Louis Oosthuizen LIV Golf Invitational Series

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson won his LIV Golf Invitational Series debut event at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on Sunday. Photo: Twitter @Louis57TM

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South African Louis Oosthuizen is reportedly set to be the highest-ranked player to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf International Series.

Louis Oosthuizen LIV Golf Invitational Series

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson won his LIV Golf Invitational Series debut event at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on Sunday. Photo: Twitter @Louis57TM

According to The Telegraph, Louis Oosthuizen will wait until Monday or Tuesday to officially announce his participation in the opening $25-million, 54-hole LIV Golf event at Centurion Club in Hertfordshire from 9-11 June. However, it has been added that he is extremely keen to “respect the integrity of the Majors”. 

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Oosthuizen won the 2010 Open and has finished as runner-up on five occasions in Majors, including last year’s US Open and PGA Championship.

The full 48-man field for the first LIV Golf event is expected to be made public on Friday, with Oosthuizen expected to be included among the likes Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.

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Oosthuizen is currently playing in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills,

Only four of the 11 South Africans who started the 104th PGA Championship on Thursday made the 4-over par halfway cut. And unfortunately none of those sticking around for the weekend are likely to threaten the leaders.

Shaun Norris (71-72) and Justin Harding (71-72) fared best of the Mzansi contingent on 3-over par, a full 12 strokes behind 36-hole leader, American Will Zalatoris.

They are followed by two South African ‘veterans’ in Charl Schwartzel (71-73) and Louis Oosthuizen (73-71) who made the cut on the number.

The remaining seven South Africans will sadly be packing their bags early.

They are: Branden Grace (73-72), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (73-73), Dean Burmester (69-78), Danie van Tonder (74-75), Garrick Higgo (74-76), Oliver Bekker (78-72) and Erik van Rooyen (75-76).

In other big news, Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship after limping to a nine-over par 79 in Saturday’s third round.

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Woods withdrew from a major for the first time as a professional and only the second time ever following the 1995 US Open as he continued to battle with leg pain related to his major car accident last year.