CAPE TOWN - Led by Louis Oosthuizen, seven South Africans will compete in the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club, in New York, starting today.
2010 Open champion Oosthuizen will be joined by compatriots JC Ritchie, Erik van Rooyen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Justin Harding, Shaun Norris and Branden Grace.
Looking at the chances of the SA players, once again it will be Oosthuizen who will be expected to be the top contender at 25th in the world golf rankings.
With a best finish of 13th in his last three starts, it remains to be seen what kind of form Oosthuizen will find on the difficult layout, where the best winning score in its sixth hosting of the US Open stands at four-under.
The last time the course hosted the US Open in 2006, Australian Geoff Ogilvy triumphed on five-over for the week. Early indications are that the course will be every bit as difficult, with rough already looking to present a serious challenge for any offline shots. Oosthuizen’s best result this season was at the PGA Tour’s FedEx St Jude Invitational where he finished sixth. At the PGA championship last month at TPC Harding Park, Oosthuizen failed to mount a challenge as he finished in a tie for 33rd.
Van Rooyen, at 48th in the world rankings, has been steadily gaining experience in the majors after making his debut in one of the “big four” events on the golf calendar at the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie. The 30-year-old played three of the four majors last year, with his best result coming at the PGA Championship with an eighth-place finish. The European tour winner, however, also has little form to show with a missed cut at last week’s Safeway Open on the PGA Tour and a tie for 51st at the PGA Championship.
Bezuidenhout, 26, is definitely capable of springing a surprise on an American audience.
He happens to be the same age Charl Schwartzel was when he stunned the field to win the 2011 Masters title.