The Masters announced that three players who have not previously qualified for this year’s tournament have been extended and accepted invitations to this year’s tournament. Among the three is Saudi-funded LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann.
Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune and Chile’s Niemann will compete in the 2024 Masters.
“The Masters Tournament has a long-standing tradition of inviting leading international players who are not otherwise qualified,” chairman of Augusta National Golf Club Fred Ridley said in a statement released Wednesday. “Today’s announcement represents the tournament’s continued commitment towards developing interest in the game of golf across the world. We look forward to welcoming each player to Augusta National this spring.”
Niemann, 25, is set to appear in his fifth Masters, where he has made the cut in three of his first four tournaments, including a career-best T-16 in 2023. He has top-five finishes in each of his three DP World Tour starts this season, including winning the Australian Open in a playoff in December. The club did not cite his win at LIV Golf Mayakoba in its release.
Olesen will compete in his fourth Masters Tournament and his first since 2019. He made the cut in each of his three previous appearances, including a T-6 in his tournament debut in 2013. Last month, Olesen, 34, won in the United Arab Emirates, marking his third consecutive DP World Tour season with a victory. He has five top-10s in his past seven worldwide appearances.
Hisatsune will make his debut in the Masters. In November, he became the first Japanese player to be voted the DP World Tour’s Rookie of the Year. The 21-year-old concluded the 2023 DP World Tour season ranked No. 10 following a campaign that included a French Open victory in September. Hisatsune’s recent highlights include a T-8 at the Australian Open in December and a T-11 in Palm Springs, California, last month.
The Masters will be held April 11-14.
Of note, Talor Gooch, who has won three times in the LIV Golf League since the Masters was last played, was not offered an invitation.
The current Masters field stands at 83 players. Two qualification criteria remain active with winners of coming PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation and the top 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week before the Masters.
About the Author
