Louis Oosthuizen is eligible to compete in just one major championship this year amid his fall in the world rankings, but the South African has found some form with the Masters right around the corner.
Louis Oosthuizen may well be hoping he can follow in the footsteps of Joaquin Niemann in becoming the second LIV Golf star to earn a major championship invite amid an impressive run of form.
Oosthuizen decided to join LIV Golf, giving up his playing rights on the PGA Tour. As a result, he, along with other breakaway league stars, has seen a drop in their Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) due to LIV events not yet being recognized for ranking points.
To improve his ranking after a drop that put him outside the top 400 players globally, the Stinger GC captain has competed in the Sunshine Tour, DP World Tour, and Asian Tour, impressing with his performance. Oosthuizen has risen more than 300 positions in rankings within two months after taking a break from the LIV setup.
Upon returning to his home country in December, the former Open champion won the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
Clearly a man in form, Oosthuizen went back-to-back a week later, after being crowned champion of the Mauritius Open, helping him gain further ground in the rankings. The South African then almost made it three wins in three OWGR-sanctioned events, after finishing second at the Asian Tour’s International Series Oman on Sunday.
Alongside 20 other LIV players, Oosthuizen finished three shots behind eventual winner Carlos Ortiz, in another impressive week for the 41-year-old. Despite the recent run, the former PGA Tour star will miss this year’s Masters for the first time since 2008 amid his recent loyalties to LIV Golf.
The South African however may well feel he has done enough to earn an invite from the powers that be at Augusta National, after fellow LIV star Niemann received the honour after also enjoying an impressive start to the season. “I knew the day would come where I wasn’t able to play a tournament like Augusta,” he told Gulf News in Oman this week.
The lack of invite may well be a blessing in disguise for the 41-year-old though, who admitted the sheer length of the iconic Georgia course is now too long for his game. Despite seemingly being at ease with his Masters omission, Oosthuizen did become the latest LIV star to vent his frustrations with the world rankings.
He mentioned that he believes the entire system needs a complete overhaul.
He suggested that if World Ranking points are not going to be given on LIV Golf, then the system should be altered to allocate spots for Majors on every tour globally.
I’m amazed that those players ranked in the Official World Golf Ranking have significantly more experience than me in serving on boards and conducting their activities.
It’s hard to believe that there isn’t a solution to the issue. Although Oosthuizen is unlikely to participate in the Masters, PGA Championship, and US Open, he will still be able to take part in this year’s Open Championship due to his previous victory in 2010.
Additionally, he will have the opportunity to play in this highly respected golf event for several more years by taking advantage of his exemption as a past champion, which allows him to compete until he is 60 years old.