King Louis
IN A STELLAR CAST OF LOCKE, PLAYER, ELS
A tearful South African Open champion Louis Oosthuizen kisses the trophy after his six shot win at Randpark Golf Club yesterday.
This was his first victory in nearly three years.
Winning a golf tournament you are leading going into the final round can be a tricky business, but Louis Oosthuizen closed the deal in efficient, systematic fashion in claiming his first South African Open title at Randpark Golf Club yesterday.
Leading by three at the start of the last round, Oosthuizen began in ropey fashion with bogeys on the second and third holes, five birdies and an eagle thereafter meaning his next bogey, on the 17th, was meaningless as he was already seven shots ahead.
“It sometimes gets difficult when you have a big lead because your mind can easily wander and you make stupid mistakes. But I didn’t take my foot off the pedal, I stayed on my game. I could have easily lost my three-shot lead but everyone else seemed to be struggling as well. I saw Branden Grace get to 12-under when I was 13-under and I thought he was the guy to really push me.
“But I got my focus back on what I wanted to achieve and I had a nice lead set up on the back nine. I made a few six-footers for par and my putting was as good as it’s ever been, and when you’re putting well, it takes a lot of pressure off. If you’re not putting well, you tend to lag your putts and hope for the best,” Oosthuizen said.
The 36-year-old was also pleased to report he is over the back problems that have plagued him in recent years, and his first win since the Perth International in February 2016 was one he has coveted for a long time, making him just the fourth South African after Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els to win both our own national title and Britain’s Open Championship.
“To have my name up with those greats, to be only the fourth South African to win both, feels really special. Any South African golfer wants to win this one and, after coming close in the Nedbank Golf Challenge but just being outplayed by a brilliant last round by Lee Westwood, that hurt so I made sure I was focused this week.
“I decided not to get down on myself and to pick myself up when things went wrong, and I did that very well this week. I’ve been through some stuff in the last year and I’ve felt I’ve played good golf but my scoring just hasn’t been good. The back is great, I’m back with my fitness trainer and a new coach, and it’s great to see results in a shortish period of time,” Oosthuizen said.