South Africa: Burmester calls LIV debut in Johannesburg the “greatest week” as home team’s lead collapses
south africa staged its first LIV Golf men’s tour stop at Steyn City in Johannesburg, and Dean Burmester turned into both ringleader and hometown standard-bearer across the four-day tournament. By the end of Sunday’s final round, the Southern Guards’ early cushion in the team competition evaporated, and Burmester still walked off insisting it was the “greatest week” of his life. As of 10: 30 AM ET on March 23, 2026, the event’s defining snapshot is a packed, loud grandstand and a local star soaking it in—despite a painful finish.
South Africa event delivers massive crowd energy, Burmester embraces mascot role
Burmester spent the week feeding off a festival-like atmosphere in Johannesburg, repeatedly acknowledging the noise and the scale of the crowd. He was seen waving, thumping his chest, dancing for supporters, and gesturing wide on tee boxes as galleries followed his group in numbers that felt unusual even for a veteran professional.
After play, Burmester described the physical evidence of how often he engaged fans: “I’ve got a bit of a tan from taking my hat off all the time, ” he said, adding that he wanted to perform for supporters and show appreciation as the roars carried down fairways and onto greens.
Organizers sold more than 100, 000 tickets in Johannesburg for the week, giving spectators a single patriotic team to rally behind. Burmester also had a brief on-course moment caught on microphones while speaking with Jon Rahm near the first green, comparing the experience to a “small taste of the Ryder Cup, ” and calling it “pretty special. ”
Late collapse flips the team race; Crushers surge while Southern Guards fall short
The Southern Guards held a sizeable advantage for much of the week and built what was described as a nine-stroke lead at one point. That margin thinned through the final round and ultimately collapsed as the South African quartet struggled to convert chances late.
Over their last 16 collective holes, the home players managed only a single birdie, a damaging run that opened the door for the chasing Crushers. The finish tightened to the final moments: Louis Oosthuizen ended with a bogey on a par-5, and teammate Branden Grace missed a birdie putt that would have pushed the Southern Guards into a playoff for the team competition.
The result was a one-stroke defeat in the team race as the Crushers completed their charge. Bryson DeChambeau led the Crushers and won the individual tournament.
Immediate reactions: Burmester’s “Football Friday” jersey moment and officials on site
Burmester’s most viral off-scorecard moment came during the second day when he wore an Adidas Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana away jersey. He explained the choice directly to journalists: “So I mean, look, every Friday obviously in South Africa we love supporting our teams, ” he said. “With the football World Cup coming up, it’s ‘Football Friday. ’ You’ve got to support Bafana Bafana, and we were lucky enough that they sent us some jerseys, so I thought it would be a cool idea to put one on. ”
While wearing the shirt, Burmester struck a tee shot at the par-3 17th to within two feet to set up a birdie. He told journalists the shot felt like a career highlight: “To hit that kind of golf shot afterwards was super special… I’ve dreamt about that moment for about ten days—it was probably a top-three moment of my career. ”
He also explained the number on his jersey: “The number 22 is because two was my favourite number growing up… So, 22 became our favourite number because we are ‘two and two. ’ We even got married on the 22nd of November. ”
Government presence was visible Sunday as well. Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Art and Culture, spent the morning publicly stoking expectations that the home team would win. President Cyril Ramaphosa was also in attendance during the final-round scene.
Quick context
This was the first time the LIV Golf men’s tour was held in South Africa, bringing the league’s festival-style template to Steyn City in Johannesburg. The week blended high-volume galleries, music-driven event presentation, and a home team that became the focal point for patriotic support.
What’s next
After a week defined by crowd intensity and a late competitive swing, attention now turns to how the league and local organizers build on the turnout and whether the Southern Guards can translate the home support into a closing-day finish next time. For Burmester, the closing message remained unchanged: south africa delivered what he called the “greatest week” of his life, even with the hometown heroes left one shot short.
