Augusta National chairman confirms LIV Golf star has received special Masters invite

Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National, has confirmed Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann have accepted invites to play the 2025 Masters.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley has confirmed LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann has accepted an invitation to play the Masters Tournament for the second year running.

Ridley confirmed the news on 8 January, with fewer than 100 days to go until the first major of the year.

The golf chief also revealed Augusta National officials deemed Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard worthy of an invitation to the tradition unlike any other.

Hojgaard, 23, made his Ryder Cup debut in 2023 and has risen to 60th in the world rankings.

Only the top 50 players in the OWGR in December 2024 have so far guaranteed their spots.

Players that are in the top 50 on 31 March 2025 will also be added to the field.

PGA Tour winners from now until April will also qualify. You can see the field so far at the bottom of this page.

Past champions always get to play, along with the existing NCAA champ and the winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship.

There are a few other categories in which players can qualify.

Niemann is currently No. 71 in the OWGR but he has made efforts to play non-LIV events since making the jump to the breakaway tour to improve his chances of getting into the majors.

Nicolai Højgaard from Denmark and Joaquin Niemann from Chile are the newest players to receive invitations for the 2025 Masters Tournament.

This was touched upon by Ridley, who said: In keeping with Augusta National operations aimed at promoting the growth of interest in golf around the world, deserving non-members have been invited throughout the years where they did not automatically meet the membership criterion.

Then there is a tradition which we have as Nicolai and Joaquin return to the Masters, the later has been performing around the globe. So, we expect their arrival in April.”

To the same, Niemann’s defense, it factors that he is a former Latin America Amateur champion.

Augusta is next April and it will be his sixth appearances, though he has been able to cut the previous four editions.

Hojgaard started in 2023. Rasmus Kjærgaard, his twin brother, will also be playing, and that will be the first time that two twins will perform in one staging.

LIV Golfers invited for the Masters.
8) Cam Smith

7) Dustin Johnson

6) Tyrrell Hatton

5) Phil Mickelson

4) Brooks Koepka

3) Joaquin Niemann

2) Jon Rahm

1) Bryson DeChambeau