British Open champion Oosthuizen says win is a birthday gift for the great South African leader
British Open champion Oosthuizen says win is a birthday gift for the great South African leader
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| South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen (left) greets his wife Nel-Mare and daughter Jana on the 18th Green after he won the British Open at St Andrews in Scotland yesterday. (Inset) SA leader Nelson Mandela. pic/AFP |
Shrek lookalike?
Oosthuizen, a happy-go-lucky 27-year-old, who bears the nickname of Shrek as his friends believe he resembles the swamp-loving movie ogre, had not been aware of the Mandela celebrations until just before he set off for the course.
"I woke up this morning and I didn't know it was his birthday today, but I saw it this morning on the news, on the Internet. It felt a bit special out there," he said.
"And you know, when I walked down 18, I was thinking about his birthday and then my manager also gave me a list of things, and it was also in there. So it worked out.
Asked if the win is a birthday gift for Mandela, Oosthuizen said: "Yes it is. What he's done for our country is unbelievable, so 'Happy Birthday' to him once again."
Oosthuizen, whose one and only top-level tour win came at the lowly Andalucia Open in March, carried a four-stroke lead into the final round and he held firm to finally win by a whopping seven strokes. He was the fourth player from his country to win the world's oldest and most prestigious tournament after Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els and though he knows little of the former, who died in 1987, the two others have been bending his ear. Els, the Open winner at Muirfield in 2002 and who has been fundamental through his foundation in nurturing young South African talent like Oosthuizen, called him on Saturday to give him his advice. It seemed to work and the "Big Easy" was beside himself with pleasure at his protege's win. "I thought long before anybody had heard of him that he was going to be an exceptional player," he said.
"He has shot an absolutely stunning 57 at Mossel Bay (his home course) which will neither be equalled nor bettered."
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