“Sad and happy at the same time” – Fans react to Augusta National allowing LIV golfers for The Masters 2023
Augusta National announced on Wednesday that the LIV Golf professionals will not be banned from the 2023 Masters. The news received mixed reactions from fans. Some welcomed the decision, while others were of the opinion that it shouldn't have been allowed.
One user felt it was a good move as The Masters was for the best golfers of the world and not just PGA Tour professionals.
@TheMasters The Masters is for the best golfers in the world not just the golfers who align with the PGAs beliefs. Good move.
Another user had a doubt about LIV Golfers playing a 72-hole game after playing a 54-hole no-cut event throughout the year.
@T_Stephenson116 @TheMasters Guys who spend the year playing 54 hole no cut events against the same horrible field - they may or may not be the best golfers in the world anymore.
Either way, they made their choice and I hope Augusta bounces them in the future.
"Qaulity field for a quality event"
@TheMasters Quality field for a quality event.
"23 years of lottery paid off"
@TheMasters Can’t wait to finally go to the Masters this year! 23 years of the lottery paid off 😄
The best summary:
@TheMasters To summarize - The Masters WILL include LIV golfers
"Leading by class, dignity and integrity"
@TheMasters @TheMasters once again leading by class, dignity and integrity. Bravo!
A user questioned the above statement of "leading by class":
@imhowardtoo @TheMasters Really? I love the masters but the first black member was 1990, first women 2012.
Leading by class?
This is a brutal allegation.
@TheMasters Good for them. Happy to see they didn’t bow to Rory’s xenophobic crusade
Maybe he doesn't know what that word means.
@LJXX95 @TheMasters https://t.co/eTWGpp92P7
"PGA does not own the Masters"
@TheMasters It has to be this way, the PGA Tour does not own @TheMasters
A user laid out his reasoning to support this decision.
@TheMasters Right decision. My primary beef w LIV is w their contention they should be entitled to compete on Tour & that LIV events should count in OWR. After that, events operated by non Tour bodies should continue to use same qual criteria (even if LIV players play for blood money).
"Excellent decision"
@TheMasters Excellent decision. The OWGR is no longer a true reflection of the top golfers in the World.
One user believed that it was LIV's problem that they were not complying with OWGR guidelines.
@TheOldCootBiker @TheMasters The OWGR is fair, transparent and accurate ranking system. That’s evident by the fact that the Masters and all the other Majors will still use it as part of their qualifying criteria. If LIV doesn’t want to comply with OWGR guidelines, that’s LIV’s problem, nobody elses.
"That should never change"
@TheMasters If you win the Masters, you come back for life. That should never change.
"Right call"
@TheMasters It’s the right call
Mike Wickett was amazed at the self praise by the Augusta National:
@TheMasters "At Augusta National, we have faith that golf, which has overcome many challenges through the years, will endure again."
The uppityness of this tournament is just astounding. Good grief. You're a golf tournament.
This was brutal:
@TheMasters You can’t buy class and integrity.
Augusta National exudes both.
A user felt it was an "unfortunate" decision by Augusta National.
@TheMasters That’s unfortunate. ANGC has an opportunity to take a stand for not just golf but human rights.
LIV Golf professionals to be allowed in The Masters 2023
LIV Golfers are banned from the PGA Tour, but Augusta National have announced that they won't be going the PGA Tour way to not allow LIV Golf professionals in the upcoming Masters.
Masters Chairman Fred Ridley announced in a released statement that LIV Golf's associated players can play in The Masters 2023, thus opening the gates for past champions like Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, and others to showcase themselves in The Masters, which will happen in April.
"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. Although we are disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers this coming April," Masters Chairman Fred Ridely's official statment read.
"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," Ridely added.
In July, R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers also took a similar stance, stating that it was not in their "agenda" to ban the LIV Golf players from the 2023 Open Championship. However, he had said that they would review the eligiibilty criteria for the entry just like every year.
"We have reached a seminal point in the history of our sport. At Augusta National, we have faith that golf, which has overcome many challenges through the years, will endure again," the letter concluded.
Players like Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith will also be eligible on the basis of their last five-year records at the at Augusta National.