The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Oosthuizen is undaunted
EUROPEAN TOUR: South African leads way in Sun City despite ailment
South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen battled through the pain barrier to take a three-shot lead after the opening round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City yesterday.
The 2010 Open champion shot a flawless nine-under par 63 at Gary Player Country Club to put him clear of Belgian Thomas Detry, with Italy’s Guido Migliozzi a further stroke back.
South Africans Ernie Els and Zander Lombard are tied for third at four under, alongside defending champion Lee Westwood.
Oosthuizen had pulled out of the pro-am on Wednesday because of problems brought on by kidney stones, which saw him seek hospital treatment.
The 37-year-old looked to be back to full health as he picked up four birdies on the front nine.
Three more in succession followed the turn.
Things could have gone very differently, however.
“Yesterday I spent a bit of time in the hospital, and crawling around my hotel room with kidney stones at 3am this morning on my knees next to the toilet, which is not a great spot,” Oosthuizen told the European Tour.
“I didn’t think I was going to tee off early this morning. I thought it was going to be a horrible week for me.
“Somehow it got better a lot faster than I expected... It sort of eased in like at 6 or 7am.
“I went up to the range, hit a few shots and it didn’t really bother me.
“It was more the walking fast that got it, so I just slowed everything down.
Detry, meanwhile, recovered from a six on his second hole to turn at two under, before four birdies in the next five moved him into contention.
Migliozzi had made four birdies in a row at the seventh as he led by two at the turn.
However, dropped shots on the 12th, 15th and penultimate holes proved costly.
Els, three times winner of the tournament, shot a bogey free 68, making a birdie on the 17th.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who is trying to maintain his record of winning every year on the European Tour since graduating from Qualifying School in 2014, dropped two shots over the closing three holes to sit at one under, alongside Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger.
Tommy Fleetwood, also chasing a first victory of the year, is in a group at three under.
Leading Scot is Aberdonian Richie Ramsay who carded an opening 72 to lie nine off the lead.
Robert Macintyre and Scott Jamieson are a shot further back.