Par For The Course: Masters’ List Again Makes Little Sense

Here we go again. The Masters’ invitation list seems to have omitted some worthy players. The first of professional golf’s four major championships is without peer, but those Augusta National green coats are not without their blind spots.

The roll leaves off seven of the top 50 in the world Sony Ranking: Americans Davis Love III and Scott Simpson, and foreigners Jesper Parnevik of Sweden, Sam Torrance and Barry Lane of Great Britain, and Robert Allenby of Australia. David Gilford and Miguel Jimenez were invited, even though they’re lower than Allenby and Torrance.

Also not included are Craig Parry of Australia, rising David Duval (No. 4 in PGA Tour money) and Jim Gallagher Jr.

Something is wrong when the British Open runner-up (Parnevik) is out and the U.S. Amateur runner-up (Trip Kuehne) is in. The Masters takes the top 24 from the previous Masters, top 16 from the U.S. Open and top eight from the PGA, but only the champion from the other major, the British Open. It would make sense to invite the first eight from the British, or just include all the top 50 in the Sony Ranking, not that it is any sort of bible.

Prime ways for Americans to get in are to finish in the top 30 on the previous year’s money list or win a tournament in between Masters tournaments. Unfortunately, a player could finish second in every 1995 event up to the Masters, be the leading money winner by a long shot and the talk of the PGA Tour, and not get into the Masters.The Masters could fix the problem by including the PGA Tour’s top 10 from the current year.