LIV Golf's Louis Oosthuizen calls for radical change now 'the fighting can stop'

Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has called for the Official World Golf Ranking to give LIV Golf accreditation in light of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour's 'framework agreement' or 'change the system' entirely.

Oosthuizen is currently in London ahead of the breakaway tour's ninth event of their 2023 campaign at Cenuturion Club.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, the South African, who won the 2010 Open championship at St. Andrews, has called for LIV Golf to now be sanctioned by the OWGR because 'it's not a real reflection of what's going on here'.

The 40-year-old, who captains the all-South African Stinger side, also told of how he was 'at ease' to join the rival league last year as he was told from early on that he would be able to still play the Open.

Oosthuizen also admitted he's glad 'the fighting can stop' after the proposal to bring golf's organisations together was announced on 6 June.

"Yeah, look, it was sort of a decision each of us had to make," he told the media just outside of London in Hemel Hampstead of his choice to join LIV.

He added:

"I was at ease with -- I played a lot of major golf in my career, and I was very hopeful that I would still be able to play the Open, and what I've heard from people high up saying they're pretty sure I'll be able to play an Open still going forward, so I was at ease with my decision and going forward.

"I'm just glad to see that it's finally sort of come to just back to golf again and that the fighting can stop and that everyone just do their thing.

"To be part of something new, and I've had a good career in golf, and I was sort of on my final stages there on the PGA Tour, was thinking about maybe even stopping after 2021, and then this opportunity came that was completely dint than what I'm used to, being part of a team aspect, and knowing that I'm going to have these two that's good friends of mine in the team was an opportunity I didn't want to let go, and I thought, why not.

"But yeah, I think all of us standing here are very happy with what we've decided, and we're just excited for the future."

More from LIV Golf London:

| Graeme McDowell says it would be 'foolish' for LIV's European players to be ignored for the Ryder Cup.
He was also asked a question about free agency in golf, which made him think hard.... pic.twitter.com/uJgPmEWGNC
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) July 5, 2023

Turning to the topic of the OWGR, Oosthuizen said:

"Yeah, look, there's a lot of things that need to happen. I think the first thing is somehow getting world ranking points to LIV or changing the system completely. I think the system at the moment is really -- it's not a real reflection of what's going on out there.

"That can change, and we can somehow get back to getting points and things, I think there's a lot more possibilities to play. But we have all played Presidents Cup, the three of us, and we had a great time playing it, and I still watch it even -- I watched the previous one that was played and was a bit disappointed not to be there, but hopefully that all can change going forward."

Oosthuizen's comments come after Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood also told of how they decided not to try and qualify for the 151st Open Championship.