The quest to secure a coveted spot in the Masters Tournament came down to the wire in 2024, with PGA Tour veteran Lucas Glover emerging as one of the final qualifiers via the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). By finishing the year ranked No. 50 in the world, Glover earned an invitation to compete at Augusta National in April 2025.
Glover Among 10 Late Additions to Masters Field
As the final world rankings of 2024 were released, golf fans eagerly scanned the list to see which players had secured their place in the upcoming Masters Tournament. The top 50 players in the OWGR at the end of each calendar year traditionally earn an invitation to the prestigious event. This year, that honor fell to 10 golfers who had not previously qualified, with Lucas Glover narrowly holding onto the 50th and final spot.
Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, has experienced ups and downs in his professional career but proved he still has the talent to compete with the game’s elite. His consistent play throughout the 2024 season, particularly in the latter half of the year, allowed him to accumulate enough ranking points to edge out the competition for that last Masters berth.
Masters Field Expands to 85 Players
With the addition of Glover and nine other golfers who qualified through the OWGR, the field for the 2025 Masters Tournament has grown to 85 players. This represents an increase from the 77 players who had already secured their spots at this point last year. The expansion can be attributed to the overall depth of talent on the PGA Tour and the increased opportunities for golfers to earn ranking points.
The Masters has the smallest field of the four majors, and Augusta National prefers that it stays below 100 to give players an experience unlike any other.
While the Masters aims to maintain a relatively intimate field size, the tournament organizers recognize the importance of inviting the most deserving players each year. The last time the Masters exceeded 100 participants was in 1966, when 103 golfers teed it up. In 2024, the tournament featured 89 competitors.
Notable Names Join Glover in Masters Qualification
Joining Lucas Glover in earning a Masters invitation through the year-end rankings are several other prominent names in the world of golf:
- Tom Kim: The young phenom from South Korea finished the year ranked 21st, the highest among those who had not already qualified.
- Jason Day: The former world No. 1 and 2015 PGA Championship winner secured his return to Augusta National after a resurgent 2024 campaign.
- Justin Rose: The 2013 U.S. Open champion and Olympic gold medalist will make his 17th Masters appearance next year.
Other notable golfers booking their tickets to the 2025 Masters include Nick Dunlap, Max Greyserman, Rasmus Hojgaard, Corey Conners, Denny McCarthy, and Min Woo Lee. For McCarthy and Lee, this marks the second consecutive year they have qualified via the OWGR after the conclusion of the golf season.
Fall Winners Earn First Masters Invitations
In a unique twist resulting from the PGA Tour’s shift back to a calendar-based schedule in 2024, all eight winners of fall tournaments had not previously qualified for the upcoming Masters. As a result, players like Matt McCarty, Kevin Yu, Nico Echavarria, Rafael Campos, and Maverick McNealy will all be making their first appearances at Augusta National in 2025.
This contrasts with the situation a year ago, when four of the fall winners had already secured their Masters invitations prior to their victories. The change in schedule, combined with a compact 2024 season that included the Olympics, led many top players to forego PGA Tour events in the final three months of the year.
Additional Qualification Opportunities Remain
While the year-end rankings have added a significant number of competitors to the Masters field, several opportunities still remain for golfers to punch their tickets to Augusta:
- Winning the Latin America Amateur Championship
- Winning any full-point PGA Tour event
- Ranking in the top 50 of the OWGR on March 31, 2025
With 14 tournaments offering Masters invitations between now and the March deadline, the field for the year’s first major is far from finalized. Golf fans can expect to see a few more names added to the list before the world’s best descend upon Augusta National in April.
As for Lucas Glover and his fellow year-end qualifiers, they can begin their preparations for the Masters with the peace of mind that comes from achieving a career milestone. For some, like Glover, it represents a return to glory on one of golf’s grandest stages. For others, it signifies the beginning of a lifelong dream to compete for the coveted green jacket.
