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Louis Oosthuizen. Picture: LUKE WALKER/SUNSHINE TOUR/GALLO IMAGES.
LOUIS Oosthuizen‚ Branden Grace and Ernie Els will lead SA’s challenge at the 145th Open Championship‚ which tees off at Royal Troon on Scotland’s west coast on Thursday.
Oosthuizen and Els have won three Opens between them‚ while Grace is turning into a consistently tough competitor in the Majors.
Troon has hosted the Open nine times since 1923 and Americans have won the last six at the venue. The last time a non-American won the Open at Troon was in 1950 — SA’s Bobby Locke.
The course is not long by modern standards, but it is protected by the prevailing northwest wind that whips off the Firth of Clyde.
Very little has changed at the course in 66 years since Locke took the title with a nine-under 279.
The par-72 of those days is now a par-71 and only 150m longer.
Oosthuizen‚ having grown up playing at the difficult and windy Albertinia Golf Club near Mossel Bay‚ understands how to shape the ball in a breeze.
Els‚ Oosthuizen and Grace are among nine South Africans in the field. The others are George Coetzee‚ Charl Schwartzel‚ Richard Sterne‚ Brandon Stone‚ Haydn Porteous and Zander Lombard.
The wind at the Ayshire links will test players’ temperaments and besides hitting great shots in trying conditions‚ they will need to make the most of conditions when they are benign at any stage.
"It takes a lot of patience‚ a bit of the luck of the draw on the first two days — I hope we’re getting good weather‚" Oosthuizen said.
"But it’s just finding your way around a golf course‚ depending on what the weather is like. The Open is all about weather.
"I played the back nine on Tuesday‚ and it was perfect out there. Then you can score low. You can make birdies and good scores. But you can have days like Monday with that strong wind‚ it changes the golf course quite a lot.
"With the prevailing wind the way they say it will be‚ the front nine is your scoring nine‚ and then hold on to a good score on the back nine," the 2010 champion said.
"It all depends on how strong the wind is‚ but the back nine is tough. Most shots are with the wind into your face and it’s playing long, so you have to play really well to have opportunities for birdies. You’ll take pars coming in.
"I lift my spirits and my game for this tournament."
Els‚ who lost a four-hole play-off to Todd Hamilton the last time the Open was played at Troon in 2004‚ knows what it takes to win on links courses after two titles at Muirfield in 2002 and Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2012.
Although a dozen years have passed since that agonising loss to Hamilton‚ time has not dulled the pain Els feels at missing out.
"I got so close, and to come away with nothing was bitterly disappointing‚" Els said.
"But I feel there was a lot to be proud of in my performance that week. I broke 70 all four days‚ shooting 10-under par on one of the most challenging courses‚ and I’d tied for the Open. It didn’t go my way‚ but I gave it my best shot ."
While there is reason to be optimistic about South African golfer s’ chances‚ the form of US Open winner Dustin Johnson and world No1 Jason Day suggests they will start as favourites.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
SA trio tread in the Troon footsteps of Locke
LOUIS Oosthuizen‚ Branden Grace and Ernie Els will lead SA’s challenge at the 145th Open Championship‚ which tees off at Royal Troon on Scotland’s west coast on Thursday.
Oosthuizen and Els have won three Opens between them‚ while Grace is turning into a consistently tough competitor in the Majors.
Troon has hosted the Open nine times since 1923 and Americans have won the last six at the venue. The last time a non-American won the Open at Troon was in 1950 — SA’s Bobby Locke.
The course is not long by modern standards, but it is protected by the prevailing northwest wind that whips off the Firth of Clyde.
Very little has changed at the course in 66 years since Locke took the title with a nine-under 279.
The par-72 of those days is now a par-71 and only 150m longer.
Oosthuizen‚ having grown up playing at the difficult and windy Albertinia Golf Club near Mossel Bay‚ understands how to shape the ball in a breeze.
Els‚ Oosthuizen and Grace are among nine South Africans in the field. The others are George Coetzee‚ Charl Schwartzel‚ Richard Sterne‚ Brandon Stone‚ Haydn Porteous and Zander Lombard.
The wind at the Ayshire links will test players’ temperaments and besides hitting great shots in trying conditions‚ they will need to make the most of conditions when they are benign at any stage.
"It takes a lot of patience‚ a bit of the luck of the draw on the first two days — I hope we’re getting good weather‚" Oosthuizen said.
"But it’s just finding your way around a golf course‚ depending on what the weather is like. The Open is all about weather.
"I played the back nine on Tuesday‚ and it was perfect out there. Then you can score low. You can make birdies and good scores. But you can have days like Monday with that strong wind‚ it changes the golf course quite a lot.
"With the prevailing wind the way they say it will be‚ the front nine is your scoring nine‚ and then hold on to a good score on the back nine," the 2010 champion said.
"It all depends on how strong the wind is‚ but the back nine is tough. Most shots are with the wind into your face and it’s playing long, so you have to play really well to have opportunities for birdies. You’ll take pars coming in.
"I lift my spirits and my game for this tournament."
Els‚ who lost a four-hole play-off to Todd Hamilton the last time the Open was played at Troon in 2004‚ knows what it takes to win on links courses after two titles at Muirfield in 2002 and Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2012.
Although a dozen years have passed since that agonising loss to Hamilton‚ time has not dulled the pain Els feels at missing out.
"I got so close, and to come away with nothing was bitterly disappointing‚" Els said.
"But I feel there was a lot to be proud of in my performance that week. I broke 70 all four days‚ shooting 10-under par on one of the most challenging courses‚ and I’d tied for the Open. It didn’t go my way‚ but I gave it my best shot ."
While there is reason to be optimistic about South African golfer s’ chances‚ the form of US Open winner Dustin Johnson and world No1 Jason Day suggests they will start as favourites.
TMG Digital
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Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.