It seems the golf world is set to witness a scintillating 2024! The players would be excited to take part in the various events that the circuits have scheduled to host. However, they would be hoping to participate in the most important tournaments of them all, the majors, especially the Masters, which starts in April. However, it appears some golfers have managed to bag the honor early!

One needs to pass special criteria in order to play at possibly the most anticipated tournament in the golfing realm. And, some professionals on the men’s circuit were sent an invite by the Board of Governors of the golf club that hosts the major event!

The top 5 professionals who got an early 2024 Masters invitation

The Masters Committee has established its own set of qualification criteria for golfers to pass to qualify for the Masters Tournament. From performing well in the previous edition (top 12) to becoming a top 50 player on the world rankings before January 1 of the year, the major provides strict standards for athletes to play in the same. Well, let us take a look at some of the top players who managed an invite from the committee ahead of 2024.

1. Will Zalatoris: The golfer recently made a comeback after a 7-month-long break before which he was at the 8th position in the world rankings. However, his current standings at T36, coupled with his T6 finish at the 2023 Masters, make him more than qualified to play at the 2024 edition of the major. Zalatoris shared the happy news of his invitation as a story on his Instagram handle, surprising his fans all the way.

2. Tyrrell Hatton: The 32-year-old shared a series of pictures on his Instagram handle showcasing the invitation to the Masters that he received a while back. Surprisingly, the golfer was able to enjoy the honor once again, making it his third appearance in the major, owing to his rank in OWGR, at T12. Moreover, the Englishman managed to increase his ranking from 18 to the current one with the help of the ten top-10 finishes he dished out in 2023, including a T2 at the recent BMW PGA Championship.

3. Matt Fitzpatrick: The 29-year-old was able to finish 10th in the previous edition of the major while cementing his spot at T9 in the FedEx standings and the TOUR Championship. Moreover, his OWGR ranking, which is currently at 8, allows him an easy qualification to play at the Augusta National Golf Club in the coming year. And, he did not fail to share the happy news on his social media as well.

4. Min Woo Lee: Although Lee did not make the cut at the 2023 Masters Tournament, his determination and skillset allowed him to get into the top 50 in the OWGR. Moreover, the Aussie’s performance at the ISPS Handa Australian Open and the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, the latter in which he emerged victorious, cemented his place at the 33rd spot in the rankings.

5. Adrian Meronk: The 30-year-old would be hoping to dish out a better performance than what he did in last year’s major, after which he has been nothing short of phenomenal on the course. Climbing from a rank of 62 in 2023 to 48 in the OWGR was all made possible due to his amazing skills, enabling him to finish a total of five times in the season. And, merrily enough, the Polish golfer shared the happy news on his Instagram story.

Well, the athletes would be, no doubt, filled with joy with the Christmas gift that the Augusta National Golf Club presented them with. Nevertheless, as we inch closer to next year, one thing is certain, the golf world is sure to witness another brilliant start to the majors with the current field of golfers!

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