Rest does ‘King Louis’ world of good, adds to his firepower
NO GOLF over the festive season and creme sodas plus jetskiing on the Orange River, near his wife Nel-mare’s Northern Cape farm doesn’t sound like the best preparation for Louis Oosthuizen’s defence of his title in the European Tour’s Africa Open which begins today at East London Golf Club.
“But I think the rest did me good – the best thing about being up on the river was no cellphone reception – and judging by today my golf doesn’t seem to have suffered,” the 29-yearold said last night after shooting nine birdies in the pro-am.
“Up until today I’d only played one game in the last four weeks and that was at Pinnacle Point where I lost a few balls. That wasn’t too clever, but I swung it well today and hopefully that’s a good sign for the rest of the week and the rest of the year,” said the 2010 British Open champion who has a late tee-off time in today’s first round, at 12.25 in the company of fellow South African Jaco van Zyl and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
In last year’s Africa Open, the farmer’s son from Mossel Bay birdied the first extra hole in a sudden-death play-off with England’s Chris Wood and Spain Manuel Quiros to seal victory after the trio had finished 72 holes of regulation play on 16-under-par.
That was good scoring, and Oosthuizen expects another “birdie-fest” this year. “This course’s main defence is the wind and there doesn’t look like there’s going to be too much of it this week. If you can drive it well – and I’ve been driving it well for a while now – you can set yourself up for a lot of birdie opportunities, so I’m optimistic for this week.”
Oosthuizen did say last night that after his 2011 Africa Open win he was a little disappointed with his golf for the next six or seven months.
“I felt I was playing well but not scoring well. Then something clicked, and in an 11week spell leading up to the end of November I played nine tournaments and played really, really well. And I think the momentum is still there judging by today,” he said, as he sipped his customary creme soda in the media room after his ninebirdie return.
Nel-mare is due to give birth to their second child towards the end of this month which is why Oosthuizen will miss next week’s Joburg Open. But he plans to take in the Volvo Golf Champions (for 2011 European Tour champions and players who have won 10 times in Europe) at The Links at Fancourt from January 19-22.
“It’s a huge event and I want to be there but if Nel-mare does suddenly have the baby, at least I’m on hand as it’s just down the road from where we stay (in Albertina).”
After that, “King Louis” plans to take four weeks off before heading for the PGA Tour in America.
“I want to give it a proper go over there this year, unlike 2011 when it was more of a halfhearted challenge. I’ll start with the (Wgc-accenture) Matchplay (from February 2226) then it’s the Honda and the Cadillac events leading up to the Masters. I love Augusta but I haven’t done well there before because my game just wasn’t right, so hopefully I’ll arrive with a bit more firepower this year.”
Oosthuizen will meet the European Tour’s three-week “Desert Swing” this year (Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai) in late January and February, where he has done well before.
But a man’s got to be at his wife’s side just after giving birth and that’s why he’s missing out this time.
The 2010 Open champion has his regular caddie on the bag this week – Wynand Stander, who in December walked 56km along the Garden Route in December lugging Louis’s golf clubs. It took him nine and a half hours. Midsummer madness? Well, maybe, but it was all in the name of charity.
Meanwhile 53rd-ranked Retief Goosen, who won the 2009 Africa Open here in East London, was first man off this morning with a 6.30 am “Dawn patrol” tee-time.