The Open 2010 Championship: Oosthuizen Elated at St Andrew Win
Golfing star Louis Oosthuizen expressed elation at his first win in a golfing major and expressed hope that the victory was set to start a new phase in his career and take him to success in the years to come.
The emerging talent from South Africa believes that at the tender age of 27, he has a long and successful journey at the professional level.
The magnitude of his win can be gauged by the fact that at the start of the event he was a 200-1 rank outsider.
He was in blistering form at the championship ensuring that he made an impression from the outset gunning for the biggest scalps at the event.
He kept his form going as he took the Claret Jug brushing aside players of higher pedigree than him with seven strokes at the home of golf.
He maintained his brilliant run through out the event and looked in control at crucial moments striking the ball and putting precision that belied his age
Oosthuizen is the sixth major winner from his country and became the first man from the rainbow nation, since a win by the legendary Ernie Els in 2002.
The rookie Oosthuizen owes his success to Ernie Els, who identified his burgeoning talent and helped his improves his skills further at his academy for young golfers in the country
The rookie is all praise for the facilities available at the academy, claiming that the institution was as good as it gets "Brilliant. You know, I think it's starting to sink in. Yeah, standing here again it's just special, you know, looking at the scoreboard and everything. But yes, it's good fun. It was very, you know, it was brilliant walking up 18 yesterday knowing that you know victory was probably mine, but yeah it was good."
Commenting on his win he said that was only at the f*g end of the championship that he finally believed that he is going to record the biggest win of his career to date.
"You know, one thing I've learned in this game is never, never count your chickens before they hatch. But I got to 17, after my tee shot at 17 yeah I knew I was pretty -- even if I take five, six or seven, but I was never going to do that, I was always planning on laying it up. But then, you know such a relief when I hit the tee shot at 18 down the middle and it was just brilliant."
Understandably, the win has given him renewed belief and confidence that he can go a long way and win many more majors in the years to come.
"Yeah hopefully you know I think this will get me going in the right direction and then you know hopefully from here it's go forward."
Meanwhile Oosthuizen is known as the Shrek to his friends in reference to the animated Hollywood film career, and the South African believes that the win at St Andrews was similarly a fairy tale win
"Yeah you know those things you dream of really. Winning an Open championship is special, but to do it here at St Andrews is just a fairy tale really. You know I don't know if the 'Shrek' part of me has got a bit to do with the fairy tale but yeah, it was really special."
The next stop for Oosthuizen is Sweden, before he embarks upon a tour of North America where he is set to feature in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the U.S. PGA Championship.
The win at the St Andrew championship brought a big reward for him, as he pocketed 850,000 pounds, which catapults him to number fourth on the list of money winners on the 2010 European Tour Race to Dubai.
He has the liked of Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and Ernie Els ahead of him, while the win has also propelled Oosthuizen from 54th to 15th in the world rankings.
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