Kazuki Higa and Gordon Sargent have accepted invitations to compete in the 2023 Masters, Fred Ridley, chair of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, announced Thursday, Jan. 5.
Both players will be first-time Tournament participants.
“The Masters Tournament prioritizes opportunities to elevate both amateur and professional golf around the world,” Ridley said. “Thus, we have extended invitations to two deserving players not otherwise qualified. Whether on the international stage or at the elite amateur level, each player has showcased their talent in the past year. We look forward to hosting them at Augusta National in April.”
Higa, a 27-year-old from Japan, has collected six career wins on the Japan Golf Tour, with four of those victories occurring in 2022. He finished first on the Japan Golf Tour’s Order of Merit last year, an achievement that 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama also earned in 2013. He currently ranks No. 68 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
A native of Birmingham, Ala., Sargent is presently a sophomore at Vanderbilt University and the reigning NCAA Division I Men’s Individual Champion.
The 19-year-old birdied the first hole of a four-way playoff last May to win, becoming the first freshman since 2007 to claim the individual title. Sargent is ranked No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and becomes the first amateur to accept a special invitation since Aaron Baddeley in 2000.
As of today, 80 players have been invited to compete in the 2023 Masters. To qualify, players must be:
- Winner of the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship
- Winners of upcoming PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship
- Among the 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the Tournament
The 2023 Tournament will mark the 87th playing of the Masters and is scheduled for April 3 – 9. A complete list of invitees is available a Masters.com.
