Should Ernie Els Get a Masters Invitation?

[BugDude]

The Masters is a private tournament.  They can make whatever criteria they want, change it whenever they want, and invite whomever they want and as many of them for whatever or no reason.  It is not like an Open that has to be qualified for in order to get it.  They can invite Stevie Wonder to play in it if they want to.

[TheGeekGolfer]

Originally Posted by BugDude

The Masters is a private tournament.  They can make whatever criteria they want, change it whenever they want, and invite whomever they want and as many of them for whatever or no reason.  It is not like an Open that has to be qualified for in order to get it.  They can invite Stevie Wonder to play in it if they want to.

Of course, they 'can' do this, I just don't think they 'should' do this.

[BugDude]

I don't know...it would actually be fairly interesting to see Stevie Wonder play in the Masters.  I had to play the back 9 Saturday without my glasses and I did better than on the front.  It was an eye-opening experience, pardon the pun.

[mtsalmela80]

I have to agree. I mean jesus, you gotta make that four footer....there are not that many four footers that are going to put you into a play-off in a golfers career.

I wanted Ernie to make that putt as bad as I wanted Bubba to make his a couple weeks ago.

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Not if he can't make a few putts from four feet.

Augusta is about putting.

At the same time, the pundits say the Masters has the weakest field of all the Majors. They CAN open it up. It's not as if there are a lot of bodies playing -- it's fairly limited.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

It is a little too exclusive for my liking.

Thats The Masters for you though.  Its run by a bunch of stuffy old men who want it to be exclusive and want to look down their noses at the rest of the world.

As for Els, I feel for the guy but he simply hasnt earned it.

[johnthejoiner]

The fact that a tournament has invitational spots is one of the reasons i think the masters shouldn't be classed as a major

[iacas]

Originally Posted by johnthejoiner

The fact that a tournament has invitational spots is one of the reasons i think the masters shouldn't be classed as a major

The U.S. Open has given special exemptions to players. So has the British Open.

[jhwmusic]

I don't know...it would actually be fairly interesting to see Stevie Wonder play in the Masters.  I had to play the back 9 Saturday without my glasses and I did better than on the front.  It was an eye-opening experience, pardon the pun.

Stevie Wonder probably would have hit that four footer! But I feel they will still invite Ernie just because he is Ernie. They have given those invites to way less deserving players than Ernie....even if he is on his way out.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Thats The Masters for you though.  Its run by a bunch of stuffy old men who want it to be exclusive and want to look down their noses at the rest of the world.

As for Els, I feel for the guy but he simply hasnt earned it.

Read "The Making of the Masters" and you might change your view somewhat.

What you have said is as prejudiced, judgemental and ignorant as what you are accusing them of.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by johnthejoiner

The fact that a tournament has invitational spots is one of the reasons i think the masters shouldn't be classed as a major

OK. It's no longer a major. Done. Simple. Not even an argument.

Majors classed themselves - they weren't classed by others.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by Shorty

Read "The Making of the Masters" and you might change your view somewhat.

What you have said is as prejudiced, judgemental and ignorant as what you are accusing them of.

Really?  Im well versed on The Masters and those who run it and their negative attitude towards women and minorities says otherwise.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by Shorty

OK. It's no longer a major. Done. Simple. Not even an argument.

Majors classed themselves - they weren't classed by others.

Ummm....no.  The Masters IS a major.  I dont like The Masters either and wish it wasnt a major but just because I dont like it doesnt make it not a major.  I dont know anyone who truly knows golf who would say its not a major.

[mvmac]

I voted yes.  3 time major winner, played in every Masters since '94, inducted into the HOF last year

I may be wrong but I think in the past if you got an invite if you were on the previous year's President's or Ryder Cup team, which Ernie was on, his 7th.

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by BugDude

The Masters is a private tournament.  They can make whatever criteria they want, change it whenever they want, and invite whomever they want and as many of them for whatever or no reason.  It is not like an Open that has to be qualified for in order to get it.  They can invite Stevie Wonder to play in it if they want to.

This is always the argument, but the bottom line is that the Masters is a major.  As such, it has to act like a major.

Originally Posted by iacas

The U.S. Open has given special exemptions to players. So has the British Open.

I think it's pretty well accepted that the Masters has the weakest field of any major.  I still think it's a great tournament, but when you've already got folks using the word "weak" in the same sentence as "Masters field" then the special exemptions might warrant a bit more scrutiny.

That said, Ernie deserves a special exemption for the reasons already stated:  he was on the Prez Cup team last year, he was inducted into the HoF last year, and he's really close to making it on merit.  The fact that he is an "honorary" invitee as a result of his major wins means that his invitation isn't all that controversial anyway (certainly can't make the same arguments against Els that you could against some obscure amateur player).

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by k-troop

I think it's pretty well accepted that the Masters has the weakest field of any major.  I still think it's a great tournament, but when you've already got folks using the word "weak" in the same sentence as "Masters field" then the special exemptions might warrant a bit more scrutiny.

Yes and by weak I think we mean the depth of the field.  We still get the best 50 players in the world but after that there is Fuzzy and Larry Mize competing.  With the other 3, especially the US Open or British Open there is the chance anyone that plays their a$$ off that week can win.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Ummm....no.  The Masters IS a major.  I dont like The Masters either and wish it wasnt a major but just because I dont like it doesnt make it not a major.  I dont know anyone who truly knows golf who would say its not a major.

Of course it is a major. I was being flippant. My point was that when someone says they "don't think it should be classed a major because it has invitational spots" it is like saying that they don't think apples should be called fruit because they don't like them. It is a silly, pointless and futile line aof argument. The "classification" of the four majors evolved quite natuarally and it can't be controlled. If it could be, the Players woukld be classed as a major. The PGATour want this to happen but it won't. We are stuck with the four we have. It won't change. And I have no problem with that. To say that you don't think it "should be classed" as a major is about as moot an argument as you can have.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by mvmac

With Ernie losing the lead yesterday and not winning the Transitions he is outside of where he needs to be to receive an invitaiton to the Masters. Last year Ernie slipped outside of the top 50 in the world. You have to go back 20 years -- to the end of 1992 when he was ranked 40th -- to find him that low. By falling outside of the top 50, Els saw a Masters invite slip through his grasp. He started the Transitions at 68th in the world, and moved to only 62nd with his tie for fifth. Next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational is the last chance to get into the top 50, and he's likely in need of a victory there, too, to crack the top 50. Short of that, his only way into the Masters would be a win at the Shell Houston Open.

There is always the possibility of a special invitation based on his hall of fame status. So the question is, should he get an invite?

Here's an article Tim Rosaforte wrote making a plea for Ernie

http://www.golfworldmonday.com/golfworldmonday/20120319/?pg=24±=1&u1;=friend#pg24

Absolutely.  I think that any guy who has played in the Masters for 10 or more years in a row should get one special invitation in the first year he does not otherwise qualify.

[johnthejoiner]

Originally Posted by Shorty

Of course it is a major. I was being flippant. My point was that when someone says they "don't think it should be classed a major because it has invitational spots" it is like saying that they don't think apples should be called fruit because they don't like them. It is a silly, pointless and futile line aof argument. The "classification" of the four majors evolved quite natuarally and it can't be controlled. If it could be, the Players woukld be classed as a major. The PGATour want this to happen but it won't. We are stuck with the four we have. It won't change. And I have no problem with that. To say that you don't think it "should be classed" as a major is about as moot an argument as you can have.

The masters wasn't classed as a major until the late 50s early 60s as was the PGA Championship It is difficult to determine when the definition changed to include the current four tournaments, although many trace it to Arnold Palmer's 1960 season, when after winning the Masters and the U.S. Open to start the season he remarked that if he could win the Open Championship and PGA Championship to finish the season, he would complete "a grand slam of his own" to rival Bobby Jones's 1930 feat