Louis Oosthuizen has made one of the biggest calls of his LIV Golf years, confirming that he will not re-sign as the circuit moves towards its next chapter and instead plans to return to the DP World Tour in January 2027.
The 44-year-old has been one of LIV Golf's most recognisable names since leaving the traditional game five years ago, but he now believes the proposed relaunch schedule would ask too much of his body and his routine. His decision adds another high-profile exit from the league and underlines how workload, rather than money or status alone, is beginning to shape some of the biggest choices in the sport.
Oosthuizen said the hardest part was not the idea of leaving, but understanding what the next stage would demand from him. Ahead of this week's Link Hong Kong Open, he explained that a slimmer 10-event schedule may still involve too much travel if he is trying to stay sharp and manage his body properly.
Why Oosthuizen is moving on
The South African made clear that this was not a rejection of what LIV Golf has meant to him. In fact, he spoke warmly about the experience, the team format and what it offered him after stepping away from the established tour structure.
"I need to arrange my own schedule and look after my body. I want to play near one spot for three weeks at a time, not have all the big traveling for one tournament," he said.
He added: "I loved LIV and the team aspect, but it’s time to move on."
That is the key point in his decision. Oosthuizen is not walking away because he has grown disillusioned with team golf. He is leaving because he believes the next version of the schedule would not give him the control he needs at this stage of his career.
A hard call from a loyal captain
Oosthuizen’s comments were notable for their loyalty as much as for their finality. He stressed that his connection to Southern Guards GC has not changed and that the team remains important to him even as he prepares for a different future.
"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," he said.
He also made his wider position on the team format clear: "I’m the biggest supporter of team golf and always will be. Golf needs more of it."
That matters because Oosthuizen is not simply leaving a contract behind. He is stepping away after helping establish one of the league's most visible identities, while still insisting that the concept itself has value.
What comes next for the Open champion?
The immediate answer is that Oosthuizen wants a return to the DP World Tour in January 2027, while also keeping his ambitions at the majors alive. He said he still feels he has several good years left and wants to be in a position where his golf is sharp enough to compete properly on the biggest stages.
"I realised 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," he said.
That is the clearest explanation of the move. Oosthuizen is not stepping away from top-level golf; he is trying to build a schedule that gives him the best chance of staying competitive for longer.
He also pointed to the lure of majors, saying: "I’ve had some success at majors, but you work and play to have a sniff of that again." With 11 DP World Tour wins already to his name, and memories of winning The Open at St Andrews in 2010, the next chapter is about giving himself the best possible chance to chase that feeling again.
"I hope to get my body and my game in a place next year [to compete for majors]. The Open is at a course I love and where I’ve won. The goal is to get my game as sharp as possible, to have myself ready, then see how it goes," he said.
For now, the big picture is simple. Oosthuizen is leaving LIV Golf on his own terms, with January 2027 marked out as his return point to the DP World Tour. The decision is framed by workload, family of events, and a clear desire to keep control of his body and schedule for as long as he can.
