LIV Golf's Joaquin Niemann among 3 to get Masters invitations - ESPN

Joaquin Niemann competed outside LIV Golf in his offseason and got something money can't buy. He was among three players given a special invitation Wednesday to play in the Masters.

Augusta National also invited 21-year-old Ryo Hisatsune, the first Japanese player to be European tour rookie of the year, and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark.

Nieman had said when he won the LIV Golf opener in Mexico, «I want to win majors, but I've got to get in first.» He had fallen well outside the top 50 in the world ranking because LIV does not get world ranking points.

The Masters is April 11-14.

Niemann was the only player from Saudi-funded LIV Golf to receive the invitation, which was more about his victory in the Australian Open and his willingness to play tournaments outside the LIV Golf League in a bid to get ranking points.

Augusta National did not offer an invitation to Talor Gooch, who has won three times in the LIV Golf League since the Masters was last played.

Niemann won the Australian Open in December, along with finishing fifth in the Australian PGA. He joined the European tour after winning the Australian Open, a co-sanctioned event, and finished fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic.

He started his third season on LIV with a 59 at Mayakoba and eventually won in a playoff over Sergio Garcia for his first title in the Saudi-backed league with only 54 players.

«It kind of hurt me a little bit not being in the majors and I think also helped me to get motivation to kind of earn my spot back into the majors, into the elite players,» Niemann said in Mayakoba.

Niemann, who was No. 18 in the world when he joined LIV in September 2022, is now No. 81. He is playing in the Asian Tour's International Series in Oman this week, though he