“They should change the system” - Louis Oosthuizen advocates for extreme measures as he misses the Masters for the first time since 2009
Louis Oosthuizen feels there is a change required, either in the OWGR or in the system, to give LIV-associated golfers a spot in the Majors. The statement came as he is set to miss the Masters for the first time in 16 years.
Oosthuizen made his debut at the Augusta National in 2009 and has been a regular feature at the event since then. In the last two editions, he had to withdraw due to the injury. However, this time, he hasn't been able to make it to the Masters as he is currently ranked 137th in the world, and only the top 50 are given direct entry to the first Major of the season. Further, he doesn't have many opportunities to improve rankings since LIV Golf events are not awarded any points.
Oosthuizen, who is in Muscat for this week’s International Series Oman, said he knew they wouldn't be getting the World Ranking points before joining the Saudi-backed circuit, and he had made peace with not playing the majors (except the Open). However, he seemed unhappy with many deserving players not getting berths at the four premium events.
He was quoted as saying via Gulf News:
"I think the whole system needs to change completely. If they don’t want to give us World Ranking points on LIV Golf then they should change the system where they give spots to Majors on each tour around the world or something like that. I’m surprised those (OWGR) guys have a lot more experience than me, sitting on boards and doing their things, that I can’t believe there’s no solution to it.”
The 41-year-old South African said he knew he wouldn't be able to play at Augusta but also added that the course was getting difficult for him.
"To be honest with you, that golf course is so long right now that I'm struggling around it. There’s more seven woods and three irons into par 4s there than was in 2009 and 2010. I'll miss it because it's an unbelievable experience. It's a great golf course, a great tournament, but I honestly think the golf course is a little bit too long for me now anyway," he added.
How has Louis Oosthuizen performed in the Masters so far?
In 16 appearances at the Masters, Louis Oosthuizen has made nine cuts. He has registered six top 25s, and the runner-up finish in 2012 was his best finish at the Augusta National.
Oosthuizen has won the 2010 Open Championship, the only major championship of his career. While the 11-time PGA Tour winner hasn't won any other major, he has registered a runner-up finish in all four of them. In 2021, he made the top three in three of the four Majors.