Should Augusta National invite more players to the Masters?

Each week, we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

Viktor Hovland broke out of a mini slump since the 2023 FedEx Cup Championship to win the Valspar Championship on the weekend. He battled Justin Thomas, in a winless slump of his own since 2022, who bogeyed two of the last three holes to give up the lead to Hovland. Among other established stars, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler have also been struggling to get back in the winner’s circle. It’s tough enough to win once on the PGA Tour, let alone dominate like they all did for a period of time. Are Homa, Spieth, Thomas and Fowler yesterday’s news or do you see a prolonged run at the top for any of them again?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): Neither.  I don’t think they’re yesterday’s news.  I do think they’ll each win again, more than once, but I don’t see a prolonged run at the top.  There are just too many good young players today.  Other than Scheffler and McIlroy, I don’t see a lot of multiple winners (i.e.., more than 12 career wins) for a long time.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: Playing well and winning are two different things. Every moment in time has two or three players who are good enough to contend every week and win often. Currently, we have Rory and Scottie. Some players enjoy excellent careers but don’t win like Fleetwood. The normal trajectory is to take 3 or 4 years to learn how to travel, play, have a family and win. These guys start getting close in years 4 and 5 and break out in 6, 7, and 8, and then tread water for another 3 or 4 years. They have 10 to 12-year careers and win 3 or 4 times or a major. When they play well, they win, but they can’t win on an off week. Rickie gained instant attention but never really delivered. Homa may have just peaked, and Speith won so much, so early, people thought he was the next Tiger, but he didn’t have all the tools. His funky follow-through is great for short irons, but it doesn’t provide distance and accuracy off the tee. I’ve never seen anyone putt like him and finish 10th. A huge problem today is comfort. The guys you mention have earned $50 to 60M and have young families. Tiger won so much because nothing else mattered. The GOAT (Jack) won and had a life.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (GolfAwayTJ): They are all still young enough to have a hot streak that takes them near the top of the world rankings, so I wouldn’t count any of them out.  You wonder how much having a family and spending more time with their kids is affecting their ability to practice as much as they used to, or as much as the younger players are able to practice.  It’s a work-life balance that can have a big effect on golfers, as time spent practicing and playing in events is often directly related to great results.  But they are all so talented that they can get as hot as any other player on Tour and dominate for short stretches.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): Somebody once said that all top athletes have the will to win but not all of them have the will to prepare to win. Families, business obligations and just too damned much money probably blunt their desire to work the way they did earlier in their career. Thomas looks like he’s close to contending regularly again. The rest are a mysterious work in progress, and I’d set their odds of being on top again pretty low.

It’s been all quiet on the re-unification front for a few weeks. Some suggest that the PGA Tour has a much stronger hand and should just sit tight. Several American players have indicated that the idea of more international travel or a longer season isn’t anything that gets them excited. And none of the PGA Tour players or executives have shown any excitement for LIV’s version of team play. Is it time for Yasir to take his Saudi billions and find a different place to spend them?

Deeks: Yasiree, I’d say so.  I would be delighted to see LIV fold, and all the LIV players be forced to qualify for the PGA Tour again, through Q-school.

Schurman: Once again, things come down to money. Due to LIV, some players earned generational wealth. At the same time, the PGA TOUR finally paid fair market value prize money. Tiger was paid close to $100M on day one so money was never an issue, leaving him free to play to win. In days of Yore, we often had to choose to pay your entry fee and sleep in the car or stay in the Holiday Inn for a $2000. First prize and 10th place (last money) was $25.00. Young players today are coming right from college onto the tour, and those who play at the Korn Ferry can make a decent living. The problem is a waning incentive. It sounds like a teen dance; I don’t like to travel too far, I only want to play with the better players, I need $$$$ up front, my wife doesn’t like the buffet. Where are the Gary Players, Bruce Crampton, who travelled thousands of miles and played every week and 100 guys trying to Monday qualify?

Rule: In an ideal world, yes.  But that doesn’t solve the problem of getting all the top players back together playing the same tournaments regularly.  And that’s what the fans ultimately want.  It does seem quiet though, so maybe the PGA Tour isn’t in a rush to get anything sorted as they are enjoying a good run with some great events, and big winners like Rory.  Wake me when there’s a deal in place.

Mumford: It’s pretty clear that American players and the PGA Tour are happy to stick close to home. Nobody seems keen to travel, try the LIV version of team golf or shotgun starts. The DP World Tour is already as close to a true “world tour” as you can get. They work closely with the Asian Tour and the Australian Tour now and could easily accommodate LIV. Yasir would be more welcome in Europe, especially in today’s political climate. And the Europeans might be happy to put some distance between themselves and America, helped of course by some of that Saudi money.

In our lead up to the Masters, our question this week is about the size of the field at Augusta. It’s the smallest by far of all the majors, around 90 players, and some of those are past champions, clearly not at their competitive best. Do you think the Masters would be better if they expanded the size of the field or are you happy the way it is?

Deeks: I don’t care about the size of the Masters field.  Expanding it by 20-30 players is just adding a bunch of guys who really don’t have a realistic shot at winning, and about whom few people care.  I would suggest, though, that they further restrict the past champions.  I know, it’s fun to see Freddie and Bernhard light up the leaderboard on Thursday-Friday, but if I’m, say, #80 on the current money list, and I don’t get invited to the tournament, then I’m not a happy camper.

Schurman: The Masters has evolved to one of unique qualities. The mysteries, the seeming high-handed operations and the quiet dignity all go into making the Champion. Within the field, there are only 25 who are truly capable of winning, as identified by many Past Champions. Of the remaining 50 or so players, the Masters has special invites, amateurs, past champions, etc. They add a special value. I wouldn’t like a full field of 154 at his time of year. So, the question becomes, increase or decrease and by what %. Would an additional 25 players make winning the trophy more desirable, or would reducing it by 25 increase the charm? Given the many tours around the world, I no longer see a need to extend invitations to foreign players based on their tour of choice. These could be replaced from the World Standings, but I’d leave the size of the field alone.

Rule: I do wish it was a bit bigger field, not as big as 144 or 156, but maybe 110 to 120, with opportunities for some more guys on the brink to get in.  That being said, it’s an invitational, and it does have a certain prestige about it, given its limited field.  The top 50-60 players in the world are still there, so it’s not like it isn’t competitive.  I just think it would be a bit better if they allowed another 20-30 guys in that are near the top of the game.  Just talking about it is getting me pumped for the Masters and start of the Ontario golf season shortly thereafter!

Mumford: I think it’s perfect the way it is. Augusta National reaches out to a handful of deserving amateurs; invites winners of select international events; preserves a link to tradition and history with their past champions; and generally stays above the fray of modern professional golf. It’s a unique field that feels privileged to be invited and honoured to compete in very select company. And it’s still the best of the four majors.