Louis Oosthuizen’s PGA Championship ‘snub’ explained

We now know that as many as 15 LIV golfers will be in the field for next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

The PGA of America revealed today that six of the players aligned to the Saudi-funded golf league have been extended invitations to take part in the second men’s major of the year.

The 2023 LIV individual champion Talor Gooch is one of them, along with Patrick Reed, Dean Burmester and Lucas Herbert, as well as Adrian Meronk and David Puig.

They will join defending champion Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith, as well as Dustin Johnson, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann and Martin Kaymer in the battle for the Wanamaker Trophy.

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One man, however, is conspicuous by his absence.

The 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.

The South African’s name being missing from the field list published earlier today led to many on social media (where else!) to speculate that he had been snubbed (for reasons unknown).

However, it appears as though that’s not the case. In fact, the opposite would seem to be true.

According to long-standing and highly respected golf journalist Doug Ferguson, Oosthuizen was, in fact, given an invite – but turned it down.

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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ferguson wrote: “Turns out PGA offered Oosthuizen an invitation. He turned it down because of personal commitments. Not sure what those were.”

Appearing on the official LIV Golf podcast last month, the 41-year-old Oosthuizen hinted at what was to come, saying: “I’m not really bothered about the US Open and PGA Championship. It’s nothing against the tournaments… but I feel I’ve played loads of them and was very happy playing them.”

That’s certainly true. The captain of Stinger GC has played in 13 editions of the PGA Championship, finishing runner-up on two occasions: in 2017, when Justin Thomas won his first career major, and in 2021, when Phil Mickelson rewrote golf’s history to become the sport’s oldest major champion.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor