AXED LIV Golf player set for shock return: "I've proven I should be out there"
Booted out of LIV Golf after the first event last season, Andy Ogletree is in line for a quick return to the circuit after turning his game around.
Some 14 months removed from being booted out of LIV Golf after their first event at Centurion Club in June 2022, Andy Ogletree is now on the verge of an immediate return to the Saudi-bankrolled circuit in 2024.
Ogletree, 25, may have won the coveted 2019 US Amateur title but he admitted to reaching "rock bottom" following his lacklustre LIV Golf debut.
The American, who had already been struggling to qualify for PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour events at the time, shot rounds of 82, 77 and 75 for a disastrous 24-over par total in LIV Golf's inaugural tournament at Centurion Club in England.
That unsurpisingly saw him finish dead last in 48th position, and he was immediately axed from the circuit and stuck in the reserves.
Fast forward to the present day, however, and Ogletree is now one of the hottest properties around having won three times on the Asian Tour in 2023.
After taking down 22 LIV Golf players including Ian Poulter and Abraham Ancer with a commanding seven-stroke victory at the Asian Tour's International Series England last week, Ogletree currently finds himself well clear atop both the Asian Tour money list and International Series money list.
With Saudi PIF currently bankrolling the Asian Tour's International Series, it means should Ogletree remain in his lofty position at No.1 then he will receive a 'golden ticket' back to the LIV Golf League in 2024.
Ogletree is hungry to return, too.
As a result of a dramatically improved golf game, Ogletree's mentality has changed too.
He added:
Ogletree has not completely been shut out by LIV Golf this season as he has acted as a reserve on three occasions.
He has performed admirably, too.
While Ogletree may have done little to change opinion in Orlando with a T41, he rocked up at Tulsa for just the final round when Lee Westwood had to withdraw, and he fired the lowest round ever recorded by a Majesticks GC player with a 62.
He then followed that up with an impressive T6 at DC.
Ogletree has been starting to turn heads.
Egypt
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England @andy_ogletree makes winning look easy on the @intseriesgolf #InternationalSeriesEngland #InternationalSeries #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/1WQ4ygN0zR— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) August 20, 2023
When asked by reporters following his latest win at Close House on Sunday which team he would most like to represent on LIV Golf in 2024, Ogletree smartly kept his cards close to his chest ahead of the transfer window.
He responded:
With just five more counting events on the Asian Tour's International Series schedule, Ogletree currently sits more than double the dollars ($887,370) ahead of his nearest pursuer in Japan's Takumi Kanaya ($426,233).
So things are looking good for Ogletree.
"Getting a chance to play LIV Golf is what everyone's here to do," he said.
"I want to be out there, and I feel like that's where I want to be right now in the next phase of my life.
"So, I’m doing all I can to secure that spot."
Where Ogletree ends up on LIV Golf in 2024 remains anyone's guess, but given Brooks Koepka's frosty relationship with Matt Wolff right now, you would think he has got every chance of ending up on Smash GC.
This time last year, nobody wanted him. Now everyone will more than likely want him.
How much have you enjoyed the LIV Golf League this season? What have you made of Andy Ogletree's bounce back in form? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.
