The future is bright for in-form Andy Ogletree, the current No.1 on the International Series Order of Merit, with the American on the verge of clinching this year’s title and claiming automatic promotion onto the lucrative LIV Golf League this week at the Hong Kong Open.
While the American is focused on the task at hand, wrapping things up on with a strong performance on the penultimate event of this year’s International Series schedule, he admits there is a lot more going on in the background – namely discussions with LIV Golf teams eager to acquire his services next season.
“I’ve been in conversations with a couple of different teams, so, I’m trying to figure out which team fits best for me,” said the 25-year-old. “And my conversations have been more about which team I’m going to be on, not so much of the movement of everything. You know, it’s a really exciting time for me, and it’s going to be a really big decision for me going forward of which team that I want to be on.
“Hopefully, I’ll be on that team for a long time. I look at it like a college golf choice. Which team do you want to be on? Which team do you see yourself with and which team gives you the best chance of playing the best golf? It’s super exciting. I’ve definitely been pretty busy the last couple of weeks, even though I’m trying to win a golf tournament.”
Ogletree, a three-time winner in two seasons of The International Series, began his Hong Kong Open campaign in impressive fashion with a remarkable five-under round of 65.
He can test himself against LIV Golf talent this weekend too, as he is in facing stiff competition this week in a star-studded field that includes reigning No.1 LIV Golf player Talor Gooch, this season’s runner-up Cam Smith, and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, as well as Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters.
Speaking about what is informing his decision, he said: “You have to look at it from a massive lens, you have to look at how the team travels and how the team stays and what’s provided from the team from a physio standpoint and a training standpoint.
“Obviously, the team dynamic goes into it as well, which players are going to be surrounded by every day and how teams like to go about their business. Some teams like to play together a lot, some teams do their own thing. And obviously, there’s a marketing aspect as well that you have to look at. So trying to take it all into consideration and just see what which one’s best for me.
“It’s a big decision. And as much as I want to say that it’s easy to just get focused on a golf tournament, it’s not as easy as it seems sometimes. But I’m trying to do the best I can and just take it one day at a time and once I get on the course, try to shut everything else off.”
