Lightning Forces DP World Tour Event Into Monday Finish With Two LIV Golfers At The Top
South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen were leading the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club prior to storms stopping the tournament
The South African duo of Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen will have to wait until Monday to see if either of them can close out for their latest win on the DP World Tour following the suspension of the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Sunday.
Inclement weather had troubled the event's organizers throughout what should have been the final day's action, but with the two LIV Golfers at the top of the leaderboard and over half a round still to play, the hooter sounded for all players to immediately return to the clubhouse with the threat of lightning in the air once again.
Sunday's action concluded at just before 5pm local time, having already been stopped once for around four hours due to a previous threat of lightning in the Kruger National Park area.
Schwartzel and Oosthuizen were leading at 16-under par for the tournament and one-under for the day, three ahead of third-place Christiaan Bezuidenhout, with the trio having completed just seven holes.
Matti Schmid and Andy Sullivan remained in contention on 11-under, just ahead of recent Challenge Tour winner Marco Penge on 10-under - all three were just a hole in front of the South African pack.
The DP World Tour announced that play would restart at 09:00am local time on Monday, December 11.
The elephants enjoying the results of the recent downpour in Kruger National Park 🐘#DunhillChamps pic.twitter.com/c6V7FVDeExDecember 10, 2023
At the end of Saturday's action, Oosthuizen - captain of LIV Golf's all-South African Stinger GC - admitted he would love to close out the victory at Leopard Creek as it is a tournament which means an awful lot to him.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Oosthuizen has 14 professional wins to his name, including the 2010 Open Championship, but has never hoisted the famous Alfred Dunhill Championship trophy above his head - and that's something he is very keen to change.
He said: "It would mean a lot [to win]. It's the one event that I've really wanted on my C.V. I've come close a few times, and I've messed it up a lot of times. If I can stay calm [in the final round] like I did [on Saturday] by just doing the same things, just giving myself opportunities on the greens, I think I've got a good shot."
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.
-
How Does NIL Work In NCAA College Golf?
Name, image and likeness deals were given the green light by the NCAA in 2021, but how does it work in college golf?
By Mike Hall Published
-
Which Players Secured A DP World Tour Card At The 2024 Challenge Tour Grand Final?
The Challenge Tour Grand Final threw up drama yet again, as 22 players secured their playing rights and cards to the DP World Tour next season
By Matt Cradock Published