PGA Tour winner WDs from Bank of Utah Championship amid LIV Golf rumours
Golf fans pose LIV question as one-time PGA Tour winner Aldrich Potgieter withdraws before the second round of the Bank of Utah Championship.
South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter has withdrawn from the Bank of Utah Championship, and it’s got golf fans buzzing that the 21-year-old could be plotting a shock switch to LIV Golf in 2026.
Potgieter, one of the PGA Tour’s brightest young stars, pulled out ahead of round two at Black Desert Resort after opening with a level-par 71 on Thursday.
A PGA Tour official confirmed illness as the reason for the withdrawal.
He had been due to tee off at 3:39 p.m. ET alongside Michael Thorbjornsen and Ryan Gerard, who will now play as a two-ball.
The timing of Potgieter’s WD hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Golf social media lit up on Friday night with fans claiming the South African has already decided to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.
It’s not the first time such rumours have surfaced — whispers about Potgieter and LIV have been swirling for months.
To add even more fuel to the fire, Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter reports that Potgieter is set to leave GSE Worldwide for Entertainment Sports Partners — a move that’s raised eyebrows since GSE also represents his hero Ernie Els, one of LIV Golf’s fiercest critics.
Potgieter became the youngest South African to win on the PGA Tour when he lifted the Rocket Classic trophy in June.
That victory also made him the seventh-youngest PGA Tour winner since 1983.
But he’s hit a rough patch since — missing the cut or withdrawing in five of his last seven starts.
Some fans reckon that’s no coincidence, suggesting off-course distractions might be taking their toll.
The 21-year-old currently sits 52nd in the FedExCup Fall standings, with spots 51–60 securing entries into the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational.
Potgieter recently said qualifying for those events “would be huge for me” — though some now wonder where his priorities really lie.
"Getting into those first two events...would be huge for me."
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 24, 2025
After an impressive rookie season, Aldrich Potgieter is aiming to lock up a spot in the @ATTProAm and @TheGenesisInv through the #AonNext10 this fall. He's currently 52nd in the standings.
(Presented by @Aon_plc) pic.twitter.com/uBmFGfpVoL
LIV Golf declined to comment to GolfMagic on any potential 2026 signings.
But with at least six team spots expected to open next season, there’s no shortage of PGA Tour talent rumoured to be in the mix.
Whether Potgieter’s withdrawal was purely down to illness or something bigger brewing behind the scenes remains to be seen — but one thing’s certain: the golf world will be watching closely.
Andy Roberts first joined GolfMagic on a month's work experience back in April 2011.
Andy then assumed the role of GolfMagic Editor in 2015.
