Tag: masters tournament

Categories
Tour News

Can Jon Rahm and other LIV Players start at the Masters?

Jon Rahm and many other LIV Players have managed to win at the Masters. Can one of the 13 LIV Golfers clinch the title this year at Augusta? (Source: Getty)
Jon Rahm and many other LIV Players have managed to win at the Masters. Can one of the 13 LIV Golfers clinch the title this year at Augusta? (Source: Getty)

The Masters is drawing ever closer and many players are among the big favorites. In addition to the superstars of the PGA Tour such as Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, some players from the rival LIV Tour are also laying claim to the title. These include former Masters Winners Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia or Dustin Johnson. Find out here why the LIV Stars are allowed to compete and what chances they have.

Jon Rahm and Co.: 13 LIV Players to start at the Masters Tournament

LIV Golf star Sergio Garcia has sent a clear message to the rest of the field: Those from the Saudi-backed circuit are “coming for that Green Jacket”. Garcia, one of the 13 players from the LIV Golf League set to tee it up at The Masters from April 11-14, has already secured a lifelong exemption to the event after his dramatic playoff victory at Augusta National in 2017.

Also returning as defending champion is Jon Rahm, who clinched victory last year with a four-shot lead over fellow LIV Golf League members Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, the latter of whom went on to win the PGA Championship the following month. The roster of LIV Players vying for the coveted Green Jacket reads like a who’s who of golf: Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, and Charl Schwartzel, all former recipients of the esteemed jacket and therefore holders of lifelong exemptions at the Masters, alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, who qualified as recent winners of a different major.

But there are also fresh faces ready to make their mark. Tyrrell Hatton earned his spot after qualifying for the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship last August. Adrian Meronk secured his place by finishing 2023 inside the world’s top 50. Joaquin Niemann accepted a special invitation following three top-five finishes on the DP World Tour.

Rahm believes that a LIV Player can clinch the title at the Masters

With 88 players set to feature at The Masters and one final spot available to the winner of the Valero Texas Open, just over 14 percent of the major field will hail from the LIV Golf League.

Golf pundit Nick Dougherty believes Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Rory McIlroy will be among the contenders vying for the Green Jacket in Augusta, with hopes resting on McIlroy to complete a career grand slam and etch his name into history. “There is quite a few major champions in LIV and there is a few that are major champion quality golfers,” defending champion Jon Rahm said. “So just pure numbers, if you go with math, wouldn’t be the highest, but I’m confident that one of us can get it done this year.”

Categories
PGA Tour

Masters 2022: Phil Mickelson absent for the first time since 1994

Phil Mickelson will not play the Masters Tournament 2022 (foto: Getty)
Phil Mickelson will not play the Masters Tournament 2022 (foto: Getty)

Phil Mickelson will not participate in the Masters Tournament in 2022. The official list of registered professionals was updated on the Masters site on Monday after the Valspar Championship and Mickelson is no longer listed as an active player at the tournament, according to the list. Instead, the 51-year-old is now listed among the former winners of the Masters who will not compete in the 2022 edition.

No Masters participation due to sabbatical

Mickelson is therefore still committed to taking a longer break from the golfing circus. After the upheavals on the PGA Tour, the American reacted by saying that he had a lot to think about and needed some time away from active golf. In February, the 2021 PGA champion faced fierce headwind, both from the Tour and from the ranks of the players. Mickelson had made several memorable statements in an interview about the PGA Tour, its rights for players and about his push of the new Saudi League. As a result, the pressure on him became so great that he decided for himself to retire for a while. In a statement issued in late February, he wrote, “I know I have not been on my best behavior and desperately need time off to prioritize those I love most.”

When will Mickelson tee it up again?

As a result, he missed several important tournaments. Just recently, he did not play in the Players Championship, which is the biggest tournament on the PGA Tour. There will be no sign of Mickelson at any of the other tournaments in March either. Now he has cancelled the Masters. For him, it is the first Masters since his debut in 1994 that he will miss. When and how Mickelson plans a comeback to the tour is not yet known, so we have to be patient until Mickelson speaks out again.