By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: LIV Golf.
Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen are leaving the breakaway circuit, while Ian Poulter opts against LIV Golf’s proposed next phase as uncertainty mounts over its future.
LIV Golf is facing a growing wave of departures, with South Africans Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen among the latest high profile players to leave the circuit, while Englishman Ian Poulter has confirmed he will not take part in its proposed next phase.
The announcements, made this week, add to mounting uncertainty surrounding LIV Golf as it considers its future structure following the reported withdrawal of financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Grace confirmed on Friday, 23 October, that he would return to full time competition on the DP World Tour next season, following Oosthuizen’s announcement a day earlier that he would also leave LIV Golf.
Their departures leave Charl Schwartzel and Dean Burmester as the remaining members of the South African backed Southern Guards team. Neither player has publicly confirmed his future plans in the information available.
Grace, 38, joined LIV Golf in 2022 and won a tournament in Portland in July of that year. Before moving to the breakaway circuit, he had established himself as one of South Africa’s leading golfers, recording nine DP World Tour titles and 15 professional victories worldwide, including two PGA Tour wins.
His career highlights include the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the Investec South African Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek. Grace also made history at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where his second round 62 set a record for the lowest single round score in men’s major championship history.
“Returning to the DP World Tour feels like coming home,” Grace said. “Some of the proudest moments of my career have happened on this Tour, from my four time win breakthrough season in 2012 to winning the Investec South African Open in front of home fans. I am hungrier than ever to compete and write the next chapter of my career on the global stage.”
Grace described his time on LIV Golf as a valuable chapter of his career, particularly because it allowed him to compete alongside close friends. “My time on the LIV Tour was a memorable chapter, especially getting to travel the world and compete alongside some of my closest friends in the game,” he said.
“The camaraderie, team spirit, and lifelong friendships we shared on and off the course are memories I will always cherish as I take this next step in my journey.”
Poulter’s announcement adds further weight to the growing list of players distancing themselves from LIV Golf’s proposed next phase, widely referred to as LIV Golf 2.0.
The 50 year old Englishman said on Friday that he intended to focus on senior golf, spend more time with his family and reduce his international travel commitments. Poulter was co captain of Majesticks GC alongside Lee Westwood and was among the prominent players to join LIV Golf during its early years.
“Ultimately, the opportunity to spend more time at home with my family, reduce international travel, focus on senior golf and have the opportunity to pursue other interests was something that I felt was right for me at this stage of my life and career,” Poulter wrote on social media.
A 12 time winner on the DP World Tour, Poulter recently returned to that circuit for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his first start there in more than three years. He missed the cut.
His departure from LIV Golf also comes with implications for his future involvement in the Ryder Cup. The DP World Tour confirmed in June that Poulter and Westwood had paid fines related to their participation in competing LIV Golf events. However, under the Tour’s current regulations, neither would be eligible to serve as a European Ryder Cup captain or vice captain, even if they rejoined as members.
Poulter, who recorded 15 wins, eight losses and two halves across seven Ryder Cup appearances, was once regarded as a leading candidate for a future captaincy.
“Change is never easy and it’s fair to say professional golf has experienced plenty of it over the last few years,” he said. “But I’ve always believed that change can create opportunity and ultimately lead to positive outcomes. There will undoubtedly be more changes ahead, but I am confident the game will continue to grow, evolve, and deliver the very best for golf fans around the world.”
Poulter and the two South Africans are part of a wider group of established names who have indicated they will not return to LIV Golf. Two -time major champion Jon Rahm has reached a separation agreement with the circuit, while Charles Howell III, Thomas Pieters, David Puig, Abraham Ancer and Adrian Meronk have also indicated they will not return.
The departures have increased pressure on LIV Golf as it weighs up a proposed new version of the league. Reports suggest the circuit is examining changes to its structure and schedule as it seeks to secure its long term future, although the precise details of any revised format remain uncertain.
For South African golf, the exits of Grace and Oosthuizen represent a notable shift. Both players were part of the country’s presence on LIV Golf, and their decisions leave Schwartzel and Burmester as the only remaining members of the Southern Guards roster.
With Poulter also opting out, LIV Golf faces the prospect of losing more established names at a critical moment. Whether the proposed LIV Golf 2.0 can retain enough leading players to move forward remains an open question.