Once upon a time at St Andrews
Louis Oosthuizen dominated the second half of the 139th British Open. No one saw it coming but finishing with a seven-shot lead over Englishman Lee Westwood, this 27-year-old South African won the title in a golf-fairy tale story come true, a victory he will never forget. The story of Oosthuizen’s rise to victory is one of hard work, diligence and luck.
"It was just a matter of growing up, really," Oosthuizen concluded of his win, and the young tempestuous player he once was.
Born in Mossel Bay, South Africa, Louis Theodorus Oosthuizen grew up on a dairy farm and was never interested in pursuing a career in golf until his teenage years when he joined the Ernie Els Foundation. The fellow South African golfer had set up the program to financially support and mentor young golfers. Oosthuizen quickly developed his skills under the guidance of the program, and won numerous amateur titles before he turned professional in 2002 at the age of 19.
Oosthuizen had a hot temper on the course, something that inhibited his growth as a player:
"I think any youngster that's playing that makes stupid mistakes on the golf course, it frustrates you. If you look at the older guys on Tour who have all that experience, when they make bogey or double bogey they just go on the next hole. I thought to myself, the quicker I can get around that, the quicker I'm going to win tournaments here."
And that is exactly what he did. After turning professional, Oosthuizen won five tournaments on the Sunshine Tour between 2004 and 2008. He played on the European Challenge Tour in 2003, and joined the European Tour in 2004, although he didn’t win an event until this year at the Open de Andalucia de Golf.
On American soil Oosthuizen had mediocre luck. He missed the cut in this and last year’s Masters tournaments, as well as in the U.S Open when it was held this year at Pebble Beach. Oosthuizen came in 73rd at the 2008 PGA Championship, and the closest he has come to winning a PGA event was the 2010 Masters Par 3 Contest.
Going into the British Open, Oosthuizen was ranked 54th in the World, not entirely unimpressive but not high enough on the list to pose a series threat either. Or so they all thought. And who would have believed the guy with one one cut in the past eight majors he had appeared in could pull off a win at one of the most volatile courses in the world? Not many that’s for sure.
Oosthuizen was able to attend the event thanks to the Ernie Els Foundation, which helped pay for his travel expenses. Golfer, mentor, and foundation head Els was very happy for Oosthuizen and what he had achieved,
“It would be difficult to find anybody in the world who is more proud of him right now," Els said in an interview. "He comes from a little town on the outskirts of George in South Africa and needed help, so we took him into the foundation and educated him. I thought long before anybody had heard of him that he was going to be an exceptional player. His life will change. He won't."
Oosthuizen finished the day with a 71 atop the leaderboard, a position he has held onto for the second half of the tournament. His four-day-total was 16 under par 272 after rounds of 65-67-69 and 71. It was his first major championship and first major win but Oosthuizen moved about the course with smooth swings, sinking everything he looked at.
"We've known for a long time how good he is," said Graeme McDowell, winner of the 2010 US Open. "He's just been one of these guys that seems to underachieve somehow."
Oosthuizen set out and accomplished what so many young and old golfers have only dreamed about. His name now etched among the greats on the Claret Jug will attest for all time the story of an underachiever finally living up to his potential and making his dreams come true.
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