Winners of regular PGA Tour events will qualify for Masters invitations from next year in a tradition renewed after an absence of eight years, writes Douglas Lowe.

The change was announced yesterday by Billy Payne, the new chairman of Augusta National, who said: "I can remember innumerable times when winners of tournament events were more excited to hear that they had automatically qualified for the Masters than to receive the first prize-money cheque.

"It was an exciting component of golf that really only the Masters could offer, and we all thought it appropriate that we bring it back."

In other changes, players qualifying for the previous year's Tour Championship will be invited, while the number qualifying from the final official PGA Tour money list will fall from 40 to 30.

"Our goal is to have the strongest field possible, and these qualifications accomplish that objective," said Payne.

The new qualifications had been applied in theory over the last five years and Payne reported the field size as a result averaged between one and two players more. This year it is 97.

Payne was less forthcoming about Augusta's all-male membership policy. Asked if this might change, especially in light of a bill going through congress that would take tax concessions away from non-mixed clubs, he said: "All members and membership are subject to the private deliberations of the members. Other than that, sir, I'm simply not going to talk about it."