We are at the end of the line, folks. In five days, the 2016 Masters will get underway at Augusta National. And for those hoping to earn that last second invite to the Masters, you have one more day and one more shot to get that final spot. The winner of this week’s Shell Houston Open will be the last player invited to participate, and the leader at the 36-hole mark is Charley Hoffman, who already has a spot in the field next week.
2016 Masters field: Tiger Woods’ withdrawal decreases Augusta qualifiers list to just 89
A Masters invite is the most coveted in golf -- the field is almost half the size of the other three majors and this year’s is likely to be the smallest group at Augusta in more than a decade. Here’s where things stand after Tiger’s withdrawal.
Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
As of now, there are 89 players scheduled to compete, which is the fewest amount of players since 2002. That number could drop in the coming days if there’s an injury or last second change, but at most, it can only increase by one. JB Holmes might also be a scratch after dropping out of this week’s Shell Houston Open with an injury. Tiger Woods, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Jim Furyk will not play due to injury. Sangmoon Bae, who also has a spot in the field, is in the middle of mandatory two-years military service back in South Korea.
Getting a Masters invite is one of the most exclusive honors in the game of golf. Unlike the US Open, where anyone can qualify in theory, a Masters invite has to come from the Green Jackets themselves. In order to get an invite, a player must meet one of the 18 different criteria. Past champions, past major champions, amateur champions, and a good previous season are among the several ways to get into the field.
Past champions account for 18 players in this year’s tournament. Guys with green jackets can play the Masters for as long as they want. They get a lifetime exemption, but if it gets ugly out there, they may be gently asked to step aside when they’re at an advanced age. This is different from the other three majors, which all have a limit to their exemptions for past champs.
Speaking of the other majors, winners of the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship receive a five-year exemption to the Masters. Finishing in the top four at the other majors in the previous year also earns an invite to Augusta.
Various amateur champions also get in. In an homage to the greatest amateur ever and Augusta National founder, Bobby Jones, the Masters has always put an emphasis on amateur golf. In keeping with that tradition, the US, British, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the US Mid Amateur champions all earn an invite to the Masters.
The rest of the invites come from Tour winners in the past year, qualifiers from the Tour Championship, and the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Here are all the ways to earn an invite to the Masters:
Qualification for a Masters invite (18 methods)
1. Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
2. US Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
3.British Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
4. PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
5. Winners of The Players Championship (Three years)
6. Current US Amateur Champion and U.S. Amateur runner-up
7. Current British Amateur Champion
8. Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion
9. Current Latin America Amateur Champion
10. Current US Mid-Amateur Champion
11. The first 12 players (and ties) in the previous year’s Masters
12. The first 4 players (and ties) in the previous year’s US Open Championship
13. The first 4 players (and ties) in the previous year’s British Open Championship
14. The first 4 players (and ties) in the previous year’s PGA Championship
15. Winners of PGA Tour events (full FedExCup allotment only) from previous Masters to current Masters
16. Those qualifying for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship
17. Top 50 in final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
18. Top 50 in Official World Golf Ranking published during the week before the Masters
As I mentioned at the top, the last ticket, unless it’s someone already in the field, will be punched this weekend and we will have a completed field. There are no alternates at the Masters, another difference from the other three majors. If a player drops out, that does not open up a spot for someone waiting in the wings.
Here is a look at the current field (obviously, many players earned entry in multiple ways -- these are listed in order of the first exemption received from the list above):
The 2016 Masters field (as of 4/2)
Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
Angel Cabrera
Fred Couples
Trevor Immelman
Zach Johnson
Bernhard Langer
Sandy Lyle
Phil Mickelson
Larry Mize
Mark O’Meara
Charl Schwartzel
Adam Scott
Vijay Singh
Jordan Spieth
Bubba Watson
Tom Watson
Mike Weir
Ian Woosnam
US Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
Martin Kaymer
Rory McIlroy
Justin Rose
Webb Simpson
British Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
Darren Clarke
Ernie Els
PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
Keegan Bradley
Jason Day
Jason Dufner
Winners of The Players Championship (Three years)
Rickie Fowler
Current US Amateur Champion and U.S. Amateur runner-up
Bryson DeChambeau
Derek Bard
Current British Amateur Champion
Romain Langasque
Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion
Cheng Jin
Current Latin America Amateur Champion
Paul Chaplet
Current US Mid-Amateur Champion
Sammy Schmitz
The first 12 players (and ties) in the previous year’s Masters
Paul Casey
Bill Haas
Charley Hoffman
Dustin Johnson
Hunter Mahan
Hideki Matsuyama
Ryan Moore
Kevin Na
Ian Poulter
Kevin Streelman
The first 4 players (and ties) in the previous year’s US Open Championship
Branden Grace
Louis Oosthuizen
Cameron Smith
The first 4 players (and ties) in the previous year’s British Open Championship
Marc Leishman
The first 4 players (and ties) in the previous year’s PGA Championship
No additional entries, all players already exempt above
Winners of PGA Tour events (full FedExCup allotment only) from previous Masters to current Masters
Steven Bowditch
Fabian Gomez
Emiliano Grillo
Smylie Kaufman
Chris Kirk
Kevin Kisner
Russell Knox
Danny Lee
David Lingmerth
Davis Love III
Shane Lowry
Graeme McDowell
Troy Merritt
Brandt Snedeker
Vaughn Taylor
Justin Thomas
Those qualifying for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship
Daniel Berger
Harris English
J.B. Holmes
Brooks Koepka
Matt Kuchar
Scott Piercy
Patrick Reed
Henrik Stenson
Robert Streb
Jimmy Walker
Top 50 in final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
Byeong-Hun An
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Jamie Donaldson
Victor Dubuisson
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Sergio Garcia
Billy Horschel
Thongchai Jaidee
Søren Kjeldsen
Anirban Lahiri
Andy Sullivan
Lee Westwood
Bernd Wiesberger
Danny Willett
Chris Wood
Top 50 in Official World Golf Ranking published during the week before the Masters
Rafael Cabrera-Bello
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