The leading top-50 world ranked players as of December 31 each year receive a formal invitation in the post to contest the Masters.
Aphibarnrat was ranked No. 51 in the world heading into this week’s event but on the advice of the Surrey-based World Rankings body he would need to finish top-10 to move inside the top-50 and secure the Augusta invitation.
But then if he did not tee-up in his homeland strangely he would jump two places and end the year ranked No. 49 in the world and given there is no ‘world rankling’ golf event to be staged anywhere between Christmas and New Year.
So, rather than risk not finishing top-10 the Callaway-attached Thai golfer advised Tour officials he was withdrawing.
It assures the 28-year old and three-times European Tour winner a second straight Masters appearance after his superb share of 15th on debut earlier this year.
However, spare a thought for Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira who is this week ranked No. 49 in the world but with Aphibarnrat now not competing in Thailand he will fall to 51st in the world and missing out on a Masters invitation by .0031 of a World Ranking point.
Of course, players do have to the final week before next April’s Masters to still secure an invitation but the task only gets harder the closer to the new season’s first Major.
