LIV Golf Players: Who will actually be in The Masters 2024?

LIV Golf controversy is exacerbated these days due to the proximity of the main event of the world golf schedule, The Masters. Some players like Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson are exempt for the event, but some others are being left out due to qualifying categories.

There will be exactly 13 players currently LIV Golf members who will be in the field of The Masters in 2024. In that group are the top names of the circuit and also some of the best players in the world.

The first qualifying category for The Masters is the past champions. These earn the right to play the event for life. Seven of them are currently playing in LIV Golf.

They are defending champion Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson (2020), Patrick Reed (2018), Sergio Garcia (2017), Bubba Watson (2012, 2014), Charl Schwartzel (2011) and Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010).

The champions of the other three majors over the past five editions also have a place in The Masters field. Bryson DeChambeau (US Open 2020), Cam Smith (The Open Championship 2022) and Brooks Koepka (PGA Championship 2023) fall into this group.

Mickelson, Reed, Smith and Koepka could have qualified thanks to other categories, had their place at Augusta National not been assured.

The other three current LIV players who will be at The Masters are Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann and Adrian Meronk. Hatton gets in thanks to his Top 30 FedEx Cup finish last season and also by being included in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) Top 50 both at the close of 2023 and currently.

Meronk also earned his ticket to The Masters thanks to the OWGR. The Pole is currently ranked 50th and is likely to lose a few places before April, but at the close of the 2023 season he was ranked 48th, which assures him to play in the next edition of the event.

Finally, Niemann will be at Augusta National thanks to a special invitation extended by the organizers.

Can any other LIV Golf player qualify for The Masters 2024?

It is highly unlikely that any of the remaining 41 LIV Golf players can meet the qualifying criteria. This is because there are only two remaining that have not closed, the PGA Tour and OWGR winners for the current season.

LIV players are banned from the PGA Tour, so winning there is not an option. It all comes down then to the places they can climb in the OWGR, which is technically possible, but unfeasible in practice.

The non-exempt LIV player who is closest to the Top 50 in the world rankings is Lucas Herbert (85th). Herbert would need 46,59275 points to be included in the Top 50 (assuming the world ranking did not move any further between now and the week before the event).