With concern rising over LIV Golf’s representation at the majors, one of the tour’s most prominent players has turned down an invitation to next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.
The rival Saudi-backed golf tour will be represented by 16 players in Louisville, Kentucky, but noticeably missing from the PGA of America’s official field list on Tuesday was South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen.
Louis Oosthuizen plays a tee shot during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on March 2, 2024, in Saudi Arabia. (Francois Nel/Getty Images)
The 2010 British Open winner was offered an invitation to participate, but ultimately turned it down citing “personal commitments,” according to The Associated Press.
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It was not immediately known what those “commitments” were.
LIV Golf is currently on pause after LIV Golf Singapore, where Oosthuizen finished second in a tight battle against three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele. The next tournament in Houston is scheduled for June 7-9.
Louis Oosthuizen during day one of the LIV Golf Invitational – Hong Kong on March 8, 2024, in China. (Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
LIV GOLF’S PHIL MICKELSON SENDS STRONG WARNING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF GOLF IN SINCE-DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST
Players on the rival tour continue to make their presence felt at the majors, despite being denied world ranking points for LIV-sanctioned tournaments last fall.
Of the 16 players competing at Valhalla, seven currently make up the top 100 world ranked players. Headlining the group will be Brooks Koepka, who is the only active LIV Golf member to win a major after joining the tour.
He claimed his fifth major title at the PGA Championship last year.
Brooks Koepka stands with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 21, 2023, in Rochester, New York. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
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Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson entered the conversation this week after issuing a warning about the future of golf in a since-deleted post on social media where he questioned the level of competition without some of the game’s best players.
Mickelson, a two-time winner at the PGA Championship, will be among the LIV players at Valhalla next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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