LIV Golfers Shut Out of 2025 Masters Tournament
A dozen LIV golfers are set to tee off at this week’s Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, marking a significant decrease in representation compared to previous years. According to a report from Golf.com, this number is the lowest since the league’s inception in 2022.
The 2023 Masters featured 18 LIV players, many of whom were still clinging to relevancy in the Official World Golf Ranking, which is the primary way through which players qualify. However, the OWGR has never awarded ranking points to LIV Golf tournaments, keeping LIV players from maintaining position for invites. Over time, LIV players have seen their world ranking depreciate slowly, pushing them outside the threshold for Masters invites. All of which meant that, by 2024, only 13 LIV players had been invited.
This week, there will be 12 LIV golfers playing at Augusta National, which means there are many players — some of whom are highly ranked by DataGolf, the industry-leading analytics site — on the outside of Magnolia Lane looking in. Golf.com has compiled a list of players who won’t be at Augusta National this week.
Notable LIV Golfers Missing Out
One notable omission is Marc Leishman, who won LIV Golf Miami on Sunday but received no Masters invite to go with it. Leishman is not alone, as several other highly ranked players will also be watching from home.
1. Marc Leishman
The LIV Golf Miami winner received plenty of money for his victory, but no Masters invite to go with it. As noted by Golf.com, this is a significant blow for the Australian golfer.
2. Dean Burmester
Ranked fifth in LIV’s season standings — behind only Joaquin Niemann, Sergio Garcia, and Jon Rahm — Burmester will not be playing this week. His omission is a surprise given his impressive form in the LIV Golf series.
3. Talor Gooch
Gooch has played in two Masters, thanks to his success on the PGA Tour in 2021, but without a major championship victory to his name, his Augusta invite is nonexistent. As per Golf.com, this is a significant loss for the American golfer.
4. Louis Oosthuizen
Ranked 79th in the world according to DataGolf, Oosthuizen came close to locking up a Masters invite for life in 2012 but ultimately fell short. His playoff defeat to Bubba Watson kept that dream from becoming reality.
5. Carlos Ortiz
Ortiz has played some great golf in the last six months, winning the International Series Macau, in addition to two top-5s on LIV. However, his Official World Golf Ranking — 214th — is much too low for consideration. As Golf.com reports, this makes it difficult for him to secure an invite.
6. David Puig
The 23-year-old Spaniard is, like Ortiz, ranked in DataGolf’s top 50, and he even competed in non-LIV events throughout 2024 to earn a spot in the Olympics. But his world rank of 98th has him about 30 spots shy of earning a Masters invite.
7. Numerous Others
The following players are all ranked in the top 100 by DataGolf but did not receive invites: Lucas Herbert, Paul Casey, Sebastian Munoz, Abe Ancer, Tom McKibbon, Cameron Tringale, and Peter Uihlein.
The Impact of OWGR on LIV Golfers
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) has a significant impact on which golfers are invited to play in major championships like the Masters. As noted by Golf.com, the OWGR has never awarded ranking points to LIV Golf tournaments, which has led to a decline in world rankings for many LIV players.
LIV Golf’s Struggles with Invitations
LIV Golf’s struggles with securing invites to major championships have been well-documented. According to Golf.com, the number of LIV golfers playing at the Masters has decreased significantly since the league’s inception in 2022.
Conclusion
The 2025 Masters Tournament will feature 12 LIV golfers, the lowest number since the league’s launch in 2022. Several highly ranked players will be watching from home, including Marc Leishman, Dean Burmester, and Talor Gooch. As reported by Golf.com, the absence of these players highlights the challenges faced by LIV golfers in securing invites to major championships.
Source: Golf.com – "LIV golfers not playing the Masters in 2025".
