Oosthuizen is one of two members of his team to have won a major, claiming the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews. The other one is Schwartzel, who won the Masters the next year in dramatic fashion with birdies on his final four holes. The Johannesburg native was asked about where this week’s tournament ranks in terms of career highlights.
“Winning the Masters will always be the biggest event, most proudest moment of my career,” Schwartzel said. “But this is in a different light. This is something that was always way off, a dream when LIV started, to be able to play a LIV event in South Africa. For it to have happened at this sort of biggest stage is, as a South African, a very proud moment.”
For the South African foursome, promoting the tournament via off-site appearances, fan engagements and sponsorship meet-and-greets while also prepping and competing for their most coveted title during the regular season will require a delicate balancing act.
Fortunately, another team in the league can offer guidance in that specific area. Cameron Smith and his Ripper GC deal with the same issues during their home event, LIV Golf Adelaide, the league’s most-attended tournament and the standard for what other LIV Golf tournaments aspire to deliver.
In 2023, the Rippers were seemingly everywhere in Adelaide, appreciative of the support they received. But it left them exhausted once the tournament began, and the Australians eventually finished 8th, shooting a collective 31 under, 16 shots behind the team winners 4Aces GC. Smith finished fourth individually but none of his other teammates finished inside the top 20.
In their next visit in 2024, the Rippers vowed to not wear themselves out prior to the opening round, instead refocusing their efforts on claiming hardware. It paid off in the final round when the won the team title in LIV Golf’ first-ever team playoff against their Southern Hemisphere rivals, the South Africans. Both teams shot 53 under to make the playoff – a 22-stroke improvement for the Rippers.
Oosthuizen picked the brain of Smith in the lead-up to South Africa, obtaining some guidance on how to balance promotion vs. competition. The Southern Guards participated in much of the team’s social media content last week – you may have seen their “Rhino Jive” dance clips – and some of their pre-tournament obligations were rearranged to give them additional practice time at Steyn City on Wednesday.
