Six European Tour Members will experience the magic of Augusta National for the first time next week when they take their place among a record 34 European Tour invitees for the Masters Tournament.
Bradley Dredge, Johan Edfors, Kenneth Ferrie, Robert Karlsson, Jeev Milkha Singh and YE Yang will be making their debuts in the event, as will amateurs Julien Guerrier of France and Richie Ramsey of Scotland, The Amateur Champion and US Amateur Champion respectively.
With the field finalised for the season’s first Major Championship, 107 players have been invited, with 97 expected to participate, announced Billy Payne, Chairman of the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club.
Justin Rose of England was one of six players who qualified for the Masters among the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking the week prior to the tournament. It will be Rose’s third appearance and first since 2004.
Among the debutants, Singh will be making history as the first Indian golfer to compete in the Masters Tournament. Victories in the Volvo China Open and season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama on The 2006 European Tour International Schedule, in addition to the Casio World Open and Nippon Series JT Cup on the Japan Golf Tour, helped elevate Singh into the World’s Top 50 and on his ground-breaking journey.
Welshman Dredge will also be getting his first taste of one of the most eagerly anticipated events in sport having established himself as one of Europe’s most consistent performers, with two victories on The European Tour sitting alongside his win in the WGC – World Cup, where he partnered Stephen Dodd to the title in 2005.
Edfors of Sweden enjoyed a sensational 2006 season, winning three times and finishing tenth on The European Tour Order of Merit and he too will be taking the trip up Magnolia Drive for the first time. He will be joined by his fellow debutant countryman Robert Karlsson, himself a winner of two titles last year and Member of Europe’s victorious 2006 Ryder Cup Team.
Ferrie, a two-time European Tour winner, made a huge impression on his first appearance in a US Major last year when, at the US Open, he went into the final round tied for the lead with Phil Mickelson before finishing tied sixth. His performance at Winged Foot among the top eight earned the Englishman his first invitation to Augusta National.
Korean Yang upstaged many of the world’s biggest stars in winning the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai last November. It was his third victory during 2006 and lifted him into the World Top 50 to earn an invitation to Augusta National.
American Phil Mickelson will be defending the title having won two Green Jackets in the last three years.
2007 Masters Tournament Invitees
Tommy Aaron (1)
Robert Allenby (Australia)(15,16,17)
Stephen Ames (Canada)(5,10,14,16,17)
Stuart Appleby (Australia)(14,16,17)
Aaron Baddeley (Australia)(15,17)
Severiano Ballesteros (Spain)(1)
Rich Beem (4)
Thomas Bjorn (Denmark)(16)
Gay Brewer Jr. (1)
Bart Bryant (17)
Jack Burke Jr. (1)
Angel Cabrera (Argentina)(10,16,17)
Mark Calcavecchia (15)
Chad Campbell (10,14,16,17)
Michael Campbell (New Zealand)(2,16,17)
Paul Casey (England)(16,17)
Billy Casper (1)
K.J. Choi (Korea)(14,16,17)
Stewart Cink (10,14,16,17)
Tim Clark (South Africa)(10,14,16,17)
Darren Clarke (N. Ireland)(16)
Charles Coody (1)
Fred Couples (1,10)
Ben Crane (16)
Ben Crenshaw (1)
Ben Curtis (3,14)
Chris DiMarco (12,16,17)
Luke Donald (England)(13,14,16,17)
# Bradley Dredge (Wales)(16)
Joe Durant (14,16,17)
# Johan Edfors (Sweden)(16)
Ernie Els (South Africa)(3,12,14,16,17)
Nick Faldo (England)(1)
Niclas Fasth (Sweden)(16,17)
# Kenneth Ferrie (England)(11)
Raymond Floyd (1)
Doug Ford (1)
Fred Funk (5)
Jim Furyk (2,11,12,14,16,17)
Sergio Garcia (Spain)(13,16,17)
Lucas Glover (14,16,17)
Bob Goalby (1)
Retief Goosen (South Africa)(2,10,14,16,17)
Paul Goydos (17)
#* Julien Guerrier (France) (7)
Todd Hamilton (3)
Padraig Harrington (Ireland)(11,16,17)
# J.J. Henry (14)
Tim Herron (14)
Charles Howell III (15,17)
David Howell (England)(16,17)
Trevor Immelman (South Africa)(14,16,17)
Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain)(10)
Zach Johnson (14)
# Robert Karlsson (Sweden)(16,17)
Shingo Katayama (Japan)(16,17)
Jerry Kelly (14)
#* John Kelly (6-B)
Bernhard Langer (Germany)(1)
Davis Love III (14,16,17)
Sandy Lyle (Scotland)(1)
# Troy Matteson (14)
Billy Mayfair (10)
Shaun Micheel (4,13)
Phil Mickelson (1,4,11,14,15,16,17)
Larry Mize (1)
Colin Montgomerie (Scotland)(11,16,17)
Jack Nicklaus (1)
Arron Oberholser (10,14,16,17)
Geoff Ogilvy (Australia)(2,10,14,15,16,17)
Nick O'Hern (Australia)(11,16,17)
Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain)(1,10,14,16,17)
Mark O'Meara (1)
Arnold Palmer (1)
Rod Pampling (Australia)(10,14,16,17)
Tom Pernice Jr. (14)
Carl Pettersson (Sweden)(14,16,17)
Gary Player (South Africa)(1)
Ian Poulter (England)(16,17)
# Brett Quigley (14)
#* Richie Ramsay (Scotland)(6-A)
John Rollins (15,17)
Justin Rose (England)(17)
Rory Sabbatini (South Africa)(14,16)
Adam Scott (Australia)(13,14,16,17)
# Jeev Milkha Singh (India)(16,17)
Vijay Singh (Fiji)(1,4,10,11,14,15,16,17)
Jeff Sluman (11)
Craig Stadler (1)
Henrik Stenson (Sweden)(15,16,17)
Steve Stricker (11,14,17)
# Hideto Tanihara (Japan)
Vaughn Taylor (14)
David Toms (14,16,17)
Scott Verplank (10,14)
# Camilo Villegas (Colombia)(14)
#* Casey Watabu (8)
Tom Watson (1)
Mike Weir (Canada)(1,10,11,14,16,17)
Lee Westwood (England)(16)
# Brett Wetterich (14,16,17)
# Dean Wilson (14)
#* Dave Womack (9)
Tiger Woods (1,2,3,4,10,14,15,16,17)
Ian Woosnam (Wales)(1)
# Y. E. Yang (Korea)(16,17)
Fuzzy Zoeller (1)
Number after each name indicates the basis of qualification. The Masters Committee, at its discretion, also invites international players not otherwise qualified. 1. Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
2. US Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
3. British Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
4. PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
5. Winners of The Players Championship (2005 and 2006)
6. Current US Amateur Champion (6-A) (Honorary, non-competing after 1 year) and the runner-up (6-B) to the current US Amateur Champion
7. Current British Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after 1 year)
8. Current US Amateur Public Links Champion
9. Current US Mid-Amateur Champion
10. The first 16 players, including ties, in the 2006 Masters Tournament
11. The first 8 players, including ties, in the 2006 US Open Championship
12. The first 4 players, including ties, in the 2006 British Open Championship
13. The first 4 players, including ties, in the 2006 PGA Championship
14. The 40 leaders on the Final Official PGA Tour Money List for 2006
15. The 10 leaders on the Official PGA Tour Money List published during the week prior to the 2007 Masters Tournament.
16. The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for 2006.
17. The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the 2007 Masters Tournament
