Young talent Andy Ogletree joins Phil Mickelson's LIV Golf team HyFlyers GC’s roster
It was only a matter of time before Andy Ogletree signed with one of the LIV Golf teams. The day has finally arrived as the 2023 International Series winner will play with the HyFlyers GC next season.
The HyFlyers' captain, Phil Mickelson, announced the news in a press release. The six-time major champion highlighted Andy Ogletree's consistency upon joining LIV Golf and the growth he has experienced in the process.
This was part of what Phil Mickelson had to say about Andy Ogletree (via Golf Monthly):
"Andy is one of the most impressive young players in the game who has earned his spot on LIV. The work he has continued to put in and the resiliency he showed this past year in creating his own success was awesome to see. He makes the HyFlyers a contender next year and just as importantly, Andy fits in perfectly with everyone on the team."
Andy Ogletree, for his part, was pleased to be playing under Phil Mickelson. He said, according to Golf Monthly:
"I was in a fortunate situation being able to travel with LIV during the year... I was able to ask a lot of questions and get opinions from different players. And I liked the way Phil [Mickelson] went about things and to get that knowledge from one of the greatest of all time is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down."
Andy Ogletree will be joining Mickelson, Cameron Tringale, and Brendan Steele. With his arrival to the HyFlyers, there are only eight open spots left on LIV Golf (including the as-yet-unofficialized team under Jon Rahm's captaincy).
The HyFlyers GC finished the 2023 season ranked ninth among the 12 teams playing LIV Golf. The team's top-ranked player was Tringale (16th), followed by Steele (18th). Mickelson finished 39th, while James Piot dropped to 47th and was relegated, vacating the spot now occupied by Ogletree.
Andy Ogletree and his relationship with LIV Golf
The newest member of the HyFlyers is by no means a stranger to LIV Golf. Andy Ogletree was in the founding tournament, 2022 LIV Golf London, but was not among the lucky ones to earn a spot on the circuit.
Since then, Ogletree played in the International Series, which he won in 2023. In addition, he has remained a reserve player for LIV Golf, having participated in virtually every event, though not always inside the ropes.
Ogletree participated in three LIV Golf tournaments during the 2023 season as an active player, marking the sixth-place finish at LIV Golf DC as his best result. The 14 points earned there were enough for him to finish 43rd in the circuit's standings.
For this reason, Ogletree was included in the so-called "Open Zone" and could have negotiated a contract with one of the teams even if he had not obtained his place in the International Series. All roads led the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship champion to LIV Golf.