It’s rare to have a player in the top 40 missing from the Masters, much less four of them.
Rarer still is to show up at Augusta National and notice who’s missing.
That element won’t change, especially with so much anticipation from waiting 18 months to hear: “Fore, please. Tiger Woods now driving.” And with so much intrigue about chasing a green jacket two weeks before Thanksgiving.
The chase will not include Daniel Berger, the No. 13 player in the world.
Berger received more attention from being left off the November invitation list than if he had been playing in the Masters. It became a bigger story than necessary because he was holding out hope that his three months of great play this summer, including a victory at Colonial, might count toward a major that was supposed to be held in the spring.
With the Masters a week away, Berger has company among players in the top 40.
Viktor Hovland, a former U.S. Amateur champion from Norway, won the Puerto Rico Open and has relied on solid, steady golf to reach No. 24 in the world. Ryan Palmer is having a resurgent year with five top-10 finishes and two close calls. He is No. 33, his best world ranking in five years.