It’s been coming, says Louis Oosthuizen. Today in Shanghai we saw what he meant. The major mojo that propelled Oosthuizen to the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews returned at the HSBC Champions tournament at Sheshen Golf Club. Putting proved his specialist subject with nine birdies and no bogeys in a round of 63, the low score of the day.

After starting out six off the lead, Oosthuizen carved through the field to close on ten under par, just one shy of halfway leader Freddie Jacobson. The bunting is still in the bag, however. “It’s nice when it all comes together, but it is only Friday,” he said. “I will go out tomorrow and play my normal game. There is no need to be aggressive yet. The time to chase it is on the back nine on the last day and then only if you have to.”

Oosthuizen’s swing is a thing of beauty, widely recognised as one of the finest in the game. When the putter keeps up, the results can be devastating for the opposition. Birdies at two and three were followed by a hat-trick to the turn. Four more followed on the back nine, including a sharp ten-footer at the last. “I feel my form has been improving. I played well at the Dunhill Links and then had a top-ten finish in the States. It is a different game when the putts drop. I tried everything to make that happen, and today they went in.”