Augusta National Golf Club has invited NCAA Division I men’s champion Gordon Sargent and Japan’s Kazuki Higa to compete in the 87th Masters, bringing the field to 80 players for April’s major.
Sargent, 19, a sophomore at Vanderbilt, made the first hole-in-one in May to become the first freshman to win an individual title at the NCAA Championships since 2007. The Birmingham, Alabama golfer is ranked third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and is the first amateur since Aaron Baddeley in 2000 to receive an invitation to the Masters.
Higa, 27, has won six times on the Japan Golf Tour, including four last season. He finished first in the Japan Honor Roll and is 68th in the Official World Golf Ranking. It will be his second start in a major championship. He missed the cut at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews last July. At the Zozo Championship in October, Higa tied for 36th.
“The Masters Tournament provides opportunities to elevate both amateur and professional golf around the world,” Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement. “Therefore, we have called up two unqualified players. Whether it is on the international stage or at the elite level, every player has shown their talent this past year. We are looking forward to hosting him at Augusta National in April.”
Players have additional opportunities to compete for the Masters scheduled for April 6-9. The winner of the upcoming 2023 Latin American Amateur Championship will be invited to join the field, as well as the winners of upcoming PGA Tour events that award full points allocation to the Tour Championship and any of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. A week before Masters who have not otherwise qualified.
