LIV’s Niemann one of three players to receive special invitation to Masters
Joaquin Niemann competed outside LIV Golf in his offseason and got something money can’t buy. He was among three players given a special invitation Wednesday to play in the Masters.
Augusta National also invited 21-year-old Ryo Hisatsune, the first Japanese player to be European tour rookie of the year, and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark.
Nieman had said when he won the LIV Golf opener in Mexico, “I want to win majors, but I’ve got to get in first.” The 25-year-old from Chile had fallen well outside the top 50 in the world ranking because LIV does not get world ranking points.
The Masters is April 1114.
Niemann was the only player from the Saudi-funded LIV Golf to receive the invitation, which was more about his victory in the Australian Open and his willingness to play tournaments outside the LIV Golf League Joaquin Niemann received a special invitation to the Masters on Wednesday, along with Ryo Hisatsune and Thorbjorn Olesen. in a bid to get ranking points.
Augusta National did not offer an invitation to Talor Gooch, who has won three times in the LIV Golf League since the Masters was last played. The club typically reserves special invitations for international players who are not PGA Tour members and don’t have access to all the criteria, such as winning or reaching the Tour Championship.
In its announcement, Augusta National only mentioned Niemann’s win in the Australian Open and his two other top 10s in European tour-sanctioned events. The club did not cite his win at LIV Golf Mayakoba.
“The Masters Tournament has a long-standing tradition of inviting leading international players who are not otherwise qualified,” Masters Chairman Fred Ridley said. “Today’s announcement represents the tournament’s continued commitment towards developing interest in the game of golf across the world.”
Niemann won the Australian Open in December, along with finishing fifth in the Australian PGA. He joined the European tour after winning the Australian Open, a co-sanctioned event, and tied for fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic, four shots behind Rory McIlroy.
He started his third season on LIV with a 59 at Mayakoba and eventually won in a playoff over Sergio Garcia, his first title in the Saudi-backed league with only 54 players.