Louis Oosthuizen is leaving LIV Golf and targeting a return to the DP World Tour in 2027, choosing greater control over his schedule as his next career priority.
The 44-year-old South African confirmed his decision Wednesday ahead of the Hong Kong Open, ending his playing chapter with the all-South African Southern Guards team he captained for LIV.
AS reported Oosthuizen’s departure as another significant captaincy loss for the circuit, following Jon Rahm’s exit and adding to uncertainty surrounding its proposed next version, LIV Golf 2.0.
Oosthuizen’s explanation centered on sustaining his competitive level. A less restrictive calendar, he believes, offers a better chance to prepare properly and manage the physical demands of tournament golf.
Schedule control drives Oosthuizen’s decision
Golf Monthly’s report from Hong Kong highlighted his concern about international travel for individual events, with the former Open champion seeking a calendar better suited to his current needs.
That matters beyond the number of tournaments played. Grouping appearances geographically can reduce repeated long journeys and create more consistent periods for practice, recovery and preparation between competitive rounds.
Oosthuizen made clear that leaving does not erase his affection for team golf. His remarks acknowledged a strong attachment to Southern Guards and the teammates alongside whom he competed.
Those teammates were Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester. The group gave LIV an established South African identity, making its captain’s departure significant for the team as well.
DP World Tour return is the next objective
Reuters’ account of his announcement said Oosthuizen plans to return to the DP World Tour next year, after joining LIV at the circuit’s launch in 2022.
His record includes 11 victories on that tour, providing substantial history behind the proposed return. The announcement nevertheless concerns his future direction, rather than a list of confirmed appearances.
The immediate challenge is turning that flexibility into useful preparation. Fewer travel demands would only help if his chosen events leave him sharp enough to contend against international fields.
His stated ambition remains competing at the highest level, particularly in majors. At this stage of his career, the quality of preparation appears central to how he chooses events.
Hong Kong provides the immediate competitive focus
Before that transition, Oosthuizen will play the Link Hong Kong Open. It runs October 22-25 at Hong Kong Golf Club, according to the Asian Tour.
The Asian Tour’s field announcement also named Grace, Burmester, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey and Anthony Kim, placing several familiar international competitors alongside him for the tournament’s 65th edition.
The event offers an immediate opportunity to direct attention back toward performance. For Oosthuizen, that means putting his game under tournament pressure while the discussion around his future continues.
His major ambitions also carry a familiar destination. The Open returns to St Andrews in 2027, bringing it back to the venue where he secured his defining career victory.
The championship’s official 2010 record shows Oosthuizen winning by seven strokes over Lee Westwood, with a four-round total of 272 establishing his place among South Africa’s Open champions.
That history explains the appeal of another major opportunity, but it guarantees no future result. His current decision instead establishes how he wants to organize the remaining competitive years.
For LIV, the departure removes another established name from its plans. For Oosthuizen, the next assessment will come through his results, beginning with this week’s golf in Hong Kong.
