Louis Oosthuizen leaves LIV Golf: ‘Hardest decision of my career’

Former major champion Louis Oosthuizen announced Wednesday that he is leaving LIV Golf. He will not re-sign for the league’s next chapter and plans to play the DP World Tour in 2027.

Oosthuizen captained Southern Guards throughout LIV Golf’s entire existence. The team consisted entirely of South African professionals, and LIV’s South Africa event became one of the league’s biggest success stories. Oosthuizen’s 2010 Open Championship victory and several other high major finishes also helped raise LIV Golf’s stature.

Oosthuizen announced his decision in an emotional farewell shared on social media.

“Five years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life, moving away from the traditional golf world and into something very special with LIV Golf and Southern Guards GC. I’m the biggest supporter of team golf and always will be. Golf needs more of it,” he wrote.

Oosthuizen said his decision was driven by his belief that he still has several years left to contend on professional golf’s biggest stages. His biggest fear was that LIV 2.0’s 2027 schedule would make it difficult to prepare for those events.

“I realized I have a lot more in me, and my biggest fear was that the schedule on LIV 2.0 would be tough to manage. I feel I have a few more years of good, competitive golf left in me, and the only way to be really sharp and competitive is through a schedule I control,” Oosthuizen said.

He also described how difficult it was to leave Southern Guards.

“Southern Guards is my team. It always has been and it always will be. That’s what makes this so difficult. This is probably the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my career, but I have to do what I believe is right for my golf. It doesn’t change how I feel about the team or the guys,” he explained.

“Bringing LIV Golf to South Africa was one of the best things I’ve done in my career. It was for the people of South Africa, and I think it was a great success. That’s the best thing that came out of this year. I’ll always be grateful to PIF and LIV for what they did for me. I made new friends and got even closer to my current friends and family,” Oosthuizen added.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post ahead of his appearance at the Asian Tour’s Link Hong Kong Open, Oosthuizen said it was “time to move on” and reiterated his focus on the majors.

“I’ve had some success at majors, but you work and play to have a sniff of that again. I’m at a different stage of my golfing life, but it’s pretty sweet when you still get called the Open Champion. The Open is at a course I love and where I’ve won. The goal is to get my game as sharp as possible, to have myself ready, then see how it goes,” he said.

In addition to his 2010 Open victory at St. Andrews, Oosthuizen has five runner-up finishes in majors. His most recent came at the 2021 PGA Championship and 2021 U.S. Open. He lost the 2012 Masters to Bubba Watson in a playoff, while Zach Johnson defeated him in a three-man playoff at the 2015 Open at St. Andrews.

Because of his 2010 victory, Oosthuizen is exempt from qualifying for every Open through age 60. He will therefore compete when the championship returns to the Old Course at St. Andrews next July. He has significant work to do to qualify for the other 2027 majors.

Oosthuizen once reached No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking, but his position has fallen to No. 539 since he joined LIV.

Oosthuizen is the second LIV captain to leave the league in recent weeks, following Jon Rahm. Another captain could also be on his way out. Sergio Garcia’s LIV contract was terminated at his lawyers’ request in early October.

Garcia had previously expressed interest in playing LIV 2.0 and the DP World Tour in 2027. But following the DP World Tour’s recent ban on LIV players, he will have to choose between the two. Given his interest in making Europe’s Ryder Cup team, he appears likely to leave LIV Golf as well.

Based on reporting by GOLF.com. Original author: Kevin Cunningham.