The Masters Match introduced Wednesday morning that two particular invites have been accepted.
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard will be part of the sphere for the 12 months’s first main, April 10-13 at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.
“In assist of Augusta Nationwide’s efforts to develop curiosity in golf globally, deserving worldwide gamers not in any other case certified have been invited all through the Match’s historical past,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley stated. “The custom continues as we welcome Nicolai and Joaquin again to the Masters, as each gamers have showcased their expertise whereas competing all over the world. We look ahead to their arrival this April.”
That is Niemann’s second straight 12 months receiving a particular invite. The 26-year-old Niemann, who joined LIV Golf two years in the past, is coming off a season wherein he received twice and notched six different top-6 finishes on the Saudi-backed circuit. He additionally lately captured the Asian Tour’s Saudi Worldwide, and he sits No. 71 within the Official World Golf Rating regardless of LIV nonetheless not receiving world-ranking factors.
Niemann, who debuted on the Masters in 2018 after successful the Latin America Newbie, has made 5 earlier begins at Augusta Nationwide whereas cracking the highest 25 in every of the previous two editions.
Hojgaard, 23, performed his first Masters final 12 months and briefly led on Saturday earlier than slipping to a T-16 end, simply shy of incomes his method again mechanically.
With these two additions, the Masters discipline now stands at 87 invited gamers, which incorporates previous champions Bernhard Langer, who is about to compete for the ultimate time, and Angel Cabrera, who has not performed a Masters since 2019 due to authorized points and a two-year jail sentence in his native Argentina. Cabrera was launched in December 2023, although he didn’t get hold of his visa to enter the U.S. till Might, which compelled him to overlook final 12 months’s Masters.
“Angel actually is one in every of our nice champions,” Ridley stated in January 2024. “As everyone knows, he has been unable to take part within the Masters the final couple of years as a consequence of authorized points. Presently now we have been in fixed contact with Angel’s representatives. He presently just isn’t capable of enter the USA. He doesn’t have a visa, and I do know that that course of is being labored by means of. We actually want him one of the best of luck with that, and we’ll undoubtedly welcome him again if he’s capable of straighten out these authorized points.”
Nonetheless to be added is the winner of the Jan. 16-19 Latin America Newbie, upcoming winners of full-field PGA Tour occasions and any gamers not already eligible who’re inside the highest 50 of the OWGR the week previous to the match.
