It's been nearly two years since the PGA Tour and LIV Golf announced plans to merge, but an agreement between the two sides has yet to be reached.
Late last week, it was reported that the PGA Tour rejected a $1.5 billion investment offer from the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), the financial backer of LIV Golf, as the PGA Tour apparently isn't on board with a stipulation that LIV remains active once reunification occurs, as Jay Monahan & Co. are wanting one united circuit.
So, the waiting game continues on that front.
Nevertheless, golf fans will get to see the best of both worlds this week as 12 LIV Golf players are set to tee it up at the 2025 edition of The Masters.
Here's a quick look at the dozen from the Saudi-backed series who will be at Augusta National and how each qualified for the season's first major championship.
Seven of the 12 LIV Golf players at the 2025 Masters are past champions
The easiest way for any player on any tour to earn an invitation to The Masters is to win the tournament, as a victory comes with a lifetime exemption to Augusta National.
Aging past champions are sometimes encouraged to stop participating, but the decision ultimately lies with each individual player, most of whom know exactly when it's time to say goodbye.
For example, this year will mark the final Masters appearance for two-time winner Bernhard Langer, who turns 68 in August. The 1985 and 1993 champ was supposed to play his last Masters a year ago but suffered an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the tournament. As such, Langer will get his swan song this week.
As for the seven past champs who currently spend their time in LIV Golf, only one is over the age of 50, that being 54-year-old Phil Mickelson. So, one would think we'll be seeing all of the players listed below for at least the next decade:
- Sergio Garcia (2017 champion)
- Dustin Johnson (2020 champion)
- Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010 champion)
- Jon Rahm (2023 champion)
- Patrick Reed (2018 champion)
- Charl Schwartzel (2011 champion)
- Bubba Watson (2012, 2014 champion)
Even if he weren't a past champ, Mickelson would still be here this week, as he earned a five-year exemption for winning the 2021 PGA Championship.
Jon Rahm would also be exempt due to his 2021 U.S. Open win and the fact that he was in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the 2024 calendar year.
Patrick Reed would have also earned an invitation due to finishing in the top 12 of last year's Masters, tying for 12th on the number.
Another three LIV players are here because they earned exemptions by winning one of the other three major championships in the last five years, those being as follows:
- Bryson DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open winner)
- Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA Championship winner)
- Cameron Smith (2022 Open Championship winner)
DeChambeau has four additional exemptions this year: top 12 in the 2024 Masters (T6), top four in the 2024 PGA Championship (solo second), OWGR top 50 at the end of 2024, and OWGR top 50 the week prior to the 2025 Masters.
Smith also has one additional exemption, finishing in the top 12 of the 2024 Masters (T6).
While not a past Masters winner or a major winner of any kind, Tyrrell Hatton earned his way to Augusta this year by finishing in the top 12 of last year's event (T9), while also being in the top 50 of the OWGR at the end of 2024 and the week before this year's tourney.
And last but certainly not least, there's four-time LIV Golf winner Joaquín Niemann, who failed to meet any of the qualifying criteria but was given a special invitation by The Masters Committee.
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