OPEN KING LOUIS
RAMPANT: OOSTHUIZEN SWEEPS TO SIX-SHOT VICTORY
First-round leader Schwartzel settles for tie for third place.
Ken Borland
Louis Oosthuizen finally claimed his maiden South African Open title at Randpark Golf Club yesterday and he had his putter to thank, even though two of his most spectacular shots that set up his commanding six-shot victory were with his driver and his nine-iron.
Oosthuizen shot a classy fourunder-par 67 in the final round and his total of 18-under-par 266 is the lowest winning score at the SA Open since Ernie Els shot 263 at Durban Country Club in 2010.
The 36-year-old led by three shots at the start of the fourth day but bogeyed the second and third holes to cut his lead to just one stroke as Branden Grace made a charge with five birdies in his first seven holes. But his closest challengers were also struggling and Oosthuizen rebounded with a birdie on the par-five fourth and picked up further shots on six and seven.
One of the key moments of the day came on the 348-metre parfour ninth hole when Oosthuizen drove to the green. He narrowly missed his eagle putt, but his birdie put him five shots ahead at the turn.
“I’d been hitting four-irons every day but then Branden Grace invited me to a barbecue last night and he asked me why I did that because he said I could hit driver on to the green. So I looked at the numbers but I didn’t really think I could get there, but the wind today was perfect and the area just short I was aiming for was flat, maybe a little downhill. And I hit a brilliant drive, probably the best of the day, but thanks to Branden,” Oosthuizen said after his triumph.
Four pars followed before Oosthuizen’s next moment of brilliance, hitting a nine-iron from 180 yards to just a couple of feet for eagle on the par-five 14th, followed by a superb approach to six feet for birdie on the 16th. He missed a short par putt on the par-three 17th but it made no difference as he was already seven strokes ahead.
Frenchman Romain Langasque shot an outstanding fiveunder-par 66 to finish on 12-under and claim second place on his own, while Charl Schwartzel (72) and Englishman Oliver Wilson (67) finished in the tie for third on 10-under. They will all be receiving the coveted letter from the Open Championship inviting them to next year’s event at Royal Portrush.
South Africans Thomas Aiken (67) and Bryce Easton (66) also finished in the tie for third on -10 but were counted out for Open Championship invites due to their inferior world rankings.
Schwartzel played well but couldn’t sink a putt and two costly double-bogeys, on the second and 13th holes, ruined his chances of contending for the title, while Grace had three bogeys on his back nine to finish on nine-under.
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.