Unknown rewrites DP World Tour record books
By: Derek Clements | Edited: Mon 11 May 2026
Share this article:
Winning golf tournaments is meant to be difficult. But try telling that to South Africa’s Yurav Premlall.
The relative unknown will never have another week like the one he has just enjoyed at the Catalunya Championship where he ripped up the record books and won by a scracely-credible FOURTEEN shots after rounds of 70, 64, 63 and 63.
He began the week ranked 157th in the Race to Dubai and 598th in the world rankings - hardly the sort of standing you would expect from a golfer who now has a place in DP World Tour history. There was no sign of it coming - he had only recorded one top-30 finish all season.
Premlall has now overtaken some pretty illustrious names. He didn’t quite match Tiger Woods 15-shot victory at the 2000 US Open, which counts as a DP World Tour event. But he now holds the record for the biggest winning margin at a regular tournament - that was Colin Montgomerie’s 11-stroke victory at the 1989 Portuguese Open.
Unsurprisingly, he was in a state of disbelief at the end of it all.
Premlall said: "I have no words. I've worked so hard to get into this position and it's so rewarding to finally see the results of it. I mean the last eight, nine months have been such a struggle just to build myself onto a platform where I know I could give myself a chance to win and to end up obviously in this position.
"I'm just so grateful so it's a dream come true. I'll start with my mum - at least it's a Mother's Day present so happy Mother's Day, mum! And yeah, for my dad we worked so hard to get here.
"There's not much else I can say. I mean my whole team, support structure, all my family. It's so rewarding to stand up on this pedestal and be able to thank everyone for being part of this journey so far."
Whether he now kicks on from here is anybody’s guess but there are som promising signs.
He was born in Durban in 2003 and introduced to the game at the age of around two with a set of plastic clubs.
He became the youngest amateur ever to qualify for the South African Open in 2018 at just 15 years and five months old. At the same event, Premlall became the youngest player to make the 36-hole cut.
He became the youngest player to win on the Betway Big Easy Tour at the age of 15 while still an amateur. He won the Freddie Tait Cup as leading amateur at the 2021 South African Open. The same year, he won the Nedbank Junior Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club.
He received a personal invitation from Gary Player to appear in the 2025 Nedbank Golf Challenge. Premlall represented the Internationals at the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup and his maiden Sunshine Tour win came in 2024 at the Vodacom Origins of Golf.
He once told GolfRSA.com his dream fourball would include his father, Tiger Woods and former US president Barack Obama.
About the author
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
Be part of the action with a selection of unique golf tournament experiences, from playing in a pro-am with the stars to watching the action at golf’s most illustrious events. Whether it’s the Masters or The Open, The Ryder Cup or WM Phoenix Open, build your own bespoke package with the experts at Golfbreaks.com.
