South Africa’s rising golf star Aldrich Potgieter has withdrawn from the Bank of Utah Championship, sparking widespread speculation that the 21-year-old could be preparing to make a sensational move to LIV Golf in 2026.
Potgieter pulled out ahead of the second round at Black Desert Resort after opening with an even-par 71 on Thursday. A PGA Tour official cited illness as the reason for his withdrawal. He was scheduled to tee off at 3:39 p.m. ET alongside Michael Thorbjornsen and Ryan Gerard, who will now continue as a two-ball.
However, the timing of his withdrawal has not gone unnoticed. Golf fans took to social media on Friday night to speculate that Potgieter may already have one foot out the PGA Tour door and be gearing up for a switch to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.
Rumors linking Potgieter to LIV have circulated for months, but they intensified following reports from Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter, who revealed that the young South African is set to leave GSE Worldwide to join Entertainment Sports Partners. The move raised eyebrows, as GSE represents Ernie Els, Potgieter’s idol and a vocal critic of LIV Golf.
Potgieter made history earlier this year by becoming the youngest South African to win on the PGA Tour, capturing the Rocket Classic title in June. That victory also placed him among the seven youngest PGA Tour winners since 1983.
Since then, though, his form has dipped. He has either missed the cut or withdrawn from five of his last seven events, leading some fans to suggest off-course distractions could be affecting his game.
Currently sitting 52nd in the FedExCup Fall standings, Potgieter is just outside the top 60—a crucial cutoff for guaranteed entries into the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational. He recently stated that qualifying for those events “would be huge for me,” though many are now questioning whether his focus has shifted elsewhere.
LIV Golf declined to comment on any potential 2026 signings, but with several team spots expected to open next season, Potgieter’s name is one of many being whispered in the mix.
Whether his withdrawal was truly due to illness or a prelude to something bigger remains uncertain — but one thing is clear: the golf world will be watching Aldrich Potgieter very closely in the coming weeks.
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