Columnist Peter Benton: Many routes to take on trip to Augusta

Peter Benton

Wednesday, April 7, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Have you ever wondered exactly what the criteria are to receive an invitation to Augusta's famous event -- The Masters? Well, the following will give you the answer:

The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking the week prior to the 2004 Masters.

The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for 2003.

The 10 leaders on the Official PGA Tour Money List published during the week before the 2004 Masters.

The 40 leaders on the Final Official PGA Tour Money List for 2003.

The first four players, including ties, in the 2003 PGA Championship.

The first four players, including ties, in the 2003 British Open.

The first eight players, including ties, in the 2003 U.S. Open Championship.

The first 16 players, including ties, in the 2003 Masters.

The current U.S. Mid-Amateur champion.

The current U.S. Amateur Public Links champion.

The current British Amateur champion (honorary, non-competing after one year).

Current runner-up to the present U.S. Amateur champion.

Current U.S. Amateur champion (honorary, non-competing after one year).

Winners of The Players Championship (three years).

PGA Champions (honorary, non-competing after five years).

British Open champions (honorary, non-competing after five years).

U.S. Open champions (honorary, non-competing after five years).

Masters champions (lifetime).

ACE FOR DR. CRUZ: Sincere congratulations to Dr. Sonny Cruz, whose perfectly struck 9-iron on the 130-yard, par-3, fourth hole at Anthem's Revere Course, unerringly found the bottom of the cup for his first hole in one.

Witnessing this historic feat were fellow doctors, Nel Torres, Ig Cruz, and Emerto Aquino.

CAMPBELL'S CLIMB: Chad Campbell, the 2002 Nationwide Tour player of the year, won the second PGA Tour title of his career when he was victorious in the recent Bay Hill Invitational.

Campbell, you may recall, won his first Tour title at the season-ending Tour Championship last year.

This former UNLV Rebels golfer joins a group of 25 players who have graduated from the Nationwide Tour and won multiple times on the PGA Tour.

Here is a list of Nationwide Tour alums who have had at least two PGA Tour victories:

David Duval, 13; Ernie Els, 13; Jim Furyk, 9; David Thoms, 9; John Daly, 5; Tom Lehman, 5; Stuart Appleby, 5; Notah Begay, 4; Chris DiMarco, 3; Joe Durant, 3; Tim Herron, 3; Steve Stricker, 3; with the following players having two wins, each: Olin Browne, Chad Campbell, Stewart Cink, J.P. Hayes, Brian Henninger, Jerry Kelly, J.L. Lewis, Frank Lickliter, Steve Lowrey, Jeff Maggert, Len Mattice, Tom Pernice, Mike Sringer and Ted Tryba.