How Do Golfers Qualify For The Masters?
The Masters is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world, as it is one of golf’s four major tournaments. On account of its high regard, the tournament is very difficult to qualify for. Below are various ways golfers around the world can find a way to compete for the Green Jacket.
How to Qualify for the Masters
These are the six ways a golfer can qualify for the Masters:
- Win a previous Masters
- Win a recent PGA Tour event
- Win a recent amateur championship
- Win Olympic gold in golf
- Rank inside the top 50 golfers worldwide
- Qualify for the prior season’s PGA Tour Championship
Previous Masters Finishes
It’s one thing to qualify for the Masters, and it’s another to win the tournament. Those fortunate enough to have claimed the Green Jacket receive lifetime invitations to the tournament. However, players do not have to win the whole thing to be invited back. Anyone who finishes inside the top 12, including ties, will be allowed to compete the next year.
Previous Championship Finishes
A player will automatically be allowed to play in the Masters if they’ve won at least one of the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Open Championship, or The Players Championship. For the U.S. Open, PGA, and Open, a winner receives a five-year invitation to the Masters, while a Players Championship win yields a three-year invite.
In addition, if a player places in the top four in all the tournaments above except the Players, they’ll get an invite to the following year’s Masters. Finally, if someone wins any PGA Tour event that gives FedEx points, they’ll be allowed into the next Masters as well.
Amateur Championships
One of the beauties of the Masters is players do not necessarily have to be pros to be able to participate. However, there are very few amateurs in the field, as the avenues for making the tournament this way is slim. Here are the ways to get an invite to the following year’s Masters: finish top two in the US Amateur Championship, win the British Amateur, win the Asia-Pacific Amateur, win the Latin America Amateur, or win the US Mid-Amateur.
The Olympic Games
The only avenue through the Olympic Games to make the Masters is to win the gold medal. When a golfer wins the gold medal in the Olympics, they are given an invite to the next year’s tournament. Due to the infrequency of the Olympics, this form of qualifying is only possible once every four years.
World Rank and Tour Championship
The Masters is already extremely difficult to qualify for, and if the only ways were the ones listed above, there would be even fewer people in the field. That’s why the club has a few rules to expand the field. If someone is ranked inside the top 50 by January 1, they’re in the tournament. Also, if a player is ranked in the top 50 in the world the week leading up to the Masters, they automatically qualify. Finally, if a golfer qualifies for the Tour Championship the previous season, they’re automatically selected for the Masters.
FAQ
How do you qualify for the Masters?
You qualify for the Masters by winning previous major tournaments or ranking inside the top 50 golfers worldwide. Former Masters winners get a lifetime invitation, and major PGA tournaments award three to five-year access. All PGA Tour winners from the previous year get invitations, as do winners of major amateur championships. The Olympic gold medalist in golf also gets an invitation to the following year’s Masters.
Can you enter the Masters without qualifying?
While it is extraordinarily rare, it is possible for golfers who did not complete any of the qualifying steps listed above to be part of the Masters Tournament. According to Augusta National Golf Club, “The Masters Committee, at its discretion, also invites international players not otherwise qualified” to be a part of the tournament. This is not a usual occurrence, but it presents another possible means of joining the tournament, provided that the Masters Committee agrees to extend you an invitation.