Another major champ leaves LIV Golf; just four players publicly committed to league days before deadline

Louis Oosthuizen is the latest golfer to exit LIV Golf.

The 2010 Open champ posted a message on social media Wednesday, announcing he is leaving the circuit that filed for bankruptcy to play on the DP World Tour in 2027.

“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’s account read. "I'm the biggest supporter of team golf and always will be. Golf needs more of it. 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 had been LIV Golf since its inception in the spring of 2022 and was captain of the all South African team. He did not win any events on the circuit, although did win two tournaments in South Africa in December of 2023 (the Alfred Dunhill Championship and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open). However, Oosthuizen struggled at the major championships during his time at LIV. After posting three top-three finishes at the 2021 PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship, Oosthuizen only made two cuts in the big four over the following five years.

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Oosthuizen is the latest player to bounce the former Saudi-backed league. Jon Rahm reached a separation agreement with LIV, while Adrian Meronk, David Puig, Charles Howell III, Thomas Pieters and Abraham Ancer have signaled they are done with LIV. Joaquin Niemann is also reportedly weighing a departure. Last week a court approved to reject more than a dozen player contracts with LIV, including those of DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Lucas Herbert, Harold Varner III and Michael La Sasso. Sergio Garcia had previously been allowed to terminate his deal with LIV to explore his future. Those players are now allowed to seek agency elsewhere or begin negotiating new contracts with LIV

With just four days until an Oct. 25 deadline to sign up for LIV 2.0—a deadline that had already been pushed back by two weeks—just four players have publicly committed to LIV’s future: Richard Bland, Cameron Tringale, Brendan Steele, Ben Campbell. Bryson DeChambeau had previously indicated his support for LIV Golf and had been meeting with potential LIV investors. LIV Golf’s new backer, BC Partners, had initially established a requisite number of players needed to commit for the venture to continue, although in recent court filings the language around that benchmark has been made ambiguous.

Last week the DP World Tour, which had been allowing LIV members to participate in its events, said that it is banning LIV players beginning in 2027. Those still with LIV must apply for DP World Tour membership by Nov. 16, and guidelines now stipulate that double-dipping between tours is not allowed.

Lawyers for LIV Golf said that the embattled league will know if it has a future or will cease operations by the end of the month. A judge did approve a preliminary agreement between BC and LIV Golf. Under the proposed restructuring, BC Partners would finance an attempted LIV return in 2027 through what the league described as a “recapitalization transaction.” BC Partners has ties to GSE Worldwide, the agency representing a sizable portion of LIV’s roster. Questions remain about the nature of the firm’s commitment, including whether the financing is structured as a loan, dependent upon additional investors or if BC is just using LIV for a tax write-off.

The bankruptcy proceedings come after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its financial support from the soft-power exercise. LIV’s financial troubles have extended beyond its players. Several contractors say they have not been paid for their work, while the league also faces a lawsuit from the Premier Golf League alleging breach of confidence and conspiracy by unlawful means.