By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) -Players who compete on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit should not expect to see a special exemption that would give them a direct pathway into the Masters anytime soon, Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley said on Wednesday.
The United States Golf Association, which organises the U.S. Open, created an exemption in February for LIV Golf players and the R&A followed suit five days later in announcing a formal pathway for golfers on the breakaway circuit.
Ridley, speaking during his annual pre-Masters press conference, downplayed the need for the club to create a qualifying criteria into the tournament for LIV Golf.
“Some of the issues that have been raised in connection with world golf rankings, and that is pathways for players to come and go on the LIV Tour as well as the team aspect of the LIV Golf, certainly creates some concern in that regard,” Ridley told reporters.
“As it relates to the USGA and the R&A, they certainly act independently. We respect their decisions. We are an invitational tournament.”
There are 12 LIV Golf members in the 95-player field this week at Augusta National, including seven who have lifetime exemptions to play in the first major of the season as past Masters champions.
But LIV Golf players do not earn ranking points competing in their 54-hole no-cut events and, as a result, have steadily slid down the world rankings that play a key role in determining entry into golf’s four majors.
Ridley pointed out the Masters is an invitational tournament and Augusta National can extend special invitations to anyone, as it did in January for LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann for a second straight year.
“We have historically considered special cases for invitations for international players, which is how Joaquin Niemann was invited, or why he was invited, the last couple years,” said Ridley.
“We feel we can deal with that issue, whether it’s a LIV player or a player on some other tour that might not otherwise be eligible for an invitation, that we can handle that with a special invitation.”
When it comes to invitations, Augusta National extended a non-playing invite to LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil, who replaced Greg Norman in the position in January, and he is expected to be on the grounds this week.
It marked a drastic change from last year when Norman, who played an integral role in getting LIV Golf off the ground by recruiting several PGA Tour players, attended the Masters as, according to a Washington Post report, a ticketed patron,
“Scott is here, and we’re pleased to have him as our guest,” said Ridley. “Although I don’t have any specific plans to meet with him, I know that we will have some discussions with him, and we’re happy that he’s here.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, Georgia, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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