Chubby Chandler criticised South African golfers Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, and Charl Schwartzel for prioritising financial security over competitive edge by joining LIV Golf, suggesting it has impacted their performance in major tournaments. Seen here: (l-r) Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Charl Schwartzel. Picture: Southern Guards GC
Image: Southern Guards GC
As the LIV Golf circuit prepares to make its first-ever visit to South Africa next week at the exclusive Steyn City, legendary manager Chubby Chandler questioned the decision of Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel to join the Saudi-funded tour.
Oosthuizen, Grace and Schwartzel, alongside Dean Burmester, will lead the local charge at the SA event in their Southern Guards GC team.
When the quartet signed with LIV Golf, they would have received massive signing bonuses, rumoured, but never confirmed, to be worth over R100m each.
Even for major winners like Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, now in the twilight of their careers, the money they would earn before they hit a single shot would have been massive.
Managing director of International Sports Management (ISM) Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler has suggested SA’s ‘big three’ placed financial security over improving their competitive ability.
“Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel have had it easy on LIV - it doesn’t help them when it comes to the majors,” Chandler told BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest golf odds.
“It goes back to when you get paid the money they were paid and then you get 20 rand to the pound, it's an awful lot of money and they've set themselves up for ever. Guys like Louis and Charl, they've missed four years of their prime golfing lives to LIV.”
Both Oosthuizen and Schwartzel joined LIV Golf from the start in June 2022. Oosthuizen, 43, and Schwartzel, 41, missed out on the end of their prime playing years according to Chandler.
“So when they are back amongst everybody else, they're actually nothing like when they left. Louis won The Open, Charl was a decent player, Branden Grace was a decent player. They are now slightly over the hill when they come back. And they've had it easy at the end of the day.
“I would say it affects them heading into the majors. I think it's pretty easy to see that the guys on LIV, apart from the odd one, aren't as sharp as the guys that aren't on LIV in the majors. There's always going to be exceptions to the rule but as a whole, they're not as sharp as the other guys.”