The 2025 Masters will see 12 LIV Golfers in the field, marking the third successive year that players from the circuit have competed in the Augusta National Major. But why are they allowed to compete?
The short answer is that they have met the qualifying criteria, although there is considerably more nuance than that...
Following the inception of LIV Golf in 2022, there was huge controversy given it was seen as a hostile rival to the PGA Tour, while it was backed by Saudi Arabia, a regime known for its poor human rights record.
For several months afterwards, the controversy led to speculation as to whether its players would be entitled to compete in the Majors, or see their entries blocked.
That even led to two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson speaking out on the possibility. Before his LIV Golf debut in August 2022, he said: “I told my kids that there is a chance, there is a possibility, that we can't go to Augusta. And I told them, if they tell me that I can't go, being a past champion, then I don't want to be there anyway because that's just - that's just the wrong way to look at it. It's the game of golf. We are all trying to be the best players.”
Watson’s fears didn’t come to pass. In December that year, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley confirmed that LIV Golfers would be allowed to compete in the tournament. He expressed regret at the division in the men’s game, but added: "Our focus is to honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers this coming April. Therefore, as invitations are sent this week, we will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament."
As promised, invites were duly received by those who met the requirements, and 18 LIV Golfers were in that year’s field.
Only two months after the tournament came the bombshell announcement that LIV Golf’s backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the PGA Tour, were setting aside their differences to try and agree on a way forward for the men’s game.
However, by the 2024 Masters, an initial deadline to seal an agreement had come and gone. Despite the impasse, nothing was affected where Augusta National was concerned, meaning that, once again, LIV Golfers were allowed to tee it up in the Major.
A year on, little has changed either with Augusta National's stance or the wider men's game, meaning LIV Golfers will be able to compete at The Masters as they have in the previous two years.
One thing to note is that, though Augusta National remains committed to allowing LIV Golfers to play in the tournament, the numbers appearing each year are dwindling. The 2024 tournament saw five fewer players from the circuit than the year before, but it was still one more than this year's contingent.
That’s because it’s becoming increasingly difficult for some LIV Golfers to qualify. While the likes of Watson, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson needn’t worry thanks to their previous victories, which handed them lifetime slots in The Masters, for others, particularly those who rely on the world ranking points LIV can't offer, the options are narrowing.
Two of the other Majors, the US Open and The Open, have partially addressed that problem by offering a pathway for LIV Golfers based on performances on the circuit, but there is no sign of a similar one being introduced for The Masters.
However, there is a glimmer of hope for players whose options are becoming limited. For the 2025 tournament, Augusta National handed out two special invites. One was for PGA Tour player Nicolai Hojgaard. The other? LIV Golfer Joaquin Niemann - for the second year in succession.
