“We are in the process of reviewing” - Masters and Open Championship officials stand firm on qualification rules despite LIV Golf OWGR debates
The organizers of the Masters and the Open Championship will not be significantly changing their qualification criteria or eligibility despite the recent debates between the LIV Golf Series and the OWGR Board. Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A, and Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National, recently spoke to the media regarding the matter.
Speaking at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne in Australia, both of them claimed there would not be any major changes to the qualification guidelines for the Majors. This recent clarification comes on the heels of the OWGR board denying LIV Golf players ranking points.
The Telegraph also reported that the R&A was in talks with LIV Golf to accommodate its players at the Majors. However, Martin Slumbers called out the news and said that the R&A does not discuss such matters publicly. According to Golf.com, Slumbers said:
“We are in the process of reviewing our exemptions and conditions of entry for the Open Championship for next year, as we always do; we will publish those in early 2024. Our conditions are designed in a way to create pathways for the very best players in the world to compete. The Open is intended to be open to everybody, that you earn your place in the field and through exemptions and that won’t change.”
Fred Ridley speaks out about "staying true to their eligibility criteria" for LIV Golf players
The Masters has tweaked its eligibility criteria in the past but Ridley said that they would not be making any significant changes for its 2024 edition.
“We don‘t make changes every year, but we do look at them under the current circumstances,” Ridley said. “Last year, there was some speculation as to whether or not we would invite [LIV] golfers. Then we stayed true to our qualification criteria. We invited everyone who was eligible."
Ridley said that while they might not change the qualification criteria for the 2024 Masters, they will continue to look at them in the future.
“Our qualifications are very much dynamic, and we adjust to what we feel is in the best interest of the tournament representing the best players in the world.”
The situation looks uncertain for LIV Golf, and their participation in the Majors might reduce over the years.