Joost Luiten blasts ‘bunch of amateurs’ who ‘f***** up’ his Olympic dream

Joost Luiten is still seething about the fiasco that appears to have destroyed his Olympics dream. 

Just days after a winning a court judgement that would allow him to represent the Netherlands in Paris next month, Luiten was told whilst at last week’s Genesis Scottish Open that he was denied his place again.

Luiten had successfully submitted a legal challenge to the Dutch Olympic Committee after they had deemed him and his compatriot Darius van Driel incapable of bringing a medal home for their country.

The International Golf Federation (IGF) reinstated the six-time DP World Tour winner, but were later forced into an embarrassing U-turn when it was revealed they had already reallocated Luiten’s place before the outcome of his court case.

In farcical circumstances, Luiten is instead now a first reserve in the 60-man field for the men’s tournament that he had comfortably qualified for.

And after missing the cut at the Open, the proud Dutchman revealed that even if he does squeeze in with a withdrawal in Paris, he might not bother anyway.

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“It’s a big mess,” Luiten he said on the back of the 18th green at Royal Troon. “Don’t know what to do. I’ve booked a holiday so I’m looking forward to that. I’ve got nothing. I was just saying to my caddie, even if we do get in, I don’t think he’s registered properly. You have to do so many forms. It’s a big hassle for one week to be honest.

“The IGF f***** up there. The IGF gave my spot away even though I notified them that I was going to court and hold my spot please. They didn’t do that. They come back like ‘it’s not our mistake, we’re just following the rules.’

“They probably did but if someone sends you an email saying ‘hold my spot, I’m taking somebody to court’, the right thing to do is to not just give it a way.

“It’s a big mess. They all just make mistakes and nobody owns up to them. I’m the one getting f******. Now you’re an alternate. Now you’ve got to wait if you’re in or out. That’s not the way it should be. I qualified. I’m in the tournament.

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“They all point to each other. They’re just a bunch of amateurs. They think they run a professional golf event but you can see its the Olympics its run by amateurs.

“I spent a lot of money on a court case to win it and then you win it and they say ‘f*** it’, you’re still not in because somebody else f**** up. It’s mistake after mistake after mistake and nobody wants to make it right.

“I’m in a position where I don’t know what to do. I’ve booked a nice holiday and I don’t know what I’ll do if I get the call.

“We could get a flight to Paris but at the moment, I’m quite happy not to play.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.