Oosthuizen Leaves LIV Golf – Set to Return to the DP World Tour in 2027

Louis Oosthuizen is leaving LIV Golf. The 44-year-old South African, who won the Open Championship in 2010, announced his departure in a social media post on October 21 and plans to return to the DP World Tour in 2027. He had been with the series since its inception in 2022 and captained the all-South African Southern Guards GC team. With this departure, the struggling league loses yet another prominent name just days before the deadline for player commitments.

Oosthuizen’s Reasoning

Oosthuizen continues to call his move to LIV five years ago one of the best decisions of his life. At the same time, he describes his departure as particularly painful. From his perspective, the schedule for the planned relaunch was the deciding factor: only with a schedule he controls himself can he remain competitive at the top level.

“Five years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life—stepping away from the traditional golf world and toward something truly special with LIV Golf and Southern Guards GC. I am the biggest advocate of team golf and always will be. Golf needs more of it,” Oosthuizen wrote in his statement.

“I’ve realized that I still have a lot more to give, and my biggest concern was that the LIV 2.0 schedule would be difficult to manage. I believe I still have a few years of good, competitive golf ahead of me, and the only way to stay truly sharp and competitive is through a schedule that I control myself,” Oosthuizen continued.

He made it clear just how much this decision means to him by referring to his team: “Southern Guards is my team. It always has been and always will be. That’s exactly what makes it so hard. This is probably the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my career, but I have to do what I believe is right for my golf,” Oosthuizen said. Looking back, he described the establishment of LIV in South Africa as one of the greatest achievements of his career and expressly thanked the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the league.

Background: LIV in Chapter 11

LIV has been in bankruptcy proceedings under U.S. law (Chapter 11) since September 8, following the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, PIF. According to ESPN, more than $5 billion in funding was provided over five years. For the planned continuation, BC Partners has pledged up to $300 million; a bridge loan of $4 million has been firmly committed for now, intended to ensure operations during the proceedings. A court approved a preliminary agreement between BC Partners and the league; but it remains unclear whether this constitutes a loan, whether additional investors are needed, and how sustainable the commitment is. Golf Digest also points to BC Partners’ ties to the agency GSE Worldwide, which represents a large portion of the LIV field.

The legal situation is coming to a head for the players. Last week, an insolvency court allowed more than a dozen player contracts to be rejected—including Oosthuizen’s own contract, as well as those of Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson, and Ian Poulter. As a result, the affected professionals are free to explore other options or renegotiate their contracts.

Meanwhile, the DP World Tour is taking a much tougher stance. Tour CEO Guy Kinnings told the BBC that anyone who joins LIV 2.0 will not receive membership for 2027—not even conditional membership. Applications are accepted through November 16, and competing on both Tours simultaneously is not permitted under the new guidelines. Membership is also a prerequisite for potential participation in the 2027 Ryder Cup.

Read more: DP World Tour Forces LIV Players to Choose Sides – 2027 Ryder Cup in Jeopardy

Who’s staying, who’s leaving

According to consistent reports from ESPN, Golf Digest, and Golfer Insight, only four professionals have publicly committed to LIV 2.0 so far: Richard Bland, Cameron Tringale, Brendan Steele, and Ben Campbell. Bryson DeChambeau had previously signaled his support; according to ESPN sources, the two-time U.S. Open champion remains committed and is actively working behind the scenes to bring LIV 2.0 to fruition.

On the other hand, the number of departures is growing. Jon Rahm reached a separation agreement, thereby forfeiting an outstanding nine-figure contract—the BBC estimates it at around 75 million pounds. The fact that Rahm carried out the move through lawyers as part of bankruptcy proceedings, while Oosthuizen chose to write a personal farewell letter, shows just how differently these separations are unfolding. Adrian Meronk, David Puig, Abraham Ancer, Thomas Pieters, and Charles Howell III have also signaled that they will not be continuing. According to reports, Joaquin Niemann is still weighing his options. Another group—including Sergio Garcia, Cameron Smith, Harold Varner III, Matthew Wolff, and Marc Leishman—has requested the termination of their contracts to keep other options open. Garcia must effectively choose between LIV and the DP World Tour, since the European Tour excludes dual membership.

In addition, there is a movement in the opposite direction: Some former LIV players, such as Brooks Koepka, have returned to the PGA Tour, which had amended its rules accordingly at the end of 2025. However, the Tour has ruled out granting a repeat exemption for additional players.

Oosthuizen’s Record and Outlook

In terms of performance, Oosthuizen’s time on the LIV Tour has been mixed. He did not secure a victory on the LIV Tour itself, but he did win two tournaments in South Africa in December 2023. In the majors, he fell short of his previous performances: After three top-3 finishes in 2021, he made only two cuts in the four major tournaments over the following five years. In the world rankings, the former world No. 4 slipped all the way down to No. 539.

His focus is clearly on the majors. Thanks to his 2010 Open victory, Oosthuizen is eligible to compete in the Open Championship until he turns 60, which means he’ll be there in 2027 when the tournament returns to the Old Course in St. Andrews. For the other majors, however, he’ll have to qualify all over again. “I’ve had some success at majors, but you work and play to get close to them again. I’m in a different phase of my golfing life, but it’s pretty nice to still be called the Open champion,” he told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the Asian Tour’s Link Hong Kong Open.

Outlook: Deadline on October 25

The key question remains whether BC Partners will reach the required number of commitments or extend the deadline. Originally, a fixed minimum number of players was a condition; according to Golf Digest, this requirement has been softened and worded less clearly in recent court documents. Lawyers for the league stated that by the end of the month, it will be clear whether LIV 2.0 will launch in 2027 or whether operations will be suspended. The deadline for player commitments expires on Sunday, October 25—it had previously been postponed by two weeks. Meanwhile, Oosthuizen himself will be competing in the Link Hong Kong Open (October 22–25).