Despite The Masters having the smallest field of the four Majors, up until 2023, there have still been 19 ways to qualify. However, it has now been announced that a 20th will be introduced for the 2024 tournament.
From next year, a place will be available for the individual champion of the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship, with one caveat – the player must still be an amateur.
Meanwhile, as well as the additional way to qualify for the men’s tournament, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley also announced that the NCAA Division I Women’s individual champion will receive an invite to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Explaining the moves, Ridley said: “These additions to our qualifications are in recognition of the impressive quality of today's collegiate game, and in continued respect to Bobby Jones who believed in the importance of the best amateurs in the world competing at Augusta National".
There was perhaps a hint of the move to add the extra men’s qualifying invite as early as January, when current NCAA Division I Men’s individual champion Gordon Sargent was given a special invitation to this year’s tournament, along with Japan Golf Tour pro Kazuki Higa. The championship is also the top annual competition in the US men’s collegiate game, and Ridley acknowledged the achievement is worthy of the guaranteed invite in future.
He said: “The NCAA Championship is a major amateur championship, and I thought it was time that we acknowledged it. And we couldn't be happier to have Gordon here this week. He's a fine young man and a heck of a player. We are codifying that now going forward."
The new way to qualify is in addition to existing routes for amateurs to play in The Masters, including US Amateur champion, US Amateur runner-up and British Amateur champion. As well as Sargent, there are six other amateurs in the field at this year's Masters.
