The Masters Field 2022

The Masters is the first Major championship of the season and one of the most prestigious events in the golfing calendar. Unlike the other three Majors, it is played at the same venue each year - Augusta National Golf Club.

The Masters is the smallest field of any Major championship and therefore, the most difficult to qualify for. The tournament has a very extensive and specific criteria in order to receive an invitation to golf's Holy Grail. 

Fewer than 100 tee it up each year, which is significantly less than the 150+ participants which is commonly seen in the Open Championship. With that, it is inevitable that a selection of notable players will miss out. This year is no different. 

Whilst the field includes the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, it will be without three-time winner, Phil Mickelson. Lefty will miss his first Masters in 28 years as his self-imposed sabbatical from the game continues. There are also a host of big names at risk of not making it in time. 

Tiger Woods is yet to confirm whether he will take part, with one source insisting that it's "still too early for Woods to decide on his 2022 Masters status.” It was initially reported that he is eyeing a return to the tournament in 2023 but there are a number of reasons why he won't play the Masters this year. 

Hideki Matsuyama returns as defending champion after becoming the first Asian recipient of the Green Jacket and the first Japanese male winner of a Major championship last year. Rory McIlroy enters with the opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam.

With a lifetime exemption for those already in possession of a Green Jacket, the nostalgic viewer can look forward to appearances from the likes of Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Larry Mize, José María Olazábal and Vijay Singh. Ian Woosnam, who won the Green Jacket in 1991, will not be taking part after confirming earlier this year that he will no longer take up his lifetime exemption.

There are also five amateurs in the field competing for low amateur honours; something achieved by Matsuyama in 2011. James Piot qualifies through his victory at the US Amateur Championship, with Austin Greaser receiving an invite for his runner-up finish. Laird Shepherd, Keita Nakajima and Aaron Jarvis earned invitation following victories at the Amateur Championship, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and Latin American Amateur Championship respectively. 

Jack Nicklaus has tasted the most success at Augusta National, with six victories between 1963 and 1986. Tiger Woods achieved five between 1997 and 2019; with the latter regarded as the best victory in the entirety of sports. Gary Player of South Africa became the first non-American to win in 1961 and it would be nearly two decades until Seve Ballesteros of Spain matched that feat in 1980.

It was nearly a fairytale for Englishman Richard Bland, who topped his group, which included Lee Westwood and Bryson DeChambeau, at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. The 49-year old moved up seven places in the Official World Golf Ranking and now sits at a career-high of 52; but only the top-50 are invited to participate at Augusta. 

“If I could play the tournament, it would be a dream come true,” Bland said. “I don’t really watch a huge amount of golf at home, but the Masters, I’m there from the first shot to the last putt. I don’t move. It’s just the best tournament to watch on TV, and I can only assume it’s a million times better to play in it.”

The Englishman can only secure his invitation with victory at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

Australian Cam Smith will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Aussie, Adam Scott, by adding the Green Jacket to his wardrobe. The 28-year old won the Players Championship in an impressive Monday finish and took home the most lucrative prize in the game today.

THE MASTERS FIELD 2022

The below is the current list of invitees and subject to change once declarations are made:

• Abraham Ancer
• Daniel Berger
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout
• Sam Burns
• Patrick Cantlay
• Paul Casey
• Cameron Champ
• Stewart Cink
• Corey Conners
• Fred Couples
• Cameron Davis
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Harris English
• Tony Finau
• Matthew Fitzpatrick
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Sergio Garcia
• Lucas Glover
• Talor Gooch
• Austin Greaser (A)
• Stewart Hagestad (A)
• Brian Harman
• Padraig Harrington
• Tyrrell Hatton
• Lucas Herbert
• Garrick Higgo
• Harry Higgs
• Tom Hoge
• Max Homa
• Billy Horschel
• Viktor Hovland
• Mackenzie Hughes
• Sungjae Im
• Aaron Jarvis (A)
• Dustin Johnson
• Zach Johnson
• Takumi Kanaya
• Si Woo Kim
• Kevin Kisner
• Brooks Koepka
• Jason Kokrak
• Bernhard Langer
• Kyoung-Hoon Lee
• Min Woo Lee
• Marc Leishman
• Luke List
• Shane Lowry
• Sandy Lyle
• Robert MacIntyre
• Hideki Matsuyama
• Rory McIlroy
• Guido Migliozzi
• Larry Mize
• Francesco Molinari
• Collin Morikawa
• Kevin Na
• Keita Nakajima (A)
• Joaquin Niemann
• José María Olazábal
• Louis Oosthuizen
• Ryan Palmer
• Thomas Pieters
• James Piot (A)
• Seamus Power
• Jon Rahm
• Patrick Reed
• Justin Rose
• Xander Schauffele
• Scottie Scheffler
• Charl Schwartzel
• Adam Scott
• Laird Shepherd (A)
• Webb Simpson
• Vijay Singh
• Cameron Smith
• Jordan Spieth
• Sepp Straka
• Hudson Swafford
• Justin Thomas
• Erik van Rooyen
• Harold Varner III
• Bubba Watson
• Mike Weir
• Lee Westwood
• Danny Willett
• Matthew Wolff
• Gary Woodland
• Tiger Woods
• Cameron Young
• Will Zalatoris

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE MASTERS?

• Masters champions (lifetime)
• U.S. Open champions (five years)
• Open champions (five years)
• PGA champion (five years)
• Players champion (three years)
• Current Olympic gold medalist (one year)
• Current U.S. Amateur champion and runner-up (one year)
• Current British Amateur champion (one year)
• Current Asia-Pacific Amateur champion (one year)
• Current U.S. Mid-Amateur champion (one year)
• Current Latin America Amateur champion (one year)
• First 12 players, including ties, in the previous year's Masters
• First 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's U.S. Open
• First 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's Open Championship
• First 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's PGA Championship
• Winners of PGA Tour regular-season and playoff events that award at least a full allocation of FedEx Cup points
• Qualifiers from the previous year's season-ending Tour Championship (top 30 in FedEx Cup)
• 50 leaders on the final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
• 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters

WHERE IS THE MASTERS PLAYED?

The Masters is played at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club in the American state, Georgia. The club was founded by Bobby Jones and New York investment dealer, Clifford Roberts.  

Jones and Roberts sought renowned architect, Alistair MacKenzie, and the trio began work on the grounds; taking influence from the Old Course in its design. It would open for play in late 1932, with the first Masters Tournament played in March 1934 (although it was then referred as the Augusta National Invitational).

WHO WON THE MASTERS LAST YEAR?

Last year, Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese male golfer to secure a Major title and the first Asian-born player to win the Masters. He finished with an overall score of 278 (−10), one shot ahead of runner-up Will Zalatoris.

More than half of the country’s televisions tuned in to watch Matsuyama’s victory and the country’s national alert system, which is only strictly used for messages of emergency and natural disaster, sent out a notice of congratulations moments after Matsuyama holed the final putt. 

Just two weeks after his victory at Augusta National, Matsuyama received the Prime Minister’s Award.

WHAT IS THE PRIZE FUND AT THE MASTERS?

The Masters is one of the most financially lucrative events of the year, with a total purse of $11.5m. As well as the legendary Green Jacket, the winner also receives a cheque for $2.07m.