Posted : February 2014
South Africa’s latest golfing hero wants to polish future diamonds, writes Edwin Naidu
Fresh from taming Tiger Woods and conquering the golfing world, South Africa’s latest club sensation Louis Oosthuizen wants to help find the country’s future golf stars.
Lodewicus Theodorus “Louis” Oosthuizen was born in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape in 1982. Helped by a development programme for emerging talent by Ernie Els, currently, Oosthuizen has the golfing world at his feet after bagging a host of titles as an amateur.
But all the 2010 Open Championship winner and runner up in the 2012 Masters Tournament wants is to play a part in developing future talent – in the same way his own talent was nurtured.
“Hopefully, we can find young stars and take them all the way to the top,” he said during a break at a Mercedes Benz Trucks customer day outing at Kyalami in Johannesburg. “It’s great to be able to give back to the children, hopefully we will find the future star that cannot afford to play and take them forward.
Oosthuizen, who turned professional in 2002, began the year on a victorious note retaining the Volvo Golf Champions title – he won last year – by one shot over Branden Grace. In 2010, Oosthuizen, 32, became the fourth man from South Africa to win the Claret Jug – following in the footsteps of Bobby Locke, Gary Player, and Ernie Els – and moved to 15th in the Official World Golf Ranking, overtaking fellow South African Retief Goosen in 16th position.
But he reckons that his greatest feat would be discovering South Africa’s new stars. Oosthuizen, who was supported for three years early in his career by Els, says his own experiences under the stewardship of the foundation established by The Big Easy had inspired him to want to help unearth talent that needs a helping hand.
“I came up with the idea with my brand manager because I wanted to put something back into development of the game,” he said.
Based in Mossel Bay, Oosthuizen says his foundation currently has eight children on the development academy he supports. “Our coach goes to schools in Mossel Bay running development courses. It’s all still fairly new to us and too early to say we have stars coming through. “Once we find someone in the development programme with potential we will support the individual through coaching, support with kit, golf clubs and pay for membership of golf course, etc.” he said.
Unlike his mentor Els’s development programme which is run nationally, Oosthuizen said he was starting off in the Western Province because he wants to be able to keep a “hands-on” approach and play a part in seeing talent come through. “I’ve been in such a programme and know what is good for the kids. “Hopefully, we find that young star that can’t afford to play and give that person the tools to succeed. “But if that person after going through the programme decides on continuing further studies instead of playing golf, that would be perfectly fine too, “he said.
Oosthuizen was runner-up at the 2012 Masters Tournament where he made history. In the final round, he scored an albatross on the second hole of the Augusta National Golf Club. It was only the fourth albatross in Masters history but the first to be televised, as well as the first ever on that hole. The omens looked good as Oosthuizen stormed ahead with the outright lead of the tournament with this exceptional shot. But he was caught on the 16th hole, by Bubba Watson, who broke the hearts of many South Africans winning the sudden-death playoff. Undeterred, Oosthuizen picked up a consolation win a week later with his fifth European Tour title at the Malaysian Open.
Oosthuizen, whose highest placing in the Official World Golf Ranking is fourth, said he was driven by a desire to see how far he could go in the sport. “I like the excitement and curiosity of discovering how far one can get in golf, and learning how far one could push oneself,” he said.
