LIV Golfers Are Taking Full Advantage of a DP World Tour Loophole

If the framework agreement among the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) comes to fruition, what we’re seeing right now on the DPWT may become commonplace.

The first part of the 2024 DP World Tour schedule is filled with events that are co-sanctioned by other tours. Those other tours don’t have sanctions against LIV Golf members, so a handful have competed in each of the six events so far.

LIV Golf pros have won five of them.

On Sunday, Louis Oosthuizen won the Mauritius Open, which was his second straight win on the DPWT. The two events before that held in Africa were won by Dean Burmester. 

Louis Oosthuizen has followed his Stinger GC teammate, Dean Burmester in winning back to back DP World Tour events for the first time in his career. With the amount of players returning to form, there’s an argument that playing on LIV actually helps players improve their careers. pic.twitter.com/kV3ehxVzrx

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) December 17, 2023

Two others were in Australia, one of which was won by Joaquin Niemann. Min Woo Lee is the only winner thus far on the tour who isn’t a part of LIV.

The loophole of the co-sanctioned events really benefited Burmester and Niemann, who both qualified for the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. Oosthuizen is already eligible due to his 2010 win at St. Andrews. 

It’s been a major turn of events for Oosthuizen, who had just three top-10 finishes in 13 LIV starts. 

Casey Jarvis and Louis Oosthuizen both chipped in for back-to-back eagles! #EmiratesFlyBetterMoments | @emirates pic.twitter.com/Apig3naL80

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 18, 2023

“Golf is the strangest thing,” Oosthuizen said after winning his second tournament in as many weeks. “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 really good, and I know I’m putting well and then I just carried on with that momentum.” 

The win has also helped each golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings. Burmester jumped from 154th to 75th, and Oosthuzien went from 441st to 133rd. 

The streak, however, will come to an end in 2024. Three events in January, all set for the United Arab Emirates, are all solely DPWT-sanctioned events.

Cover Image via Yahoo Sports