BIG NAMES BACK TO STALK LEOPARD CREEK
LOUIS Oosthuizen heads to Leopard Creek for this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship with a desire to “just keep getting better” following his historic victory in the South African Open hosted by the City of Joburg.
With his six-stroke victory at Randpark Golf Club on Sunday, Oosthuizen became only the fourth South African after Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els to win both The Open and the South African Open.
“I just need to keep on going and get even better,” said Oosthuizen, who tees off today at Leopard Creek as part of a strong field, including fellow Major champions Ernie
Els, Charl Schwartzel and Trevor Immelman; Branden Grace, the only player to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Championship; 2016 Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Brandon Stone; and Matt Wallace, a three-time European Tour winner this year.
“For the past six or seven months I’ve been focusing on where I can really do better – not just going to the range and hitting balls and not really knowing what you’re working towards. There are a lot of things we changed, practice-wise, you know,” said Oosthuizen.
“I’m back with my fitness trainer and we’ve worked on getting my body in better positions and to make it easier on my back, so I’m able to play more golf. That’s the big thing for me. I’ve also got a new coach in Justin Parsons. We’ve been looking more at the stats and where my weaknesses are.
“I’ve been working on my shorter irons, especially my wedges. I’ve worked hard on my putting. If you know you’re putting well, it takes massive pressure off you. I have all the confidence to hit my putts, even if I hit them two- or three-feet past, because I’m comfortable with that distance.
“And I’ve worked on my driving. I’ve always been a good driver, but I’ve worked on improving that. It’s great to see the results of this work in a shortish period of time.”
Oosthuizen will be hoping it all comes together again at Leopard Creek this week, in a tournament where he has twice finished second – in 2005 and 2014.
DID YOU KNOW
FOURTEEN players have been in the Top 100 for 1000 weeks or more, now that Tiger has reached the 1000 mark.
Some of the names may surprise you. Leading the list is Phil Mickelson; Vijay Singh; Ernie Els; Davis Love III; Bernhard Langer; Jim Furyk; Lee Westwood; Fred Couples; Jose Maria Olazabal; Miguel Angel Jiminez; Mark Calcavecchia; Sergio Garcia; Nick Price; Tiger Woods.
However, of the 1000 weeks in the Top 100, Woods has been No 1 for 683 weeks.
Past Number 1’s – Tiger Woods – 683 weeks & Greg Norman – 331 weeks
Phil Mickelson has never been No 1 in the world.
Source: Dale Hayes
WEB.COM TOUR
OLIVER Bekker, who finished tied for eighth at the Final Stage of the Web. com Tour Qualifying Tournament at Whirlwind Golf Club near Phoenix, Arizona, has achieved his goal for the 2018 season.
Bekker finished on 24-under par, and along with the other players finishing second through to 10th, is guaranteed entry into the first 12 events of the 2019 Web.com Tour season. Danny Walker won the event on 27-under 261 and has achieved fully exempt status on the 2019 Web. com Tour.