Joaquin Niemann of Chile received a special invitation to the 2024 Masters tournament on Wednesday, despite having moved to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf . Niemann, 25, is among three players who have accepted a special invitation to play in the Masters. The inclusion of these three players increases the field list to 83 players.
Masters chairman Fred Ridley said Wednesday that Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune also accepted special invitations to compete in the tournament: “The Masters Tournament has a long-standing tradition of inviting leading international players who are not otherwise qualified. Today’s announcement represents the Tournament’s continued commitment towards developing interest in the game of golf across the world. We look forward to welcoming each player to Augusta National this spring.”
Niemann’s appearance at the Masters was in doubt after moving to LIV golf in summer 2022, which doesn’t currently award world-ranking points (he is ranked 81st in the Official World Golf Ranking). Niemann is a former winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, run by Augusta National, and recently won the Australian Open (earning a spot in this year’s Open Championship) and LIV’s season-opening event in Mexico.
Olesen is making his first appearance in the Masters since 2019, and fourth overall. He recently won the DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship and has rejoined the top 60 in the world. Hisatsune, the reigning DP World Tour Rookie of the Year, will be making his Masters debut in April.
Editorial credit: Danny E Hooks / Shutterstock.com
