The 2023 Masters was one of the most highly anticipated in recent memory, as players from LIV Golf and the traditional tours came together for the first time since last year’s Open in July.
With golfers from the breakaway circuit still banned from the PGA Tour, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley confirmed in December of last year that he wouldn’t be imposing any bans for the first men’s Major of the year.
In a statement, Ridley said: “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. Although we are disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honour the tradition of bringing together a pre-eminent field of golfers this coming April.
“Therefore, as invitations are sent this week, we will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament.”
That left the way clear for LIV’s six past Masters champions – Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson – and an additional 12 players who qualified via other criteria. But how many of the 18 LIV golfers made the Masters cut?
With the top 50 and ties making it through, the first to miss out was Kevin Na, who withdrew after just nine holes of round one due to illness. Louis Oosthuizen, who lost in a playoff to Watson in 2012, joined Na, pulling out with just one hole of round two remaining, citing injury.
Of the remaining 16, another four failed to make the cut, which fell at +3. Among them were two previous winners in Watson and Garcia. Jason Kokrak and Bryson DeChambeau were the other LIV players to miss out.
At the other end of the leaderboard, Brooks Koepka not only made the cut but leads at the halfway mark after two stunning rounds of 65 and 67 got him to 12-under and two clear of Jon Rahm heading into the third round.
The breakaway circuit’s CEO Greg Norman said the LIV contingent would storm the final green if one of them clinched the Green Jacket, so that remains a very real possibility. In total 12 LIV players made the Masters cut.
Which LIV Golf players made the 2023 Masters cut?
LIV golfers to make the cut:
Brooks Koepka (-12)
Phil Mickelson (-4)
Joaquin Niemann (-4)
Patrick Reed (-3)
Cameron Smith (-2)
Harold Varner III (-1)
Dustin Johnson (-1)
Abraham Ancer (-1)
Mito Pereira (E)
Talor Gooch (+2)
Charl Schwartzel (+3)
Thomas Pieters (+3)
LIV golfers to miss the cut:
Bryson DeChambeau (+4)
Sergio Garcia (+7)
Jason Kokrak…
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