South Africans looking to make their mark at the Open Championship
South African golfers have always been impressive with their performances at the Open Championship. There have been many past winners from South Africa, the most recent being Louis Oosthuizen, in 2010.
Gary Player, one of the greatest players of all time, probably was the most the successful South African golfer. He won the Open Championship thrice in 1959, 1968 and 1974.
If we look at country-wise stats, South African golfers have won the Open Championship nine times. Four players from South Africa have lifted the Claret Jug on different occasions.
This time as well there is a huge turn out from the South Africans at the Open Championship. A staggering fourteen players are representing South Africa at the Royal Lytham Golf Club.
They include the likes of Ernie Els, who won the Open in 2002, George Coetzee, Andrew Georgiou, Retief Goosen, Branden Grace, Trevor Immelman, Jbe Kruger, Garth Mulroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Richard Sterne, and Grant Veenstra.
Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen have been the most recent winners at the Open Championship, Louis having won in 2010.
The line-up is pretty decent as there are two past winners. Many of the South Africans taking part have the capability and skills to be among the best golfers of the world.
Such a strong and huge contingent means that quality players are coming out of South Africa and surely they are here to make their mark, not just to fill up the field.
Players like Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen and Retief Goosen will surely be eyeing for the top spot as they have shown in the past that they can stand shoulder to shoulder along the likes of Tiger Woods and Co.
Rest of the players will surely want to finish among the top, at least they would want to make the cut. South Africans have always impressed at the Open Championship and this set of young talent would want to repeat the performances of previous South Africans.
Even if all the South Africans make the cut, this would be a big achievement for them. However, Els, Oosthuizen and Goosen would want be among the best, right at the top.
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