Three South Africans in the 2023 field

LIV golf gamers Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel will lead the South African menace at the Masters this yr with just one different participant in the combine.

And that different participant is none aside from main novice Aldrich Potgieter.

ALSO READ: Christiaan Bezuidenhout: South Africa’s new No 1

Masters to check SA crew

Schwartzel’s standing in the recreation continues to yo-yo. He’s carried out fairly nicely on the LIV circuit as he reaches 40. Last yr, he did end a good T-10. In that very same breath final yr’s end was solely his second top-10 in 11 begins since his win in 2011, and given the questions concerning a scarcity of aggressive reps for LIV Golf members, not an excessive amount of is predicted of the former champion.

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Oosthuizen is perennially listed as a Masters exterior decide resulting from his kind at the greatest occasions. However, since his runner-up at the 2012 match he’s completed no higher than T12. He withdrew final yr by way of harm.

ALSO READ: LIV Golf: Louis Oosthuizen wins R28.6 million after shedding in playoff

Amateur golfer Potgieter grew to become the second youngest winner in the 127-year historical past of the Amateur Championship in 2022 when he beat England’s Sam Bairstow 3&2 in the 36-hole last at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

At 17 he was a yr older than Italian Matteo Manassero, winner at close by Formby in 2009.

He was additionally solely the third South African to elevate the trophy following Bobby Cole in 1966 – he was simply 18 and the youngest-ever at the time – and Jovan Rebula 4 years in the past.

It was Potgieter’s fourth win of the yr – three in his house nation and one in Australia. As nicely as The Open there shall be locations ready for him in subsequent yr’s US Open and, by custom, The Masters at Augusta National. “I haven’t felt this good before,” he said.

Three South Africans in the 2023 field

PAST CHAMPIONS NOT PLAYING

Tommy Aaron

Jack Burke Jr.

Angel Cabrera

Charles Coody

Ben Crenshaw

Nick Faldo

Raymond Floyd

Trevor Immelman

Jack Nicklaus

Mark O’Meara

Gary Player

Craig Stadler

Tom Watson

Ian Woosnam

Fuzzy Zoeller

QUALIFICATIONS FOR INVITATION

1. Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
2. US Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
3. The Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
4. PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
5. Winners of The Players Championship (Three years)
6. Current Olympic Gold Medalist (One yr)
7. Current US Amateur Champion (7-A) (Honorary, non-competing after one yr) and the runner-up (7-B) to the present US Amateur Champion
8. Current The Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one yr)
9. Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion (One yr)
10. Current Latin America Amateur Champion (One yr)
11. Current US Mid-Amateur Champion (One yr)
12. The first 12 gamers, together with ties, in the earlier yr’s Masters Tournament
13. The first 4 gamers, together with ties, in the earlier yr’s US Open
14. The first 4 gamers, together with ties, in the earlier yr’s The Open Championship
15. The first 4 gamers, together with ties, in the earlier yr’s PGA Championship
16. Individual winners of PGA Tour occasions that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from earlier Masters to present Masters
17. Those qualifying for the earlier yr’s season-ending Tour Championship
18. The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the earlier calendar yr
19. The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking revealed throughout the week previous to the present Masters Tournament

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