“2024 Masters Shocker: Smallest Field in Years Revealed! See the Surprising List of Debutants and Near-Misses – Who Made the Cut?”

The upcoming 2024 Masters could feature one of its smallest fields in recent years, contingent upon the performances in the initial months of the PGA Tour season. The absence of significant tournaments for the remainder of the year might result in the addition of 11 players finishing in the top 50, bringing the total expected competitors to 77.

Noteworthy among the participants are three Masters debutants—Adam Schenk, Eric Cole, and Denny McCarthy—who have yet to secure victories on the PGA or European Tour. Schenk earned his qualification by reaching the Tour Championship for the first time.

The anticipated additions through the top 50 in the world rankings include Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, McCarthy, Will Zalatoris, Justin Rose, Harris English, Cole, J.T. Poston, Adrian Meronk, Adam Hadwin, and Nicolai Hjogaard.

Four invitees—Luke List, Erik van Rooyen, Camilo Villegas, and Ludvig Aberg—secured their spots by winning fall PGA Tour events. The winner of the Latin American Amateur Championship in January will also join the field, and an additional player will emerge from PGA Tour events or the top 50 by April 7.

Augusta National is aiming for a sub-100 field, a threshold last surpassed in 1966 with 103 players. Notable near-misses include Chris Kirk (No. 52) and Matt Kuchar (No. 54), the latter accustomed to hovering on the bubble.

Reflecting on his ranking, Kuchar remarked, “I’ve never been one to think, ‘I need to play well this week because I’m 53rd in the world.’ If you didn’t tell me where I was in the world ranking, I could not have told you. I’ve always thought your best chance to play good golf is to just go out and do it, and not because you have to do it.”