The “secretive” nature of Masters invitations means LIV guns Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert aren’t locking in a start at Augusta should they win the Australian Open after last year’s winner Joaquin Niemann had the door open to him.

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But the three spots on offer at the British Open loom large for both, with Leishman declaring he won’t be ”chasing” world rankings points to get back into the majors, adding extra motivation, “if we need any”, to capture the flagship event.

Augusta chairman Fred Ridley called the Australian Open one of the “great, great championships in the world” as he explained Niemann’s invitation, raising hope this year’s victor could earn the same welcome.

But it’s an event the Australian duo conceded had become harder and harder to win as more talent emerged, highlighted by 22-year-old Elvis Smylie’s PGA Championship win, holding off Cam Smith and Leishman last weekend.

“I think those three Open spots are huge. Definitely a big drawcard for this event,” Leishman, who has three top-10s at both the British Open and the Masters but hasn’t played a major since 2022 after his move to LIV, said on Tuesday.

“We all want to be playing the majors, but certainly it’s extra motivation to play well this week if we need any. The (British) Open championship spots, they have a few events that have it and if it works in, I’ll definitely look at playing those.

“But as far as world rankings and chasing those for me, I’m not going to do that.”

Herbert, who played the Masters once, in 2022, among his 15 major championship appearances, wanted golf to get back to a landscape where “something translates a bit more directly” for LIV players who don’t have existing exemptions.

“It’s tricky. Augusta’s always quite secretive about how they give away their invites if you’re outside the top 50 in the world and don’t sort of fit into the general criteria,” he said.

“So Jaoco (Niemann) last year, it’s obviously a great treat and if one of us was to win this week and we got the invite to play the Masters, it’d be very, very cool.

“I’d love to get back into a landscape of golf where something translates a bit more directly for us playing obviously out there on LIV.

“Major exemptions are really important. It’s a big focus of ours and I think you probably see a few more guys from LIV coming out to play these events, or play the Aussie Open anyway, in years to come with those on the table.”

After finishing third at the PGA last week, after an eight-week break, Leishman looms as a major figure at Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Clubs this week, suggesting the softer conditions, after early-week rain, and lessons learnt from close putts at Royal Queensland, give him confidence of breaking that duck on home soil.

“It’s hard to win and when you want something so bad it makes it even harder again,” he said.

“So maybe a little different mindset for me this week, try and go out there and have more fun, play a bit more aggressive like we do during the year in LIV.

“The three-round events kind of lend themselves to a bit more aggressive play because you have to get off to a good start and less rounds to get work done, but I want to try and do that this week.

“It’s looking like they’re (the greens) going to be a little softer than what we’re probably used to playing. I think it’s maybe a little bit more American style of golf this week and try and play that style of golf.”