Despite finishing 33rd in the Race to Dubai, Joost Luiten finds himself on the outside looking in for the 66-man Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, held in early December.
The 39-year-old Dutch man is the first name on the alternate list for the $6 million event at Gary Player Country Club, which is by far the most lucrative of the five Opening Swing events on the 2026 calendar.
Only the leading 50 players on the DP World Tour – plus a couple of special exemptions to Ryder Cup players who found themselves outside the top 50 – qualified for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, and at the conclusion, Luiten sat in 33rd place in the rankings after playing in 27 events, making 22 cuts, and finishing in the top 10 on four occasions.
But it was not enough to see him automatically into the field for Sun City, and Luiten feels that there should be greater reward for consistency on the DP World Tour.
“Sitting as first reserve for the Nedbank Golf Challenge… honestly, it’s hard to understand,” Luiten wrote on Instagram.
“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 then the tour championship! I just don’t get it!”
“Hard to understand or explain how the @dpworldtour makes those decisions. I’m proud of the season I’ve had and the progress I’ve made, and I’m ready to play. Hopefully a spot opens up, but either way, I’ll keep pushing forward in 2026.”
The field includes LIV Golf members Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk and new recruit, Victor Perez, along with Viktor Hovland, who earned an invitation for playing on the 2025 European Ryder Cup team but was a place behind Luiten at the conclusion of the Race to Dubai.
And Luiten had no shortage of support from his fellow DP World Tour members.
“This is a disgrace,” replied England’s Dan Brown, who is among those in the field as a tournament winner in the last two years. “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.”
Brandon Robinson-Thompson, who is also on the reserve list for the Nedbank, but six places behind Luiten, added: “Say it louder!”
Spaniard Jorge Campillo’s reply hinted that there is still acrimony among the DP World Tour players towards the LIV contingent. He wrote: “It must be nice seeing guys from LIV ahead of you that last win was in 2023…” to which Luiten replied: “It’s a joke really.”
