With 77 eligible players, Masters field likely to be small

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Masters already has the smallest area of the majors. The 2024 version may very well be one of many smallest in years relying on the primary three months of the PGA Tour season.

With no important tournaments the remainder of the yr, it seems to be as if 11 gamers who end within the high 50 will probably be added to the sphere, which might convey the sphere to 77 gamers amongst these anticipated to compete.

That features three gamers who will probably be making their Masters debuts with out ever having gained on the PGA Tour or European tour: Adam Schenk, Eric Cole and Denny McCarthy. Schenk certified by reaching the Tour Championship for the primary time.

The 11 anticipated to get in by means of high 50 on the planet rating are Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, McCarthy, Will Zalatoris, Justin Rose, Harris English, Cole, J.T. Poston, Adrian Meronk, Adam Hadwin and Nicolai Hojgaard.

4 gamers — Luke List, Erik van Rooyen, Camilo Villegas and Ludvig Åberg — earned invites by profitable PGA Tour occasions within the fall.

One extra participant would be the winner of the Latin America Novice Championship in January. In any other case, the go down Magnolia Lane in April comes from profitable a full PGA Tour occasion — there are 14 of them earlier than the Masters — or being within the high 50 on April 7, the week earlier than the Masters.

There additionally may very well be a particular invitation for worldwide gamers who are usually not PGA Tour regulars.

Augusta Nationwide prefers the sphere to be underneath 100, a quantity it final exceeded in 1966 when 103 gamers had been within the area.

Amongst these narrowly lacking out are Chris Kirk (No. 52) and Matt Kuchar (No. 54), the latter who’s used to being on the bubble.

“I believe I used to be actually shut final yr, as effectively,” Kuchar mentioned.

His hopes ended when he misplaced within the fourth spherical of the Match Play championship. The earlier yr, he was runner-up within the Texas Open when solely a win would have gotten him again to Augusta.

Kuchar not less than helped himself within the fall by turning into eligible for a pair of $20 million signature occasions at Pebble Seaside and Riviera. He is aware of what he has to do. He is simply not overly consumed by it.

“I’ve by no means been one to suppose, ‘I have to play effectively this week as a result of I am 53rd on the planet.’ For those who did not inform me the place I used to be on the planet rating, I couldn’t have informed you,” Kuchar mentioned. “I’ve at all times thought your greatest probability to play good golf is to only exit and do it, and never as a result of it’s a must to do it.”