 70 Patrick Reed, No. 112 Sergio Garcia, No. 146 Bubba Watson, No. 163 Charl Schwartzel and No. 209 Phil Mickelson additionally will obtain invites to compete at Augusta.
Mickelson and DeChambeau have been amongst 11 LIV golfers who filed a federal antitrust lawsuit agains the PGA Tour on Aug. 3, alleging that the PGA Tour colluded with golf’s 4 main tournaments to ban LIV golfers from participation.
That lawsuit additionally claimed that Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership representatives “threatened” to disinvite gamers from the Masters for becoming a member of the LIV Golf Collection.
Mickelson, Ancer, Gooch, Kokrak, Hudson Swafford, Ian Poulter, Pat Perez and Carlos Ortiz have since dropped out of the antitrust lawsuit, whereas LIV Golf joined the authorized motion. The PGA Tour countersued LIV Golf in September, accusing the collection of interfering with the Tour’s contracts with golfers.
In August, Gooch, Swafford and fellow LIV participant Matt Jones sought a brief restraining order, asking for a federal choose to overturn their suspensions from the PGA Tour and order their participation within the FedExCup playoffs. That request was denied.
The Division of Justice launched an investigation into the PGA Tour earlier this yr, probing the U.S.-based golf league for anti-competitive conduct in connection to LIV Golf.
Sources informed the New York Instances, the Wall Avenue Journal and CNBC in October that the continuing investigation contains contact with america Golf Affiliation, the PGA of America and Masters organizers.
Organizers for the British Open and U.S. Open beforehand allowed LIV Golf opponents of their respective fields. The inaugural LIV Golf marketing campaign began in June with LIV Golf London. The 2022 Masters befell April 7 to 10, whereas the 2022 PGA Championship occurred in Might.
“Now we have reached a seminal level within the historical past of our sport,” Ridley mentioned. “At Augusta Nationwide, we’ve religion that golf, which has overcome many challenges by the years, will endure once more.”
Ridley mentioned any modifications for future Masters qualification standards can be introduced in April.