Tyrrell Hatton's Masters Masterclass Can't Save LIV Golf's Worst Week Yet, Only Five Make the Cut

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: LIV Golf showed up to Augusta National with 10 players, and by Friday afternoon, only five were still playing. That's half its contingent gone, and it's the smallest Masters representation the Saudi-backed league has ever had.

The one bright spot? Tyrrell Hatton absolutely showed up. The English golfer dropped a 6-under 66 in the second round, tying for seventh place heading into the weekend at 4-under for the tournament. That's eight shots back of Rory McIlroy's lead, but for a LIV player this week, it might as well be the lead. Hatton was lights out with seven birdies, though he couldn't resist a three-putt on 18 that cost him solo possession of the best round of the day. McIlroy posted a 65 to steal that honor, but Hatton's round was still his best at Augusta National in 34 attempts, and only the fourth time he's broken 70 on these grounds.

The LIV Collapse Everyone Saw Coming

Here's where it gets ugly. Dustin Johnson limped in at even par to grab second-best honors among the LIV crew. After that? The drop-off is brutal. Sergio Garcia at 3-over, Jon Rahm and Charl Schwartzel both at 4-over making the cut on the number. That's it. Five players moving to the weekend.

The casualties are brutal. Bryson DeChambeau needed a bogey on 18 to survive, and instead took a triple bogey. That's the second triple bogey of the week for him after carding one Thursday at the 11th. Two-time Masters champ Bubba Watson was also positioned to advance until he missed an 18-footer for par on his final hole. The league is hemorrhaging relevance at the one major where tradition still matters most.

A Downward Trend That Keeps Getting Worse

This isn't new. LIV Golf started 2023 with 18 players qualifying for Augusta. That dropped to 13 in 2024, then 12 last year. Now five. The recent departures of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have stung, but Hatton's insistence that LIV players need no special preparation for the Masters rings hollow when the results speak this loudly.

Hatton will tee off this weekend with a legitimate chance to salvage something for the league. But one player can't mask what's happening here: LIV Golf's Masters presence is collapsing, and the pressure is on him to prove his league still belongs at golf's most prestigious stage.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.