ORLANDO, Fla. — The Masters already has the smallest area of the majors. The 2024 version may very well be one of many smallest in years relying on the primary three months of the PGA Tour season.
With no important tournaments the remainder of the 12 months, it appears as if 11 gamers who end within the high 50 will likely be added to the sphere, which might carry the sphere to 77 gamers amongst these anticipated to compete.
That features three gamers who will likely be making their Masters debuts with out ever having gained on the PGA Tour or European tour: Adam Schenk, Eric Cole and Denny McCarthy. Schenk certified by reaching the Tour Championship for the primary time.
The 11 anticipated to get in by high 50 on the earth rating are Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, McCarthy, Will Zalatoris, Justin Rose, Harris English, Cole, J.T. Poston, Adrian Meronk, Adam Hadwin and Nicolai Hojgaard.
4 gamers — Luke List, Erik van Rooyen, Camilo Villegas and Ludvig Åberg — earned invites by successful PGA Tour occasions within the fall.
One extra participant would be the winner of the Latin America Novice Championship in January. In any other case, the move down Magnolia Lane in April comes from successful a full PGA Tour occasion — there are 14 of them earlier than the Masters — or being within the high 50 on April 7, the week earlier than the Masters.
There additionally may very well be a particular invitation for worldwide gamers who will not be PGA Tour regulars.
Augusta Nationwide prefers the sphere to be below 100, a quantity it final exceeded in 1966 when 103 gamers had been within the area.
Amongst these narrowly lacking out are Chris Kirk (No. 52) and Matt Kuchar (No. 54), the latter who’s used to being on the bubble.
“I believe I used to be actually shut final 12 months, as nicely,” Kuchar stated.
His hopes ended when he misplaced within the fourth spherical of the Match Play championship. The earlier 12 months, he was runner-up within the Texas Open when solely a win would have gotten him again to Augusta.
Kuchar at the least helped himself within the fall by changing into eligible for a pair of $20 million signature occasions at Pebble Seaside and Riviera. He is aware of what he has to do. He is simply not overly consumed by it.
“I’ve by no means been one to assume, ‘I must play nicely this week as a result of I am 53rd on the earth.’ When you did not inform me the place I used to be on the earth rating, I couldn’t have informed you,” Kuchar stated. “I’ve at all times thought your finest probability to play good golf is to simply exit and do it, and never as a result of you need to do it.”
