South Africa’s top ranked golfer, Louis Oosthuizen, believes that this could be the year when he, or one of his compatriots, finally ends the run of not winning the majors.
The last time a South African won a major was in 2011, when Charl Schwartzel won the Masters.
Since then, Oosthuizen has come close, finishing runner-up at the Masters (2012), the Open (2015), the US Open (2015) and the PGA (2017), but never managed to overcome that final hurdle.
He believes that that run can come to an end at the first of the majors this year, The Masters. The tournament gets underway on Thursday at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
“This year, there are a few of us coming in with good form, so I think we definitely have a chance. But it is a tough course and there are some really good players out there.”
Oosthuizen, who is ranked 19th in the world, has put in some impressive performances this year, advancing to the quarter-finals of the World Golf Championships in March and finishing fourth in the Abu Dhabi Championships in January.
“I know that I can play this course. What I need to do, is to put together four solid rounds. Every year I have one round that lets me down. I must try to have four good rounds, then I stand a chance.”
That he is capable of playing the course can be seen in his record. In his 32 rounds, he has managed to play at least a birdie at every hole at Augusta National, managing a hole-in-one at the 16th and an albatross on the second – the only albatross to ever be scored at that hole and one of just four in the history of the competition.
“The preparations this year have not been like the ones before. It was raining and the course was closed, so we could not do that much. I am sure that when we start though, they will have done a good job in drying the place.”
He said that the more he plays at Augusta, the better he becomes. “Every year, you learn something new. You know where to hit the ball and where not and as I said, all I need to do is not slip up during the four rounds.”
Oosthuizen won The Open in 2010 and said that he was very keen to add a Masters title to that. “Growing up, The Open and The Masters were always the tournaments that I wanted to win. I have managed one and hopefully, I will get to win the other.”