Protest signs from big money event: ‘shame’

The world of Pro Golf is cutthroat, as some of the best players have to fight their way into the championship ranks. Joost Leauiten successfully fought his way to the DP World Tour Championship earlier this month. But he wasn’t a big influence on another DP World Tour event that followed.

After being left out of the big money field of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Leuiter took to Instagram to express his disbelief and concern, while some of Europe’s foreign interests joined in to support and criticize the tournament.

Here’s what you need to know.

Joost Luiten issues IRinal Nedbank Challenge: ‘Hard to understand’

The most difficult field to enter on the DP world tour is the DP World Tour Championship. That was no problem for veteran Joost Luiten.

Throughout the 2025 season, Luiten collected three top-5 finishes and earned enough races in the Dubai Points to be one of the 52 players eligible for the event.

At the end of the season, he sat in the twelfth hour of the season. The Nedbank Golf Challenge to honor Gary Player kicks off on December 4th and is part of the 2026 season. While it has a limited field, the current cutoff is 66 players, 14 more than the DP World Tour Championship.

Despite that, Luiten can currently find themselves in the first place of the championship. To make matters worse, Nedbank puts one of the biggest DP World Tour trips in the whole year at $6 million.

According to an Instagram post over the weekend, Luiter cried and expressed confusion over how he didn’t qualify.

“I’m sitting as the first reserve for the NEDBANK Golf Challenge … honestly, it’s hard to fathom,” Luiter wrote.

“Completing the 33D in the Order of Merit, you lead the place in the main event of the 2025 DP World Tourcship, but do not enter the small event of the big field and many spots then only the competition!” Luiten continues. “It’s hard to understand or explain how the @DDPWorldTour World program makes those decisions.”

Luiten’s dismissal comes without a qualification process. For example, any player who won a DP World Tour event with a purse of 2 2 million from 2024-2026 is eligible to receive the Nedbank Golf challenge. Although Luiten has six years with Wither on the DP World Tour, the last one came in 2018.

Meanwhile, several players who finished worse than Luiten in the 2025 race to the Dubai standings have won since 2024, placing above fuiten in the field qualification system.

Fellow Servants We Showcase DP World’s Release of Luiten

While Luitern was open and honest about her difficult situation on Instagram, she remained reserved with her comments. But some of them are strangers.

After Luiter posted his lengthy complaint on Instagram, several DP World Tour players responded to the post expressing their support for Luiter.

Pro Dan Brown called the decision ‘shameful.’

“This is a shame, it should be based on last year’s situation,” Brown wrote. “Reward those who played the best golf of the entire season and not just one week of the year…”

DP World Tour Pro Brandon Robinson Thompson encourages Luiten to “say it’s comfortable.”

LAST DOOR Jorge Campillo noted that while Luiter didn’t make the field, other types of golf are eligible.

“Must be great to see the guys from Liv Before You written in 2023,” Campito wrote.

French Pro Romain Langasque wrote, “agree 100%. We bring you this during the player committee this year … but the tour did not want to change the way of qualification.”

Finally, luitern takes it in stride. He also noted that he is proud of his results this past season, and hopes that someone will step down and let him play Nedbank.

“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 into 2026.”

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