Two weeks today the Masters begins and all the talking will have stopped.
Or will it?
In fact will the talking around the 2023 Masters ever stop? After all this is a sporting event with so many sub-plots even Dan Brown would be impressed.
I don’t know about you but I can’t wait for The Champions Dinner fall-out, nevermind the bit where the 80 players hit golf balls. It is an event steeped in Masters folklore that, thanks to LIV Golf, has taken on a whole new dimension of intrigue and subterfuge. I wouldn’t fancy being the person who has to arrange the seating plan. Will there be a LIV Golf corner? Or even a LIV table? Did Scottie Scheffler really think it through when he included Firecracker shrimp? That’s not really going to take ‘the heat’ out of the room is it?!
Oh to be a fly on the wall when Sergio, Phil, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel and Patrick ‘That is my ball’ Reed walk into that cosy room. That’s assuming they all turn up of course. God I hope they do!
The event takes place on the Tuesday before the golf gets under way on April 6th but let’s make this prime time. Can you imagine the viewing figures? Who will be the first non LIV-er to cross over to the dark side and engage one of the six rebels? I’m guessing Gary Player won’t hold back should he get cornered by a couple of LIV-ers. Will Freddie Couples need to have a couple of security staff on the door… just in case? He’s 63 now so I wouldn’t fancy his chances if it all kicked off. Surely he won’t miss out on the opportunity to hand Phil Mickelson a bag of nuts.
Thankfully Bernhard Langer will be there. If anyone can exude a level of tension-cutting, zen-like calm it is the ageless German. You watch… he’ll make the cut again.
Of course I am letting my imagination run away with itself but if the arrival of LIV Golf has done nothing else, it has ensured the 2023 Masters – in fact all this year’s Majors – will come with a Saudi trust fund-sized dollop of extra spice.
Related: Scottie Scheffler feels players will put rifts aside at Masters Champions Dinner
There will be 17 LIV golfers at this year’s Masters. That sounds like a lot bearing in mind Dustin Johnson sits below me in the Official World Golf Rankings. Ok I exaggerate but just how have so many made it in?
Obviously the six past champions appearing is a given. All former champions have the option to play for as long as they like. For example Sandy Lyle will be back out there again this year… not making the cut.
Overall The Masters’ entry requirements are very generous to those living on their past achievements. The last five US Open, Open and USPGA champions qualify which gives Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka a pass.
The 17 LIV golfers playing at the 2023 Masters: |
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• Abraham Ancer• Bryson DeChambeau• Sergio Garcia• Talor Gooch• Dustin Johnson• Brooks Koepka• Jason Kokrak• Phil Mickelson• Kevin Na |
• Joaquin Niemann• Louis Oosthuizen• Thomas Pieters• Patrick Reed• Charl Schwartzel• Cameron Smith• Harold Varner• Bubba Watson |
2022 Open champion Cameron Smith actually gets in on five different counts and his victory at St Andrews last July means he will be eligible to enter until at least 2027.
The other four exemption boxes he ticks are:
• Winners of The Players Championship (last three years)
• The first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year’s Masters Tournament
• Those qualifying for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship
• The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
That final exemption has really ramped up the LIV entry. It’s how Abraham Ancer, Harold Varner, Thomas Pieters, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Kokrak have made it in.
Talor Gooch and Joaquin Niemann also qualified through that route and also because they appeared in last year’s Tour Championship.
Groupings we would like to see?
Well Sergio with anyone should be interesting.
However the possibilities are endless and storylines waiting to be written are mouthwatering.
Just 14 days left to wait.
And I for one can’t wait!
