LIV Golfers continue DP World Tour dominance after taking advantage of loophole

Louis Oosthuizen, winner of the 2010 Open Championship, won the Mauritius Open over the weekend to continue the dominance of LIV Golf players on the DP World Tour

After Louis Oosthuizen’s most recent victory, LIV Golf players have dominated the first few weeks of competition on the DP World Tour.

With his victory on Saturday, Oosthuizen achieved his second triumph in as many weeks. At La Reserve Golf Club, the South African concluded his round on 17-under-par, two shots ahead of second place and another LIV Golf star, Laurie Canter.

It was only the second event that Oosthuizen has won since 2018. The first came just last week when the 41-year-old triumphed at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek

Oosthuizen’s success in Mauritius on Saturday means that five of the past six events on the DP World Tour have been won by players who are signed up for LIV Golf. Oosthuizen joined the breakaway league in 2022 and finished 24th in the overall standings to retain his spot for next season.

Joaquin Niemann won the Australian Open, while Dean Burmester claimed victories at the Joburg Open and the South African Open. Both players compete on the Saudi-backed circuit, but were still able to compete in the respective tournaments.

The PGA Tour has previously suspended players for taking part in what they describe as “unauthorised tournaments” in the past. Most recently, Masters champion Jon Rahm was handed an indefinite suspension by the Tour after he signed a £450 million deal with LIV Golf.
However, due to a loophole with the DP World Tour, some players who compete for LIV Golf are still able to take part in certain events. Players who are given sponsor exemptions are still able to play in DP World Tour tournaments.

Oosthuizen, who before the win at the Alfred Dunhill Championship had not won a tournament since the 2018 South African Open, explained how it felt to claim victories in his past two events.

Golf is the strangest thing,” Oosthuizen, winner of the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2010, told reporters after his final round at La Reserve Golf Club, via Golfweek.

“The last five weeks I’ve not done a lot with golf, I’ve played a few rounds and when I got to Leopard Creek I was working on a small little thing. I started hitting it good and I know I’m putting well and then I just carried on with that momentum.

Oosthuizen added: “I’m glad I could pull this off this week, it’s sort of a dream come true being able to play a tournament on a golf course you helped design and end up winning it. This is the first event my daughters have been to where I won, this is very
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