It was a LIV Golf takeover on the DP World Tour this weekend.
Joaquin Niemann made an eagle on the second playoff hole to defeat Rikuya Hoshino and become the first South American winner of the ISPS Handa Australian Open at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney on Sunday. The 25-year-old Chilean had a chance to earn his victory a hole prior with an even shorter eagle putt but missed.
“It was a nice day. These last two playoff holes showed how I have been playing the last few weeks here in Australia,” said Niemann. “My putting hasn’t been the best, but I’ve been working hard on it and it was nice to make that last putt.
Down in South Africa, Dean Burmester went back-to-back with a three-shot win at the Investec South African Open Championship. Burmester won last week’s Joburg Open, also by three shots.
“Back-to-back. I’ve never done that before so that was special,” Burmester said after the round. “It’s obviously one as a South African that I’ve always wanted to win. To be involved in this tournament and to win it, with a bank that used to sponsor me and got me off the ground when I was just a kid, is super special … so to be the SA Open champion is something I’ll never forget.”
Burmester finished the season 14th on LIV Golf’s points list for 2023 thanks to five top-10 showings, including a third place finish in Orlando. Niemann was a bit further down in 21st, also with five top-10 finishes.
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