2023 Masters: The big, green unknown: LIV, world-ranking points and whether some have played their final Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Harold Varner III threw some parties with loved ones.
Thomas Pieters brought his entire family, including his brother, Pieter Jan, who subbed in as Pieters’ caddie for the final seven holes.
Joaquin Niemann relished, more than usual, the 7.5 world-ranking points he’d be receiving for his T-16 finish.
“Obviously, you’re kind of thinking about it,” Niemann said, “because you don’t know what’s going to happen the next year.”
As Jon Rahm was slipping on a green jacket Sunday evening as the 87th Masters champion, more than a few players, who in the past year have joined LIV Golf, had just departed Augusta National wondering when, or if, they’d be returning as competitors.
Full-field scores from the 87th Masters Tournament
It’s not that the club doesn’t want them. Late last year, Chairman Fred Ridley let it be known that the Masters was committed to fielding the best field possible, which includes welcoming members of the Saudi-backed league – should they meet the qualification criteria, of course. But for LIV players who don’t already own a green jacket like Phil Mickelson (T-2 on Sunday) or Patrick Reed (T-4) or the four other past Masters champs in this year’s field, the pathways to Augusta National are shrinking.
While Niemann, at No. 24 in the world, is in all the major fields this year and likely the following year, too, based on his world rank, if LIV events aren’t awarded OWGR points – the application process is still ongoing – there’s a realistic chance that, at some point next year (if not this year), Niemann could drop outside of the top 50, an important benchmark for being invited into the Masters. (Finishing among the top 4 and ties at the other three majors also comes with an invitation, though even those majors currently have limited entry points for the LIV crop.)
Of the 18 LIV players in this year’s field, nine of them, including Niemann, have yet to officially book return trips to Augusta National: Abraham Ancer (No. 35), Pieters (No. 43), Mito Pereira (No. 54), Talor Gooch (No. 56), Varner (No. 59), Jason Kokrak (No. 93), Kevin Na (No. 101) and Louis Oosthuizen (No. 127).
Those players, aside from 14 LIV events this season, are only able to accrue OWGR points through starts on international tours like the DP World and Asian tours, though the former option could be going away soon following a recent court decision.
“Hopefully they figure something out then let all the top players be playing with the top players in the majors,” Niemann added. “Yeah, I think this week was important just in case.”
Varner entered this week with his top priority not just to win but to also finish inside the top 12 and ties, another route to Masters qualification.
“It was a goal as soon as I got my invite, 1,000%,” Varner said. “I know the ramifications. I thought I’d get in the PGA (he’s in this year), I thought I could qualify for the U.S. Open, and I knew those would be the only ways to get back here.”
If it was his final time driving down Magnolia Lane, he made it count – maybe not so much on the course, finishing T-29, but definitely off it. On most nights this week, Varner hosted dinners for several former college teammates and their families, members of his foundation and other friends and family – about 25 people total – at his residence. There were few Bud Lights left by Sunday.
“I think they’re pretty hammered right now,” Varner said, “but those are the things that I really cherish personally.”
As for the big, green unknown now that this tournament has ended? “I don’t think about it much,” Varner added. “Yeah, it could be [my last Masters]. It is what it is. I’m all right with it.”
Pieters played alongside Gooch in Sunday’s final round, starting on the second nine, taking out a poor tee shot at No. 1 on his driver and throwing it in a nearby trash bag, and then switching caddies. An eventful round, but once Pieters had signed his scorecard and answered some interview questions, he embraced his wife, two kids, parents and brother, plus a few other friends, and spent a few extra minutes on the back lawn enjoying everyone’s company as Rahm was putting the finishing touches on his Augusta National triumph.
Pieters is content with whatever comes next as far as the Masters and other majors are concerned. He’ll play three more this year, but after that? “We’ll see,” he said.
“Hopefully this week was an eye-opener for everybody that this is good for golf,” Pieters added, noting three LIV players in the top 4 despite there barely being three in the OWGR’s top 35. “You want to play against the best in the world, and when the system’s rigged or you don’t get the best, the product’s not going to be as good.”
There may be some hope, whether it be via Augusta National Golf Club or the Official World Golf Ranking.
“Things are evolving,” Ridley said when talking about the tournament’s qualification criteria earlier this week, “and we need to make sure that we are flexible in that regard. So, I’m sure there will be changes in the future.”
LIV submitted its application requesting OWGR points last July, and again in October after acquiring the MENA Tour. The OWGR has not commented while it continues to review the application, but many players, including some still affiliated with the PGA Tour, believe that eventually LIV events should – and will – award world-ranking points.
“I imagine they’ll probably get world-ranking points,” Jordan Spieth said. “Does it put a few guys that haven’t qualified via the majors a little behind? Sure. Then they’ll have to catch up by playing well. … I think that every major wants to have the best field possible, so they come up with a criteria that they feel will yield that. I think, if that’s not the case, then they’ll change it to yield that.”
Added Matt Fitzpatrick: “If you win one of these [majors] and they’re not allowed to play, there’s always going to be an asterisk, whether you like it or not. I think it’s good for the game they’re playing.”
Not everyone, though, is confident future majors will continue to be attainable for many top LIV players, whether through OWGR or exemption-criteria changes.
Koepka ‘gave it his all’ at 2023 Masters
“I don’t know,” said Brooks Koepka, whose T-2 rocketed him back inside the top 40 in the world rankings and secured his 2024 Masters invite. (His Masters exemptions from his 2018 major wins ran out this year.) “That’s not up to me, man. That’s a tough one. I don’t know how – I mean, yeah. That’s tough. I have no idea how they are going to do it. It definitely makes it more difficult, that’s for sure.”
So, who really knows? Did we see the Masters careers of Na and Oosthuizen end with WDs? Or, will the best of LIV, like a few of them did this week, continue to have the major stage to showcase their abilities?
Kokrak hopes it’s the latter. His Masters ended early on Saturday morning, and in the rain. He arrived at Augusta National at 7:20 a.m., got a cup of coffee and ventured out to the practice green about 10 minutes before an 8 a.m. restart. He had just a putter in hand since he needed to strike only a putt or two to make his missed cut official.
“I hit a couple putts,” Kokrak said. “Rammed a 20-footer about 6 feet by and holed that to break 80 for my quote-unquote possible final round here at Augusta.”
Kokrak, like his peers, didn’t know what the future holds as he headed down Magnolia Lane toward Washington Road. He had his opinions: “To not include some of the guys that are playing the LIV tour now, I just don’t think it’s right.” But if that didn’t mean him playing again at Augusta National, he was at peace.
Not that he wouldn’t love to be back.