Angry Tour Pro Loses Three Clubs in a Tree at DP World Tour Championship

A burst of frustration suddenly turned into quite the predicament for Dutchman Joost Luiten.

This weekend the DP World Tour crowned a champion in Nicolai Højgaard and a Race to Dubai winner in Rory McIlroy, in addition to handing out ten PGA Tour cards. It was a joyous Sunday for many. 

For Joost Luiten, however, that was not the case. 

During the final round of the DP World Tour Championship, the Dutch professional was already struggling but somehow managed to make things even more difficult for himself. 

In a burst of anger after a wayward tee shot on Jumeirah Golf Estates’ 9th hole, Luiten launched his driver into a nearby tree, lodging it in between some thick branches. 

Then, in attempt to retrieve the driver, he threw not one, but two more clubs up into the tree and both hooked onto the branches as well. 

Taking tree trouble to the next level 🌳@joostluiten threw his driver into a tree and then loses two more clubs trying to retrieve it! #DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/uOqUmPyxZm

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 19, 2023

Luiten appeared to laugh about the mishap at first, but after attempting to use both loose tree limbs and the standard bearer’s portable leaderboard to fetch his clubs in vain, the situation was no longer amusing. 

The 37-year-old kicked his bag and fired off some expletives in frustration, before continuing to play the hole with three less clubs than he started with. 

Joost Luiten’s driver was stuck in a tree after he threw it out of frustration during the final round of the DP World Tour Championship :: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Luckily for Luiten, a volunteer helped extract the clubs from the towering branches when he was gone, and the Dutchman was able to finish his round with a full bag. Luiten’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, aided in delivering the clubs to her husband when they had finally been retrieved. 

After the round, Luiten broke down the odd series of events, which immediately went viral on the DP World Tour’s social media page. 

“I tried to get it out by throwing some other clubs at it and [two] other clubs got stuck up the tree so I couldn’t get them out,” he said. 

“It would have been a funny round to finish with 11 clubs.” 

After carding three consecutive birdies on the back nine following the tree debacle, Luiten finished the Dubai event at 3 over par and in 48th place in the 50-man field.