ORLANDO, Fla. — The Masters already has the smallest area of the majors. The 2024 version might be one of many smallest in years relying on the primary three months of the PGA Tour season.
With no vital tournaments the remainder of the 12 months, it appears to be like as if 11 gamers who end within the prime 50 shall be added to the sector, which might convey the sector to 77 gamers amongst these anticipated to compete.
That features three gamers who shall be making their Masters debuts with out ever having received 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 via prime 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 Record, 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 prime 50 on April 7, the week earlier than the Masters.
There additionally might be a particular invitation for worldwide gamers who usually are not PGA Tour regulars.
Augusta Nationwide prefers the sector 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 feel I used to be actually shut final 12 months, as properly,” Kuchar mentioned.
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 turning into eligible for a pair of $20 million signature occasions at Pebble Seashore 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 have to play properly this week as a result of I am 53rd on the earth.’ If you happen to did not inform me the place I used to be on the earth rating, I couldn’t have instructed you,” Kuchar mentioned. “I’ve all the time thought your greatest likelihood to play good golf is to simply exit and do it, and never as a result of you must do it.”
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