LIV South Africa flare-up
LIV Golf’s South Africa stop sold out and drew a festival vibe — but organizers had to call police to break up a brawl among intoxicated spectators (no charges filed) as they praised the atmosphere and confirmed a 2027 return. The week also underscored a new wrinkle: LIV players are now getting OWGR world-ranking points, shifting the global pecking order. (joburgetc.com) (ewn.co.za) (golfmonthly.com)
The four-day tournament ran March 19–22, 2026 at The Club at Steyn City in Midrand, north of Johannesburg. (mabumbe.com)) LIV reported roughly 90,000 tickets sold for the week, while multiple local outlets put turnstile or attendance figures at more than 100,000, eclipsing the Nedbank Challenge's ~76,000 in 2019. (livgolf.com)) Bryson DeChambeau took the individual title at Steyn City, finishing ahead of Jon Rahm in the event standings. (aol.com)) The Official World Golf Ranking board published its decision on Feb. 3, 2026 to award OWGR points to LIV Golf for the 2026 season, with points allocated only to the top-10 finishers (and ties) at each LIV individual event. (owgr.com)) A GolfMonthly breakdown showed a recent LIV winner (Riyadh) was projected to receive 23.1 OWGR points, versus 20.9 for the DP World Tour’s Qatar Masters champion and 59.3 for the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open winner—illustrating how LIV allocations compare across tours. (golfmonthly.com)) Organizers amplified the festival atmosphere with live music and entertainment, and the local Southern Guards GC—captained by Louis Oosthuizen with Branden Grace, Dean Burmester and Charl Schwartzel—played a prominent role in engaging South African fans. (bona.co.za))
