LIV and let live: Conflict cools off for a time at Masters

MASTERS 2024: Full coverage from News 12

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Golf’s civil war savored a brief detente at the Masters, where the upstart LIV circuit did not make much of an impact.

Of the 13 LIV players who received invitations, eight made the cut and three of those — Bryson Dechambeau, Cameron Smith and Tyrrell Hatton — finished in the top 10.

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But none of them made a serious run at the green jacket. DeChambeau and Smith both finished nine shots back, while Hatton was 11 strokes off the pace.

Now, with a supposed merger still unresolved, the rival tours head their separate ways until the PGA Championship at Valhalla next month.

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Hatton matched his best score at the Masters with a 69 on Saturday, putting him in a tie for ninth and assuring him of a return trip to Augusta National next year. The top 12 players earn another invitation.

That’s an important point for Hatton, who is now playing with LIV Golf. While he is No. 19 in the world ranking, LIV events do not earn him any points, so Hatton only has access to them in the majors.

And that means he is likely to fall out of the top 50 by the end of the year, which is another benchmark for gaining an invitation to the Masters.

Tyrrell Hatton of England plays a stroke from the No. 2 tee during the second round of the... — Tyrrell Hatton of England plays a stroke from the No. 2 tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 12, 2024.(Augusta National Golf Club)

The only other LIV players in the top 12 are DeChambeau and Cameron Smith. Both have exemptions from recent major wins.

Joaquin Niemann finished out of the top 20. He received a special exemption from Augusta National from winning the Australian Open and his willingness to compete outside LIV Golf. Will he be back next year? “We’ll find a way,” Niemann said.