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Augusta National Golf Club announced Tuesday that LIV golf participants who qualified for the 2023 Masters Tournament will be invited to compete, ending speculation that the criteria would be changed for the PGA Tour defectors.
Augusta National Golf Club and Masters chairman Fred Ridley issued a statement on Tuesday to announce the decision: “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.” He went on to say the club is “disappointed in these developments but will focus on honoring the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers this coming April … Therefore, as invitations are sent this week, we will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament. As we have said in the past, we look at every aspect of the Tournament each year, and any modifications or changes to invitation criteria for future Tournaments will be announced in April.”
The 2023 Masters will run from April 6 to 9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Rumors about potential qualification changes swirled over the past year amid a rift between players who chose to leave the PGA Tour to compete in the rival, Saudi-financed golf competition.
Augusta National’s statement added that the club has “reached a seminal point in the history” of the sport: “At Augusta National, we have faith that golf, which has overcome many challenges through the years, will endure again.” Ridley said any modifications for future Masters qualification criteria will be announced in April.
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