Louis Oosthuizen has announced he will leave LIV Golf and return to the DP World Tour in 2027, calling the decision "the hardest" of his career. The former Open Championship winner, who joined LIV in 2022 and captained the Southern Guards GC team, said he needs a more flexible schedule to maintain his competitive edge.
LIV Golf has struggled since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its multibillion-dollar backing, leading the league to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States last month. Oosthuizen, 44, is among several notable players stepping away from the controversial tour amid ongoing financial and organizational uncertainty.
“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,” Oosthuizen wrote on social media. “I’m the biggest supporter of team golf and always will be. Golf needs more of it.”
He added, “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.”
Oosthuizen, who won the Open in 2010 and has finished runner-up at the other three majors, said he fears LIV Golf’s planned “2.0” schedule will be difficult to manage. He believes a return to the DP World Tour will allow him to control his playing calendar and extend his career at a high level.
“I realised I have a lot more in me, and my biggest fear was that the schedule on LIV 2.0 would be tough to manage,” Oosthuizen said. “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.”
His departure follows a wave of exits from LIV Golf. Thomas Pieters, Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, David Puig and Adrian Meronk have also left the league. Last week, Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, ended his legal dispute with LIV Golf by giving up a reported £75 million owed to him after a separation agreement.
Brooks Koepka has rejoined the PGA Tour after its decision in December to allow certain former LIV players to return, though with penalties. Meanwhile, Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour, told BBC Sport earlier this month that players who remain with LIV Golf will be excluded from the European Tour next season.
LIV Golf is attempting to secure a future despite its financial troubles. The company has arranged possible financing of $300 million from BC Partners Credit to try to proceed with its 2027 season.
Oosthuizen’s return to the DP World Tour reflects ongoing shifts within professional golf as players reassess career priorities amid the fallout of LIV Golf’s collapse. His decision underscores the challenges the league faces in retaining top talent while navigating legal and financial hurdles.
According to BBC Sports.
