LIV and let fly: The Masters makes big change on golfers in Saudi-backed tour
Samuel Schaffer
Video Embed
The chairman of the Masters Tournament announced Tuesday that it would invite those eligible under its current criteria to compete in the 2023 tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, according to the tournament’s website.
That means 16 players currently competing in the LIV Golf League will be allowed to compete in the tournament, according to ESPN.
“From its inception in 1934, the purpose of the Masters Tournament has been to benefit the game of golf,” the statement from Masters Chairman Fred Ridley began.
BUNKER MENTALITY: TRUMP STAFFER FOLLOWS HIM ON GOLF COURSE WITH POSITIVE STORIES, REPORT CLAIMS
“Regrettably, recent actions have divided men’s professional golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacies of those who built it. Although we are disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers this coming April.”
The statement went on to say, “We will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament.”
This comes after officials at Augusta National, which runs the Masters, allegedly tried to dissuade players from competing in the LIV tournament earlier this year, according to a report from the New York Post.
The report referenced an antitrust lawsuit that Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and nine other players filed against the PGA tour in August.
“Augusta National, the promoter of The Masters, has taken multiple actions to indicate its alignment with the PGA Tour, thus seeding doubt among top professional golfers whether they would be banned from future Masters Tournaments,” the lawsuit reads.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Masters Tournament is set to be played in April, and the organization said that after a full review, criteria changes for invitations to future Masters Tournaments will be announced that month as well.