Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, DP World Tour, LIV Golf League
Brandon Moyo
SOUTH African golfers stamped their authority on the global stage with a sensational run of performances across several international tours this past week, highlighted by victories in Zimbabwe, Spain and Taiwan as well as solid displays on the LIV Golf League.
Leading the way was Yurav Premlall who delivered one of the most dominant performances seen on the DP World Tour in recent years when he stormed to victory at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship held at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, Spain. Premlall finished the tournament on a staggering 28-under-par 260, securing a commanding record breaking 14-shot victory over compatriot Shaun Norris. The emphatic triumph not only earned him his maiden DP World Tour title but also saw him set the record for the largest winning margin in DP World Tour history, surpassing Tiger Woods’ 11-shot victory at the 1997 Masters. He now also holds the record for the second-largest margin of victory in golf, just one shot behind Woods’ 15. It was also the largest margin of victory in a non-major in DP World Tour history. Interestingly, had he only played on the weekend, he would still have won the tournament by four shots. Premlall’s 28-under-par is now also the fifth-lowest winning score in DP World Tour history after Ernie Els (-31), Jordan Smith (-30), Mark McNulty (-29) and Els (-29). At Royal Harare Golf Club, Altin van der Merwe produced a composed and clinical display to win the 2026 FBC Zimbabwe Open title on tournament debut. Van der Merwe closed with a final round four-under-par 68 to finish the tournament on 21-under-par 267, securing a comfortable four-shot victory over Austin Bautista. His win continued South Africa’s proud tradition at the Zimbabwe Open, a tournament where the country’s golfers have historically enjoyed significant success. With Van der Merwe winning the FBC Zimbabwe Open, amateur Andries van der Vyver also produced a solid performance that saw him finish as the best amateur. Van der Vyver, who was the only amateur to make the cut at this year’s edition carded 11-under-par 277. He finished tied for position seven alongside Gerhard Pepler. In Taiwan, Ian Snyman also enjoyed a career-defining week after clinching his maiden Asian Tour title at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open. Snyman produced a composed final round to finish on 15-under-par 273, securing a two-shot victory over Santiago De la Fuente and Mathew Cheung. The win was especially significant for the 29-year-old as it came in his 83rd start on the Asian Tour. Snyman’s victory added yet another international title to what turned into an exceptional week for South African golf. South African golfers also continued to make their presence felt on the LIV Golf League. The all South African team, Southern Guards GC finished sixth at LIV Golf League Virginia. The team finished on 37-under-par. On the individual leaderboard, Dean Burmester secured a top 10 finish, carding 18-under-par. He finished in fourth place. The impressive performances across multiple continents served as another reminder of South Africa’s incredible production line of golfing talent.
Whether on the DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour or LIV Golf League, South African players continue to compete and win at the highest level, reinforcing the country’s status as one of world golf’s true powerhouses.