With the birth of LIV Golf in 2022 and the announcement by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan that all current and future LIV Golf players are no longer eligible to play in PGA Tournaments, the Masters tournament faces both significant challenges and opportunities. Augusta National Chairman, Fred Ridley, and the Masters governing body must navigate a complex set of decisions when it comes to what its future looks this coming April.
With respect to the Masters 2023, Ridley came out with the following statement, “Regrettably, recent actions have divided men’s professional golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacies of those who built it.” While being “disappointed” in these developments, “our focus is to honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers.”
With this statement, the Masters will honor it’s 2023 invitation criteria set in 2022. At least for 2023, the Masters will live up to its tradition of bringing together the most “preeminent field of golfers” but will the same hold true in 2024 and beyond?
2024 Qualifying Criteria will see changes this April
How the Masters handles its qualifying categories this April for 2024 will likely be one of the biggest stories to drop this year. Without any criteria changes for 2024, the Masters may begin to omit some of the top golfers in the world who are winning and playing well on the LIV Golf tour. Any LIV Golfer players who qualified by their finishes in PGA events will eventually term out of qualifying unless they are a prior Masters Tournament Champion (lifetime) or one of the first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year’s Masters Tournament. Of course, the Masters criteria for 2024 could choose to omit all LIV Golf players like the PGA Tour has done should they choose.
While passionate opinions fly in each direction regarding the recent evolution of professional golf, we may soon find out how the Masters plans, if not forced, to evolve as well. Regardless of our personal opinions, consider the ramifications of not changing the Masters qualifications and continuing to bring together THE preeminent field of golfers from around the world.
Many of you may cringe at the idea, but could the Masters evolve into the Superbowl of golf where two separate golf tours compete against one another? Given the limited amount of events that will host both LIV and PGA players, it would seemingly bring an even greater importance and opportunity to the Masters future qualification decisions.
Made for TV Drama – Let the passion and emotion fly!
Regardless of what Fred Ridley and the Masters decide about the future, lets get ready to watch what should be the most heated, passionate, watched and hopefully competitive Masters of record. Golf hasn’t been hotter than right now since Tiger Woods turned pro so lets buckle up for a great ride and enjoy this year’s Masters as it will truly be “like no other.”
Get an edge on your game this year
As we watch the Masters, we all become more eager to get back out on the course. If you’re like the rest of us, you too don’t have a caddy on your bag. While it’s fun to watch the best caddies in the world do what they do best at the Masters, a lot of what they do is more challenging when we have to do it ourselves.
So if you’re looking to get an edge, save time on the course or just get more enjoyment out of your round, let Frogger Golf fill the gap as the next best thing to having caddy. While Frogger Golf may never personally clean your clubs or tell you the yardage to the pin, there’s nothing else we’re more devoted to than delivering the absolute best gear possible to deliver you a better game.
If you’re new to Frogger Golf or a return customer, be sure to gear up this spring with some of our PGA “Best New Product” award winning golf accessories like our Amphibian Towel, BrushPro, and innovative magnetic fastening Latch-It Ecosystem.
And remember, the fastest way to lower scores is to sink more putts, putting counts for almost half of our stokes each round and there is no better putting training aid to help you sink more putts than Frogger’s Arc Angel.
Here is to having a wonderful 2023 golf season!
– Jeremiah Bohannon, Owner and Founder
