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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
LIV Golf captain Joaquín Niemann is headed back to the Masters in April, along with rising PGA Tour star Nicolai Højgaard, after the golfers received invitations to play in the first major championship of the season.
Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley announced the golfers had accepted special invitations on Wednesday, bringing the current field to 87 players.
The Masters will be played April 10-13.
“In support of Augusta National’s efforts to develop interest in golf globally, deserving international players not otherwise qualified have been invited throughout the tournament’s history,” Ridley said. “The tradition continues as we welcome Nicolai and Joaquin back to the Masters, as both players have showcased their talent while competing around the world. We look forward to their arrival this April.”
Niemann, 26, will be making his sixth consecutive Masters start; he made the cut in each of the past four. Last year, Niemann was the only LIV Golf player to receive a special invitation to the Masters after he won the Australian Open on the DP World Tour in December 2023.
Neimann tied for 22nd at the 2024 Masters at 4 over, 15 strokes behind winner Scottie Scheffler.
Niemann, from Chile, was a two-time winner on the LIV Golf circuit last season. He also tied for ninth in the Paris Olympics. In the final two months of 2024, Niemann tied for seventh in the DP World Tour Championship and for fifth in the Australian Open, before winning the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International on Dec. 7.
Højgaard, from Denmark, was in the top six on the Masters leaderboard after each of the first three rounds in his debut in 2024. He carded a 5-under 67 in the first round and briefly held the lead in the third. He tied for 16th at 2 over.
Ranked No. 60 in the world, Højgaard closed 2024 with five consecutive top 25 finishes on the DP World Tour. He was runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2024 and had two top 25s in 18 starts on the PGA Tour.
Højgaard’s twin brother, Rasmus, will make his Augusta National debut in April. It will be the first time twins will compete in the same Masters tournament.
At least one amateur, the winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship on Jan. 16-19, will be added to the field. Winners of upcoming full-point PGA Tour events who aren’t otherwise eligible will also be invited, along with any golfers in the top 50 of the OWGR that is published the week prior to the Masters.