The 2026 DP World Tour season is not even underway, but there is already controversy surrounding the field for the upcoming Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.
The new campaign begins next week in Australia. After the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open, the DP World Tour will head to South Africa.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge is one of the most lucrative tournaments over the first few months of the season, with the field of just 66 players playing for a purse of $6,000,000.
Are you in the One Percent Club? Test your golf knowledge with our quiz!
And there will be some big names in attendance at Gary Player Country Club, including Viktor Hovland. The likes of Nick Taylor, Thomas Detry and Aldrich Potgieter – who all won on the PGA Tour in 2025 – will also feature.
But one player who is not currently set to be involved is Dutchman Joost Luiten. And understandably, he is not best pleased about the situation.
Joost Luiten receives support after expressing his frustration with the DP World Tour
Luiten finished 33rd in the Race to Dubai in 2025. He has also made at least 26 starts in each of the last three seasons.
Nevertheless, he is currently a first reserve for the event in South Africa. And he took to Instagram to express his dismay at not automatically having a place in a tournament which boasts a larger field than the DP World Tour Championship earlier this month.
He wrote: “Sitting as first reserve for the Nedbank Golf Challenge… honestly, it’s hard to understand.
“Finishing 33rd on the Order of Merit, earning a place in the biggest tournament of 2025 DP World Tour Championship, yet not getting into a smaller event with bigger field and more spots than the tour championship! I just don’t get it!
“Hard to understand or explain how the @dpworldtour makes those decisions.”
Among those to reply was Dan Brown, with the two-time winner clearly disgusted by the decision.
He replied: “This is a disgrace, should be based off last season’s ranking. Reward those who have played the best golf throughout the entire season and not just done it for one week of the year“.
Jorge Campillo also said: “Must be nice seeing guys from LIV ahead of you that last win was in 2023“.
The DP World Tour stalwarts have been the players to suffer since the formation of LIV Golf
The decision highlights the problem the DP World Tour has faced ever since LIV Golf began.
Ultimately, the tour cannot afford to simply dig their heels in and only cater for those who have remained loyal to them – as unjust as that is.
Has the strategic alliance with the PGA Tour been good for the DP World Tour?
The DP World Tour is not strong enough to shut the door on those who jumped to LIV. Similarly, it is a boost when they do have notable names from the PGA Tour featuring.
Luiten has been a stalwart of the DP World Tour for the best part of two decades now. He has made 415 starts on the European circuit across his career.
It is baffling that he can finish 33rd in the Race to Dubai and end up as a reserve for an event just a few weeks later.
And it is good to see some of his peers express their disappointment with the situation.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
