LIV Golf’s attempts to relaunch with new backing have suffered another blow after Louis Oosthuizen became the fourth team captain to quit the beleaguered circuit.
Former Open champion Oosthuizen, who has skippered LIV Golf’s South African team since it launched in 2022, has followed Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm and Fireballs captain Sergio Garcia in walking away ahead of a deadline this week for its players to commit to its next iteration.
Smash GC skipper Brooks Koepka stepped down after the 2025 season, while Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann, one of the most prolific winners on LIV Golf, is widely expected to leave too.
Oosithuizen said: “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.
“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 swaps LIV Golf for DP World Tour return
“Southern Guards is my team. It always has been and always will be. 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.”
Oostuizen is set to rejoin the DP World Tour, which told players this month it would not grant them membership if they also played in LIV Golf, effectively ruling out any Europeans with aspirations of featuring in next year’s Ryder Cup.
LIV Golf has secured backing from BC Partners in order to exit bankruptcy proceedings in the US and UK as it looks to relaunch next year, minus the considerable financial support of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
It set a deadline of Sunday for players to commit to its future, although it is understood that it could be extended. Other names yet to declare whether they will re-sign include Englishmen Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.