LIV GOLFERS NIEMANN, BURMESTER CLAIM PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL OPENS

Sunday was a wildly successful day for LIV Golf League members Joaquin Niemann and Dean Burmester in two of golf’s oldest national opens.

Niemann, the Torque GC captain from Chile, won the ISPS Handa Australian Open in a two-hole playoff against Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino at The Australian Golf Club near Sydney.

Burmester, part of the all-South African Stinger GC team, won the Investec South African Open by three shots at Blair Atholl Golf Club in Johannesburg.

The South African Open was first played in 1903 and is one of the principal tournaments on the Sunshine Tour; the Australian Open held its inaugural tournament the following year and is the most prestigious tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Both tournaments are part of the DP World Tour schedule.

Niemann rallied from four shots down to start the final round, shooting a 5-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead at 14 under. Hoshino, the 54-hole co-leader, matched him with a 70.

They each made birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th, before Niemann won it with a 7-foot eagle putt the second time around. The win is the 10th in Niemann’s professional career and his first since winning early in 2022 at Riviera on the PGA Tour.

“It was a nice day,” said Niemann, whose Torque team won four team titles in 2023. “These last two playoff holes showed how I have been playing the last few weeks here in Australia.

"My putting hasn't been the best, but I've been working hard on it, and it was nice to make that last putt. I always practice those three, four, five-feet ones and know that one of those will be to win a tournament. It's amazing."

BURMESTER WINS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK

For Burmester, it’s his second consecutive victory after winning last week’s Joburg Open, also by three strokes. It’s the 11th pro win of his career.

“Back-to-back – I've never done that before so that was special,” said Burmester, who shot a final-round 4-under 68 to finish at 11 under. "It's obviously one as a South African that I've always wanted to win. … To be the SA Open champion is something I'll never forget. It's a tournament I watched growing up and I watched a lot of legends."

Unlike last week’s victory, Burmester was able to celebrate with his wife and two sons. “It means everything, just to have my two boys there seeing me out front, living out my dream - that's everything so I'm very thankful,” he said.

Burmester’s 40-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole gave him the outright lead but he slipped back into a tie after a bogey on the 11th hole. Another long birdie putt at 12 regained the lead and he maintained it from there.

Niemann’s victory secured a spot in the 2024 Open Championship. Burmester also gained a spot with his win last week.