Joaquin Niemann, who competes in the LIV Golf League, is returning to the Masters, the second straight time Augusta National has given the 26-year-old Chilean a special invitation to the year's first major championship tournament.
Augusta National also invited Nicolai Hojgaard, a more surprising decision because the 23-year-old from Denmark played a full PGA Tour schedule for the first time and did not record a top-10 finish since playing the Masters last year.
Hojgaard's twin brother, Rasmus, already qualified from being among the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of 2024. It will be the first time for twins to compete in the same Masters. Both of the brothers have played the British Open the past two years.
Niemann became the first player since Ryo Ishikawa of Japan in 2012-13 to receive the special invitation in consecutive years. This was another example of the club looking beyond traditional tours to assemble its field.
Niemann remains the only LIV golfer to get an invitation since the Saudi-funded league began in June 2022.
"In support of Augusta National's efforts to develop interest in golf globally, deserving international players not otherwise qualified have been invited throughout the tournament's history," chairman Fred Ridley said in a release. "The tradition continues as we welcome Nicolai and Joaquin back to the Masters, as both players have showcased their talent while competing around the world."
LIV Golf does not get OWGR points because it has a closed roster each season, making it difficult for players to get into the top 50 in the ranking, a main category for global players to make it to the Masters.
Niemann tends to play outside LIV in a bid to get into the majors.
He finished fifth in the Australian PGA Championship and won the Australian Open at the end of 2023, and he tied for fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic on the Europe-based DP World Tour in early 2024. Augusta National took notice and invited him.
Niemann, who tied for 22nd in the Masters last year, ended 2024 with a tie for seventh in the DP World Tour Championship, tied for fifth in the Australian Open and won the Saudi International on the Asian Tour. He is No. 71 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
It generally is tougher for PGA Tour members to get special Masters invitations because they have more opportunities to qualify, either by winning any of the 40 tournaments on that circuit's schedule or making it to the season-ending Tour Championship.
Hojgaard did not make the FedEx Cup playoffs despite 17 starts, though one of his best performances of the year was at Augusta National.
The young Dane, who made his Ryder Cup debut for Europe in 2023, briefly held the lead in the third round at the Masters until he closed with a 76. He shot a 40 on the back nine, missing by one shot finishing in the top 12 to automatically qualify for this year.
Before the Masters, Hojgaard had a runner-up in the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open at San Diego's Torrey Pines last January. After his tie for 16th in the Masters, his only top-10 resuts were seventh place at the Paris Olympics and a tie for ninth at the Genesis Championship in South Korea.
The special invitations bring the field to 87 players who are expected to play. Still to be decided is the Latin America Amateur champion next week, any PGA Tour winner of tournaments that offer full FedEx Cup points, and the top 50 in the world published a week before the Masters.