it would be quite subjective who gets picked and who doesn't, unless you make some democratic vote with a poll or just on a thread to pick your 3 candidates for playing in the tournament, granted they want to participate in the first place. If not, then doing it internally or secretly seems like the only option, being invited personally in a 16 man tournament with more or less the current best players of NW in the world.
From my experience with a closed 16 man elite tournament from a different game, it's best done without others knowing really. Question is how the host decides who should be there and who shouldn't.
