Shot into canyon costs Oosthuizen
SAN DIEGO» Louis Oosthuizen spent the week before the U.S. Open moving to the horse country in North Florida, where he bought an 86-acre ranch.
Once the family moves into the ranch house next spring, Oosthuizen plans to buy some horses, maybe some cattle, enjoy life among the oak trees and open fields.
It will be the perfect place for the self-described farm boy to retire.
Oosthuizen just isn’t ready yet. He still believes he can contend in major championships and proved it at the U.S. Open.
A canyon-sized stumble tripped up his chances in another agonizingly close major championship run.
Oosthuizen finished second in a major for the sixth time, losing to Jon Rahm by a shot after pulling his tee shot on Torrey Pines’ 17th hole left into a canyon in the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
“I feel like I had my shots,” Oosthuizen said. “I went for it and that’s what you have to do to win majors. Sometimes it goes your way and other times it doesn’t.”
Oosthuizen seems to play his best at the majors, his syrupy swing and easygoing nature a perfect fit under the pressure. He won the 2010 British Open in a rout and has consistently put himself in position to win majors.
Oosthuizen just can’t seem to get over that last hurdle since winning at St. Andrews 11 years ago.
He lost in a playoff at the 2012 Masters when Bubba Watson boomeranged a wedge from the pine straw and around the trees on the 10th hole. Oosthuizen lost another playoff at the 2015 Open Championship when he missed a 12-foot birdie putt that would have forced sudden death against Zach Johnson.
Oosthuizen lost by a shot to Jordan Spieth at the 2015 U.S. Open and by two to Justin Thomas at the 2017 PGA Championship. He proved he can still contend in majors at 38 just last month, tying for second behind Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship.
Oosthuizen again found himself in the mix on a brutally-tough Torrey Pines. The South African shot a 4-under 67 in the opening round, 71 in the second and snaked in a 50foot eagle putt on No. 18 to share the lead after three rounds.
In many U.S. Opens, 5 under is good enough to win. Oosthuizen instead fell one shot short of becoming the fourth South African to win the U.S. Open.
“I played good, just fell a little short again,” he said.