Making it to the Masters: After the Houston Open cut, which players can get to Augusta?
Making it to the Masters: After the Houston Open cut, which players can get to Augusta?
Sixteen players entered the PGA Tour's Texas Children's Houston Open with the chance to earn an invitation to the Masters Tournament April 10-13 at Augusta National, by making the top-50 on the World Golf Rankings.
The hopes are alive for half of them after the second round at Memorial Park was completed on Saturday morning. The round was suspended at 4:10 p.m. on Friday because of thunderstorms in the area, resumed later, then suspended again because of darkness, with 52 players returning on Saturday to finish their rounds.
Eric Cole needs to finish tied for fourth or higher at the Texas Children's Houston Open this week to move into the top 50 on the World Golf Rankings and qualify for a Masters invitational.
World No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, who shot 62 in the second round, leads at 11-under-par 129. Taylor Pendrith (65), Min Woo Lee (64) and Ryan Gerard (65) are tied at 10-under.
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According to the X site "Nosferatu," which crunches the World Golf Rankings numbers, players as low as Beau Hossler at No. 87 entering the week could mathematically make the Masters field through the world top-50. However, Hossler had to win at Houston to make it and he missed the cut, ending his chances.
Two players not eligible for the Masters but inside the top-50 should stay there: J.J. Spaun (27th) and Stephan Jaeger (44th). Spaun missed the cut at Houston, and Jaeger is tied for 16th. Two more who did not enter at Houston should also hold their spots inside the top-50: Daniel Berger (41st) and Laurie Canter (47th).
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Once the World Golf Rankings are updated late Sunday night, those four will officially be eligible for a Masters invitation.
Masters: Who's out, who be could in
Here are the players who are not yet eligible for the Masters and what Nosferatu projected as their minimum finish in Houston to make the top 50 and earn an invitation. (Position in Houston through the second round):
52. Michael Kim, top 50 (T19)
53. Ben Griffin, top 28 (T47)
61. Eric Cole, top four (T9)
66. Si Woo Kim, top three (missed cut)
67. Jacob Bridgeman, top three (missed cut)
68. Mackenzie Hughes, top three (T19)
72. Patrick Rodgers, top two (T47)
73. Max McGreevy, top two (missed cut)
79. Andrew Novak, top two (missed cut)
80. Sam Stevens, solo second (T33)
81. Adam Hadwin, solo second (T19)
82. Taylor Moore, solo second (withdrew, injury)
84. Matt Wallace, solo second (missed cut)
85. Jake Knapp, solo second (T19)
86. Thorbjorn Olesen, solo second (missed cut)
87. Beau Hossler, win (missed cut)
That means Si Woo Kim, Bridgeman, McGreevy, Novak, Moore, Wallace, Oleson and Hossler are out.
With any kind of a decent weekend, Michael Kim and Ben Griffin can make it. Cole will have to be in serious contention but he's playing well at the moment. Hughes, Rodgers, Stevens, Hadwin and Knapp have some work to do.
Who else can get to the Masters from Houston?
Winning is always the option, but there can only be one of those.
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In addition to the eight players who can make it through the World Golf Rankings, 42 made the cut at Houston who are not yet eligible for the Masters. That means 50 players in the weekend field can punch a ticket to Augusta by winning.
Those include Rickie Fowler (T47), Keith Mitchell, (T9), Gary Woodland (T9) and Charley Hoffman (T47).
Those with a puncher's chance in San Antonio
The Valero Texas Open is Last Chance Gulch for as many as 118 players in the field at TPC San Antonio, counting those above who didn't get into the top-50 after Houston.
Among those who need to win to get in at Augusta are past PGA Tour winners Joel Dahman, Fowler, Brice Garnett, Emiliano Grillo, Hoffman, Kevin Kisner, Kurt Kitiyama, Jake Knapp, Matt Kuchar, Martin Laird, Peter Malnati, Francesco Molinari, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Camilo Villegas and Jimmy Walker.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Masters Tournament eligibility: Who can make Augusta after Houston cut?
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