Louis Oosthuizen
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images via AFP
- Louis Oosthuizen finished as the top South African at the 120th US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club.
- There were seven South Africans in the field with only three making the weekend cut.
- Oosthuizen broke into the Top 20 of the world rankings with his third-place finish.
Louis Oosthuizen was the best performing South African golfer at the 120th US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York.
Out of the seven South Africans who started the tournament, only three made the cut for the weekend.
Oosthuizen, who is South Africa’s top-ranked golfer, carded a three-over par 73 on Sunday to finish at 2-over for the tournament.
The 2010 Open Championship winner started the final round four strokes off the pace, but eventually finished third – eight shots behind Bryson DeChambeau, who clinched his maiden major title.
Oosthuizen acknowledged the tough conditions and stated that it looked like DeChambeau was playing on a different course on his own.
“I probably have to look at the finish more than anything else. Finishing third in a major is always great,” said Oosthuizen following his final round on Sunday.
“Yeah, I mean, it was going to be tough. You could see early on what Bryson and Matt (Wolff) were going to do, and Bryson is playing his own little golf course at the moment.
“This golf course definitely showed its teeth today with the firmness of the greens and the fairways and the wind, and it was just tough.”
Oosthuizen banked a cool $830 466 (R13.7 million) for his four-day efforts.
The 2010 Open Championship winner also moved into the Top 20 in the latest world rankings by moving up nine places to 16th.
Meanwhile, Erik van Rooyen posted an even-par 70 in his final round to finish tied for 23rd on 10-over for the tournament and banked $116 385 (R1.9 million).
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who was making his US Open debut, had a final round to forget as he posted a 12-over 82 to finish 55th at 20-over. Bezuidenhout took home $26 473 (R437 598).
Branden Grace, Shaun Norris, Justin Harding and JC Ritchie were the four South Africans who failed to make the weekend at the tough Winged Foot course.
– Compiled by Lynn Butler
