Oosthuizen Leaves LIV Golf as Sunday Deadline Nears
Louis Oosthuizen announced on Wednesday that he is leaving LIV Golf and will return to the DP World Tour in 2027, making the 2010 Open champion the latest star to walk away from the league just days before its October 25 sign-up deadline for LIV Golf 2.0. The 44-year-old South African has been with LIV since its first season in 2022 and captained its all-South African team, Southern Guards GC.
His exit lands at the worst possible moment for a league that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September and is trying to sign enough players to relaunch in 2027. As of Thursday, October 22, only a handful of players had publicly committed to the new league, and LIV's own lawyers have told a federal judge the league will know by the end of October whether it has a future at all.
Why Louis Oosthuizen Is Leaving LIV Golf
Oosthuizen announced the move on social media, saying he will not re-sign with LIV for its next chapter and will step away from both his playing role and the Southern Guards captaincy. He called it the hardest decision of his career and made clear it was not a verdict on team golf. "I'm the biggest supporter of team golf and always will be," he said.
The deciding factor was the calendar. "I feel I have a few more years of good, competitive golf left in me," Oosthuizen said, adding that "the only way to be really sharp and competitive is through a schedule I control," according to Golf Digest. He also told followers that his "biggest fear was that the schedule on LIV 2.0 would be tough to manage," OutKick reported.
Oosthuizen won the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews, has finished runner-up at least once in each of the other three majors, and owns 11 DP World Tour titles. He is due back on the tour in January, and his next start is this week's Hong Kong Open at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, which runs October 22 to 25, per Field Level Media. Leaving also means giving up the guaranteed money and the equity stake LIV 2.0 has promised its players.
Few Players Have Signed Before Sunday's LIV Golf 2.0 Deadline
The relaunch depends on LIV signing what its financing agreement calls a "requisite number of players" by Sunday, October 25. That deadline was originally October 13 before it was pushed back under a restructured support agreement with BC Partners, the London private equity firm backing LIV 2.0. BC Partners decides whether the threshold has been met and can waive the deadline altogether.
Golf Digest counted four players publicly committed as of Wednesday: Richard Bland, Cameron Tringale, Brendan Steele and Ben Campbell. OutKick also listed Victor Perez. Bryson DeChambeau is not on that public list, although ESPN has reported that he remains committed to the league.
The list of players heading the other way is far longer. Jon Rahm has reached a separation agreement with LIV after his attorney told the bankruptcy court the proposed LIV 2.0 terms were "unacceptable." Sergio Garcia was granted a release from his contract on October 5, and Thomas Pieters, Adrian Meronk, David Puig, Abraham Ancer and Charles Howell III have all signaled they are done. Joaquin Niemann, who won LIV Golf New York in August, is reportedly weighing his options as well.
On October 14, Judge Michael Kaplan approved LIV's motion to reject the current contracts of 19 golfers, including DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, because they "do not reflect the contemplated compensation structure under LIV 2.0," GOLF.com reported. Under the new term sheet, players would own 52.5 percent of the league, BC Partners and other investors 45 percent, and management 2.5 percent, with signing bonuses on top. The pitch is ownership instead of guarantees, and so far very few players have taken it.
MG Senior Golf Balls
Built for golfers looking for a higher launch, hotter feel and more distance, particularly when driver distance is under 250 yards.
- Designed for extra distance
- 350-dimple, 2-piece construction
- Durable Surlyn cover
- Available in white or optic yellow
DynaGrip Elite
A lightweight premium Cabretta leather glove made for golfers who value soft feel, grip feedback and comfort.
- Soft premium Cabretta leather
- Thin construction for better feel
- Elastic knuckle hinge for comfort
- Men's, cadet and women's sizing
MG600S Laser Rangefinder
A compact 6X rangefinder with slope-adjusted yardages, pin-lock confirmation and an external LCD display.
- Measures from 6 to 600+ yards
- MG-Lock pin targeting technology
- Slope-adjusted distance mode
- 6X magnification and external LCD
The DP World Tour Forces A Choice
What makes this week different from every previous LIV wobble is that the European escape hatch has closed. The DP World Tour, which had allowed LIV members to keep playing its events, announced that golfers who compete on LIV in 2027 will lose their eligibility for membership. "Players will have to make a choice," DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings said, as reported by NBC Sports.
Players have until November 16 to apply for DP World Tour membership, according to Golf Digest. The decision also carries Ryder Cup weight: only DP World Tour members will be eligible when the matches return to Europe in 2027, and Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton were the only two European LIV players on the 2025 team at Bethpage Black.
LIV has pushed back. In court on October 14, LIV attorney Fitzgerald said the timing "strikes us as a clear attempt to interfere with our process" and raised anti-competitive concerns, while Judge Kaplan acknowledged that Kinnings' comments "raise concerns." For players like Oosthuizen, though, the practical effect is simple: pick one tour for 2027.
How LIV Golf Got Here
LIV filed for Chapter 11 protection in New Jersey on September 8, after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund ended its backing. The fund spent more than $5 billion on LIV since 2022, and the filing listed estimated liabilities of $500 million to $1 billion against assets of $100 million to $500 million, according to Front Office Sports. The cracks had shown for months, from vendors claiming unpaid bills to a season that ended early when the Plymouth team finale was canceled.
BC Partners has agreed to provide up to $300 million in cumulative financing for a 2027 return, starting with an initial $4 million loan to fund the bankruptcy process. Judge Kaplan called the approved agreement "an important first step in order to really identify viable paths for the debtor," a phrase that leaves room for either a relaunch or a wind-down.
The departures have followed a familiar script since the summer, when reports first suggested Rahm could leave. What has changed is that players now have a firm date, a firm alternative and a court that has already torn up their old contracts.
What It Means For Players And Fans
For the players still on LIV's books, Sunday decides their 2027. The PGA Tour has said it will not talk with LIV players or their agents until they are clear of their LIV contracts, according to Golf Digest.
Here is where the numbers stand:
For fans, the first answer comes Sunday, and the bigger one by the end of the month. If BC Partners walks, LIV's lawyers have already told the court the league could cease operations. If it stays, LIV 2.0 looks set to launch with a thinner field and few of the names that made it a threat in 2022. Either way, the PGA TOUR's full 2027 schedule is already set, and the DP World Tour is about to welcome back a former Open champion.
While the tours sort out 2027, the rest of us still have rounds to play. As the season winds down, it is a good time to clear out the bag and restock with a proper golf bag essentials checklist before next spring, starting with a fresh glove.
