Masters field just under 90 heading into the New Year

Heading into the New Year, the 2016 Masters field will sit at 89 players.

The field grew by 15 players with the release of the final Official World Golf Ranking of 2015. The top 50 players in the last ranking of the year automatically qualify for the year’s first major if they’re not already exempt.

In recent years, the bulk of these OWGR-based exemptions have gone to foreign-born players who do not typically play on the PGA Tour. That trend holds true this year, with the likes of Danny Willett, up-and-comer Matthew Fitzpatrick and Victor Dubuisson getting into the Masters field on the strength of their world ranking.

Lee Westwood was the last man to get in the Masters on the top-50 exemption, improving this week one spot from 51st to 50th, bumping Chris Kirk to 51st. Kirk, however, was already in the Masters field by virtue of winning at Colonial last May. Players who win PGA Tour events that offer full FedEx Cup points after the 2015 Masters gain an invitation to the Masters. In 2016, there will be 13 tournaments offering opportunities to score invites.

Aside from winning a PGA Tour event leading into the Masters, the only other way to qualify for the field in 2016 is to land inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking in the week before the Masters.

Two players already exempt in the field are doubtful to play at Augusta National in April. Four-time winner Tiger Woods is unclear when he’ll return to competitive golf, while Sangmoon Bae is expected not to compete while he completes a 21-month term of conscripted military service in his native South Korea.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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