Since the inception of LIV Golf, golfers have been switching to the Saudi-backed league over the PGA Tour. With the change of league, golfers were exempted from the majors as well. LIV golfers, after switching, face issues in meeting the qualification criteria. The event on the PIF schedule does not add to the OWGR but only adds to the purse value. To qualify for the Masters, golfers need to be in the top 50 rankings or must have won a PGA Tour event in the previous season. And as the latest update for the Masters of 2025 season is out, it is not looking all the bright for the 26-year-old Chilean golfer.

Last year, a special invite was sent to Joaquin Niemann from the Augusta National to participate in the Masters. Sharing with GOLF.COM, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said, “long-standing tradition of inviting leading international players who are not otherwise qualified” for the Masters. Fans were shocked that many other LIV Golfers did not receive invitations. Irrespective of which, Niemann finished decently with the T22 position.

Moving on, an update by the Masters on X announced two players receiving special invites. The post shared with the photos of Joaquin Niemann and Nicolai Højgaard had the caption that read, “Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann have accepted invitations to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament.” This is the second time Chile’s professional has been invited, despite being part of the PIF league.

With this, Niemann will make his sixth Masters start in April this year. Additionally, he has been successful in making the cut in each of the past 4 tournaments, where he has also managed to bag top-25 finishes in the last two years. At present, he is the No. 71 in the OWGR, and he even finished T-9 in the Olympics last year for Chile.

But it looks like all this is not impressive enough for the fans as they have put forth some shocking reactions. Let’s see what they had to say.

Fans respond to Joaquin Niemann’s invite

Usually, the announcement from the Masters only excites the fans. However, not this time. The news of Chile’s Niemann being invited again to the Masters is not liked by the fans, for which the fans have shared their response on the post.

Sharing their thoughts on the posts, one user suggested, “DEI! We want merit based performance!” The organizers exempted the invited players from the qualification criteria that other PGA tour players must follow.

While, another user questioning the decision commented, “What about the guys currently on pga tour who meet these standards but aren’t invited? 😳” The decision to have a LIV Golf player is a surprise for the fans, as players on the PGA Tour compete throughout the year to get into the qualification criteria. Niemann has shown great performance at the PGA Championship finishing fifth. Additionally, he has also won the Australian Open in 2023. The latest is his tie for a fourth position at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2024.

The majority of fans were commenting with their favorite to be on the list, as one commented, “Invite Jake Knapp or we riot.” Knapp, who was part of the Masters last year, has slipped to 88th position in OWGR due to his single win in the 2024 season. Following his ranking and victory, he did not qualify for the event. Another wrote, “Still won’t count unless Gooch is there.” Fans are eager to see Talor Gooch at the course of the Masters, but unfortunately being a part of LIV Golf he will not be participating until got an invitation or wins a PGA Tour major/ event.

Sharing about boycotting, one fan shared, “Did “Ben Campbell” get an invite? If not, hundreds of LIV fans would boycott the Masters.” Campbell has been away from the course due to his back injury, which even led to thoughts of retirement for him. However, now that he has recovered and joined LIV Golf, he might get an invitation in the coming years.

Additionally, some fans didn’t care about the good news for Niemann. As one of them commented on the post, “Nobody cares.” People after the second time invite have felt disheartened to not see their favorite from the PGA Tour, but to get the LIV golfers at the event.

The fans do not accept the great news yet again for the two-time PGA Tour winner. However, the great news for him, he will be participating in the Masters, even being a part of the LIV Golf. What are your thoughts on the invite to Niemann? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.