Stinger GC
Strong competitors in true South African style
The name Stinger GC has many meanings – but the one thing it tells you is that this is not a team to be messed with.
Stinger GC has been a formidable opponent for its rivals since the very earliest days of LIV Golf. This is a lineup with a steely approach to competition – with some rugged good humor thrown in.
Led by Major winner Louis Oosthuizen, Stinger GC is unmistakeably South African, a brand as representative of its nation as Table Mountain, biltong, and the Kruger National Park.
You could see “Stinger” as a reference to the scorpions that inhabit the dry and dusty regions of South Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert.
But it’s also a type of golf shot. The stinger is a low, controlled stroke that powers the ball straight down the fairway and adds topspin to make it roll further.
While Tiger Woods popularized the shot in recent decades, it actually goes right back to the earliest days of golf, when players developed it as a way of firing the ball under the fierce Scottish winds.
If you are a fan of Stinger GC, it doesn’t matter why. What you know is that the men in the lineup will always give their all, bringing force and finesse to the task of playing world-class golf. Then they’ll relax and enjoy the social side of the sport too.
Stinger GC, a superlative South African brand
South Africa has given some legendary golfers to the world. Bobby Locke, Gary Player, and Ernie Els were all products of a conveyor belt of prodigious talent and dedication.
Player, who was a Major champion no fewer than nine times, is the man who gave the world the ultimate golf mantra: “The harder I practice, the luckier I get.”
Ever since Stinger GC was launched at the start of the 2022 LIV Golf season, its lineup has been populated solely by South African golfers – though there were suggestions that might change for 2025.
Branden Grace, hampered by an injury, finished in the relegation zone in 2024, but captain Louis Oosthuizen welcomed him back to the ranks – and admitted that was both a sporting and a business decision.
Oosthuizen said: “We’re thrilled to have Branden back with Stinger GC. He is an integral part of our team, both on and off the course. While 2024 was a tough year for him, we must not overlook his consistent performances in the two previous seasons.
“His return was also supported by a strong business case. We are looking to grow the Stinger GC brand and commercial presence in South Africa, and his profile and popularity in the country will help us to achieve that.”
Grace himself said: “I am delighted to be back with Stinger GC. 2024 was a challenging year for me - I was playing with a wrist injury during the early part of the season and struggled to gain any momentum from there.
“My form improved during the later stages of the campaign and my game is tracking in the right direction. I feel confident that I can carry that through into 2025.”
To emphasize the sense of unity and comradeship that has grown between the current members of Stinger GC, Grace added: “Louis, Charl, Dean and I have a special bond, and it has been a great experience to be part of Stinger GC.
“The team has some big plans for 2025 and beyond and I am excited to be part of that.”
South African golf fans across the world, and many followers of the sport from other nations, can look forward to plenty of entertainment from Stinger GC in the years ahead.
The story of Stinger GC, season by season
However long Stinger GC is a part of LIV Golf, it will always have a significant place in the history of this radical new sporting series.
2022: Stunning start by Stinger GC
No one associated with Stinger GC will ever forget the first event in LIV Golf, in London.
The team filled the first three places on the individual podium thanks to Charl Schwartzel, Hennie Du Plessis and Branden Grace. Not surprisingly, that made Stinger GC winners of the team title too, though they could finish only fourth at the Team Championship.
So impressive was that initial clean sweep that Dustin Johnson, captain of 4Aces GC, was inspired to revise his lineup – and won the next four events.
But even DJ could not prevent Grace winning the second tournament on the roster, in Portland. He finished second in the overall standings, with Schwartzel in fifth place.
2023: So close so many times, but just one victory
This was the year of what might have been for Stinger GC. The team won the event in Tulsa, but that was the sole success in a season that also saw them reach the top four on another eight occasions.
Grace made another three podiums, including a runner-up spot at the event in Washington DC, to finish ninth overall. New recruit Dean Burmester finished a creditable 14th in his first season, helped by five top-10 finishes.
Stinger GC put in a solid performance at the season-concluding Team Championship, finishing top of tier 2 in fifth place.
2024: Burmester bags maiden LIV Golf win
For the first time, Stinger GC ended a LIV Golf season without a team victory. They visited the podium four times without making the top step.
However, Dean Burmester enjoyed a fast start to his second year in the team. He finished third in the opening event, then clinched his first win in Miami and ended the season ninth in the overall standings.
Stinger GC missed out again in the Team Championship, finishing in fifth place – though it did not go unnoticed that the quartet recorded the lowest total of the day in Dallas.
Stinger GC logo and merchandise
It’s no surprise that the principal color of Stinger GC merch is dark green, with a few dashes of gold here and there. They are the colors worn in international competition by South Africa, a nation that absolutely adores sports.
If you want to show your support for Stinger GC, and wear a hat or polo bearing the team’s distinctive S logo, check out their official shop.
The merch is produced under a partnership with British sports apparel brand Stuburt, which signed a deal with three LIV Golf teams in March 2024.
Stinger GC’s next target: an event in South Africa
Stinger GC’s next target: an event in South Africa
Given the solid South African identity of Stinger GC, and the enormous appetite for great sporting action in the Rainbow Nation, it will be no surprise if LIV Golf stages an event there some time in the near future.
One of LIV Golf’s aims is to bring world-class sporting action to new audiences; and Stinger GC captain Louis Oosthuizen hopes an event might be played in his homeland soon – possibly as soon as 2026.
Oosthuizen said early in 2025: “There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes… We are fighting hard to get it in but there needs to be a lot of things to align. We are talking to the Sunshine Tour back in South Africa and we don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.
Everyone knows the South African public want a LIV tournament and to bring this type of field to South Africa would be an unbelievable thing.Louis Oosthuizen, Captain