Louis Oosthuizen reportedly passed on the opportunity to tee off at the PGA Championship. The South African LIV Golfer was given a special invite by the Professional Golfers Association of America. However, Oosthuizen rejected it, per Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press. 

Oosthuizen has two runner-ups at the PGA Championship in 2021 and 2017. In his last major, the 2023 Open Championship, the South African settled for a T23. The Stinger GC captain is 4th on LIV Golf’s season-long standings, amassing four top-tens, including two runner-ups. 

PGA extended invitations to seven LIV golfers: Joaquin Niemann, Talor Gooch, Adrian Meronk, Patrick Reed, Dean Burmester, Lucas Herbert, and David Puig. So, Oosthuizen’s omission caught many by surprise. Especially when Dean Burmester, his teammate from the all-South African LIV team, Stinger GC received one. But Ferguson tweeted, “Turns out PGA offered Oosthuizen an invitation. He turned it down because of personal commitments. Not sure what those were.” 

Louis Oosthuizen won for two consecutive weeks last year at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. The former Open champion also nabbed a solo second at the Asian Tour International Series Oman in February. So, his rejection of a PGA Championship invite, when those are already short on demand, puzzled almost everyone. But netizens have curious theories about the decision. 

Netizens think Louis Oosthuizen would rather spend time on his farm

Oosthuizen has a 150-acre firm in his home country. “Being a farm boy it was one of my big dreams and I bought myself a nice John Deere tractor for my farm back in South Africa,” the LIV Golf Pro said after buying a John Deere tractor to celebrate his 2010 Open Championship victory. Louis Oosthuizen also has an 86-acre ranch in Ocala, Florida, and plans to become a rancher like Byron Nelson after retirement. The LIV Golfer has posted clips of playing golf on his farm.

Fans think he would rather tend to that instead of traveling to Valhalla. “Who’s gonna take care of the farm while I’m gone?” Jeff Eisenband of PGATour Live joked. Some thought Oosthuizen preferred to be with his family. “I’ll stand down. Scheffler not the only family man!!,” tweeted one user. 

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Some fans even dug up ghosts from the past. Louis Oosthuizen generally brings his mattress while on the road. The reason is his lower back pain, which makes most hotel beds extremely uncomfortable. However, during the 2015 US Open, he couldn’t take that to Chambers Bay. So, the former PGA Tour Pro visited Stearns and Foster, the company that makes his mattress, and ordered a custom-made one. Netizens joked he knew he “Couldn’t get the mattress delivery to Kentucky in time.” The PGA Championship begins in two weeks.

A section of fans dragged Talor Gooch into the conversation. The LIV Golf individual champion of last year said without big names from the breakaway league, Masters would carry an asterisk. His comments were interpreted as overbearing and pompous. 

One fan quipped that Louis Oosthuizen must have pulled out, knowing he didn’t have a chance against Gooch. “Saw Talor Gooch is in the field for this Major and made business decision. No point for even showing up. We all know what’s gonna happen in 2 weeks.” Another concurred. “Obviously once he saw Gooch get an invite and accept, Louis thought better of it. ”

The actual reason is still unknown. Louis Oosthuizen didn’t reveal any details. We might have to wait a month till the LIV Golf Pro lands in Houston for the next event after the PGA Championship.