Letter from Augusta: Augusta National could have provided a huge lift in elevating the stature of Europe’s leading players

At least Masters chairman Fred Ridley says he’s considering it. Maybe next year.

READY: Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the par 3 contest the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

After Masters chairman Fred Ridley hinted in December about potential changes to the qualification criteria to get into the Masters, Wednesday’s announcement of one new category and a couple of minor semantic tweaks was pretty disappointing.

Starting in 2024, the NCAA Division I men’s national champion – America’s collegiate winner – will add a seventh amateur invitation to the major. Augusta telegraphed that changed this year by extending the 2022 national champion Gordon Sargent a special invitation, the first ever to an American player.