Special Masters Invitation for Ex-AAC Contender

Augusta, Georgia, United States: Seven years after missing out on earning a starting spot in the Masters Tournament, Kazuki Higa will belatedly make his Augusta National debut in 2023.

Heading into the final day of the 2016 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, Higa was in joint fifth place. A good last round would give the Japanese a chance of victory and with it an invitation to the 2017 Masters.

However, things did not go to plan for the then 20-year-old who signed off with a 78 which left him in 10th place as Australian Curtis Luck marched to victory.

But seven years on and Higa is now able to look forward to stepping foot on the hallowed Augusta turf after receiving a special invitation to play in the 87th edition of the event, from April 6-9.

“That’s a piece of very pleasant news at the start of the year,” said Higa, whose invite was a reward for a memorable 2022 season during which he won four times on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) and topped the Order of Merit standings.

Now 68th in the Official World Golf Ranking, Higa added: “It’s surreal. The joy that I got upon receiving the invitation was very special indeed. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to play at the Augusta. All these years I could only watch the tournament on TV, but now I’ll be part of it.

“I’m relishing the tough course setting at the Augusta, and since I have the opportunity to participate, I would like to prepare well so that I can produce good results.”

For Higa, now aged 27, it will be a second Major championship appearance having lined up in last year’s 150th Open at St Andrews, where he missed the cut.

Higa was one of two players to receive a special invitation to the 2023 Masters, the other being American Gordon Sargent, the reigning National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) individual champion.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said: “The Masters Tournament prioritises opportunities to elevate both amateur and professional golf around the world.

“Thus, we have extended invitations to two deserving players not otherwise qualified. Whether on the international stage or at the elite amateur level, each player has showcased their talent in the past year. We look forward to hosting them at Augusta National in April.”

As part of his build-up to Augusta, Higa will compete in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii next week. The spot was given by Sony, the tournament's title sponsor, to Higa, who is also slated to make several trips to Europe this year as he now holds a limited status on the DP World Tour.

The Japanese was one of the three beneficiaries, along with Rikuya Hoshino and Aguri Iwasaki, as a result of the new alliance formed by the JGTO, PGA Tour and DP World Tour last month.

As part of the deal, from 2023 onwards the top three on the JGTO’s season-ending money list will earn status to play on the DP World Tour for the following season.