SOUTH AFRICAN golfer Louis Oosthuizen has raised his interntational profile somewhat with an emphatic win in the 2010 British Open.

The little-known former farm boy has joined some of the legends of golf with a seven shot win in a gripping 150th anniversary Open at St Andrews.

Oosthuizen entered the tournament ranked 54th in the world and ended it just three shy of Tiger Woods record score at the home of golf in 2000.

Mentor Ernie Els praised both his talent and demeanour.

“It would be difficult to find anybody in the world who is more proud of him right now,” Els said of the 27 year old. “He comes from a little town on the outskirts of George in South Africa and needed help, so we took him into the foundation and educated him. I thought long before anybody had heard of him that he was going to be an exceptional player. His life will change. He won’t.”
Oosthuizen is only the fourth South African to win the Open, following Bobby Locke (149, 1940, 1952 and 1957), Gary Player (1959, 1968 and 1974) and 2002 champion Eels.

Seeming to become calmer the further the tournament progressed and the further his lead lengthened, the often smiling Oosthuizen carded a final-round one-under-par 71 to finish with a 72-hole total of 16-under 272.

“It’s unbelievable,” Oosthuizen said after coolly paring the final hole before a huge crowd, including his wife and infant daughter. ”It’s probably going to hit me tomorrow, what I did, but I felt like I played well the whole week.

Later, reflecting on comments he had been a talented underachiever held back by a hot temper, the South African said: “”It was just a matter of growing up, really. I think any youngster that’s playing that makes stupid mistakes on the golf course, it frustrates you. If you look at the older guys on Tour who have all that experience, when they make bogey or double bogey they just go on the next hole. I thought to myself, the quicker I can get around that, the quicker I’m going to win tournaments here.”

Perennial bridesmaid Lee Westwood finished second (70) at nine-under 279 while a final round charge by English compatriot Paul Casey ended with a triple bogey on the 12th.

Allenby and Scott best placed Australians

Robert Allenby (71) and Adam Scott (72) were the best placed Australians finishing at two under and ruing lost opportunities.

“I gave it my best shot,” Allenby said. “I just needed to make more putts and hit it a little closer as well. There were certain holes where I hit it great and there were certain holes where I didn’t hit it fantastically.”

Scott, who saw glimmers of hope in his improved final round putting said: “It was a good week. If you can’t enjoy this week, I don’t know what you can enjoy.”

John Senden (73) finished one over whilst Jason Day (71), Peter Senior (73) and Marc Leishman (75) all posted three-over totals.

Day was overall happy with his major debut and hoping to contend in the future, whilst veteran Senior will take a lot of positives into the upcoming Senior British Open which begins early Friday morning (AEST) at Carnoustie.

2010 British Open free to air television coverage – an entire hour right after the midnight Skippy repeat

TWELVE Australians will tee off in the first round of the British Open at St Andrews beginning at 3.30pm Thursday AEST.

They include Mathew Goggin, John Senden, Robert Allenby, Jason Day, Michael Sim, Ewan Porter, Cameron Percy, Peter Senior, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and Kurt Barnes.

Scott will tee off at 10.42 pm in an afternoon feature group that includes England’s Lee Westwood and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiminez.

They will be directly followed by Ogilvy, playing with fellow former US Open winner Jim Furyk and current champion Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.

Other highlight groups will be Tiger Woods, in form Englishman Justin Rose and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas at 6.09pm – just nine minutes after the Australian Fox Sports coverage begins.

The early coverage is also likely to heavily feature the following group (6.20pm) - Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, Japan’s teenage star Ryo Ishikawa and the man who broke so many hearts at the event last year - US legend Tom Watson.

Unfortunately, Greg Norman had to pull out of the event this week saying regaining competitive form after his shoulder surgery was taking longer than expected.

His spot was immediately taken by the next alternate starter who happened to be a fellow Queenslander, the up and coming Jason Day.

“I was especially looking forward to playing St Andrews, celebrating The Open’s 150th anniversary and playing The Open Champions’ Challenge,” Norman said.

One Aussie veteran golfer who will make it to the historic Old Course first tee will be Peter Senior, playing in his sixth British Open and his first for a decade.

Senior, who has been honing his skills and keeping the bank balance healthy on the US Champions Tour, says that making the weekend cut would be an achievement.

“I’m excited that I’ve got two weeks here. I’ve got St Andrews and then Carnoustie next week for the Senior (British) Open,” Senior said.

Australian Fox Sports subscribers will have access to a mammoth amount of coverage beginning with historic films and previews over the next few days and then more than 40 hours of live coverage, beginning with the Open Champions’ Challenge live at 12.30 am on Thursday.

Channel Nine will be serving up a few scraps for free to air viewers. See the full story on that below.

 LIVE LEADERBOARD

NORTHERN IRELAND‘S Graeme McDowell has held on to win the 2010 US Open and become the first European in 40 years to lift the trophy.

He beat Frenchman Gregory Havret by one shot on a punishing Pebble Beach Course that in the end no one mastered.

After four days no one was left in red figures.

Dustin Johnson, the big hitting young American who was overnight leader, imploded and threatened final round runs by the big names, including Ernie Els, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, faltered.

McDowell finished with a three-over-par 74 for an even-par total of 284.

When he saw Havret, a qualifier ranked 391st in the world, miss his birdie putt on the 18th he knew he could play it safe. But there were still some nail biting moments for the Irishman.

“I’ve dreamed this all my life,” McDowell said. “Two putts to win the US Open. I can’t explain how I feel right now. It’s amazing.”

The last European player to win the US Open was Tony Jacklin in 1970. McDowell also became just the third Irishman to win a major title, along with Padraig Harrington and Fred Daly.
South Africa’s Ernie Els finished third with a 73 for 286 and Woods and Mickelson shared fourth place on 287.

Overnight leader Johnson saw his three-shot lead quickly evaporate with a triple-bogey seven at the second hole. He collapsed to an 82.

The only two Australians to make the cut, Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby, finished at 11 over and tied for 29th.

IT WAS the battle of the mo’s at the 2010 NSW Veteran Golfers Matchplay Championship final at a fine and sunny Port Kembla today.

In a tussle that went right down to the wire, Mittagong’s Cameron Fraser beat defending champion and local Ron Hall 1 up on the 18th hole.

The pair were even after the front nine but with near perfect ball striking and deadly putting Fraser was inching one and two holes ahead as they came home.

Fraser, a recent NSW Senior Amateur Golfing representative and a tournament winner on the elite senior amateur circuit, hit 16 greens in regulation.

Not bad for a player who had a 30 year layoff due to business commitments and only came back to golf seven years ago.

In fact it was his wife, Ineke Kelson, winner of the Ladies Matchplay final over Wollongong’s Trikki Young on the 19th hole today, who spurred him back into the sport.

When they met over seven years ago in the NSW southern highlands Ineke told Fraser she was a golf nut and if he wanted the relationship to go any further he would have to take it up.

“I said I’ll go and learn,” Fraser told her, not mentioning his considerable early golfing success, beginning as a 12 year old.

“I was just lucky it wasn’t hang gliding or something like that she was into,” he said.

Fraser, who plays off 4 at his home club the Highlands Golf Club, was happy with his performance during the week long event, this year played at four clubs in the Illawarra on the NSW south coast.

“He’s a very good player, I was just very happy to beat him,” he said of his close battle with Hall. “He was hard to beat but I got him.”

Hall has appeared in every final since the event moved from the north coast to the Illawarra three years ago.

He won last year and was runner up the year before – all close, tense matches that went to the 18th hole or beyond.

“It went right down to the wire again,” Hall said. “I was pretty happy with the way I played but on the day he was just one shot too good.”

“He hit 16 greens out of 18. That’s pretty clever.”

Tournament director Dick Farrant was delighted with the successful week of golf, particularly since the tournament had been threatened at the 11th hour with severe weather warnings.

As it was the seeding event on Monday had to be moved to Kiama Golf Club because of wet conditions at Shellharbour Links, with the four matchplay rounds conducted at the Links, The Grange and two at the championship Port Kembla course.

Windy and cold June weather hasn’t been kind to the tournament in the last two years but things should improve dramatically for competitors with the event planned to move to a much warmer late February date next year.

Hall tees of on the 17th - a hole he needed to win to keep the match alive.

THE ever dependable Tom Lehman only needed a par to beat rivals Fred Couples and  South African David Frost on the first playoff hole of the 2010 US Senior PGA Championship in Parker, Colorado, today.

While Lehman started the sudden death playoff with a solid shot down the middle, Couples and Frost followed with terrible tee shots that set them up for double bogeys.

“That was just a bizarre playoff,” Lehman said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced anything like that. I turned to my caddie and I said, ‘How many shots have they taken?’”

Sitting in the clubhouse watching all the drama must have been a very satisfied Aussie golfer in Peter Senior.

The US senior tour rookie recovered from a slow start to the tournament to record a final round two under par 70 to finish tied for 11th place.

Senior began the fourth round with a bogey on the par five first but fought back to post three birdies on the difficult Colorado Golf Club course.

Lehman, who finished at seven under for the tournament, was the only player in the 155 man field to beat par on each of the four rounds.

The 51 year old is known for his steady golf. The win was his first individual Champions Tour victory but his fifth top five performance in just six  starts on the tour.

“The course requires a lot of patience,” Lehman said. “It’s a very strategic course. One of the reasons why I like it so much. There’s so many options and decisions you have to make, and I really believe that it gives you the ability to really go for it as much as you want to or not.”

His much flashier opponent, Fred Couples, who has been ruling the roost in his rookie Champions tour season, wasn’t so happy as he left the course.

Back to back eagles on 15 and 16 gave him a big chance to win the tour’s first major of the year outright but his eight foot birdie attempt on the 18th missed by an inch.

His playoff hole drive was credited as his only bad tee shot of the week. It veered left off the tee into the shrubs, forcing him to take a drop, and to end with a six for the hole.

“It’s pretty disappointing,” was all he would say as he quickly exited the course.

Mark O’Meara (71) finished fourth, while Nick Price (70) was fifth and Larry Mize (70) and Bill Glasson (71) tied for sixth at 3 under.

Senior, finishing on one under, tied with defending champion Michael Allen (73), his fellow American Chip Beck (74) and Taiwan’s Chien Soon Lu (74).

Mike Harwood in 77th position was the only other Australian to make the cut.

ROBERT ALLENBY is pictured lining up the birdie putt on the 17th at TPC Sawgrass that stopped millimetres short of forcing a playoff with eventual winner Tim Clark.

The Australian had played almost flawless golf in the home stretch of the 2010 Players Championship, regarded by many as the unofficial fifth major, to fall just one short of South African Clark.

It would have been Allenby’s first US PGA Tour win since 2001 but no one can begrudge Clark his first.

Clark came from the middle of the pack on the final day to snatch an unlikely win with a five under par 67 – his first win anywhere since the 2008 Australian Open.

With Clark sitting in the clubhouse with a 16 under 272, Allenby needed a birdie on the final two holes to force a playoff.

His reaction to the miss at 17 (pictured), says it all.

“I did everything I could possibly do to try and win the tournament but obviously the golfing gods were with Tim today,” Allenby said.  Pocketing the $US1,026,000 consolation prize for finishing second will probably help the finances a little, but with the continued improvement of his claw grip putting stroke added to his renowned ball striking ability, that elusive PGA Tour win can’t be that far off.

England’s Lee Westwood again contended for much of the tournament only to finish as a placegetter – this time tied for fifth.

Lucas Glover was outright third, whilst the Woods versus Mickelson showdown just didn’t happen.

Woods withdrew with a neck injury and Crazy Phil finished tied for 17th.

Adam Scott was the next best of the Australians in 26th position, Greg Chalmers was 34th and James Nitties 39th.

WITH both personal and golfing heroics, Phil Mickelson has won his third green jacket at the US Masters today.

The extended hug with wife Amy afterwards perhaps said it all.

This was more than just about sport. It was about remembering to savour the special moments in what is a transient life.

Mickelson, wearing a pink ribbon on his cap to acknowledge the fight his wife and mother daily undertake against breast cancer, seemed to spend an awful lot of the final round at Augusta National hitting out of the pine trees.

In a day that started with Englishman Lee Westward one stroke in the lead and the returning Tiger Woods looming ominously a few strokes back, Mickelson was at his nerve wracking best.

His daring shot from the pine needles on the 13th was touted as perhaps the best of his career.

With the lead on the line, and seemingly blocked by a tree and with only a few feet of gap, Michelson hit it 204 yards, over Rae’s Creek, and within three feet of the hole.

“Don’t do it Phil”

It was one of those classic Mickelson shots when you are internally screaming “Don’t do it Phil” and you think he is moments from disaster, only for him to pull off the miraculous.

Despite all the pine cone exploring and the clutch pars, it says on his card there were no bogeys and five birdies.

A final round 67 that saw him finish at 16 under, three ahead of the hapless yet again major runner up Westwood.

With a seven under final round Anthony Kim was third, a struggling Tiger Woods tied for fourth with the usually unflappable K J Choi on 11 under, and a constantly threatening but never quite there Fred Couples next on 9 under.

“It feels incredible,” Mickelson said of his fourth major win. The third Masters jacket means he joins a hallowed list that includes Sam Snead, Gary Player, Nick Faldo and Jimmy Demaret.

There were visible tears from the Masters winner as he hugged Amy for an extended period in front of the large 18th green crowd and worldwide television audience.

“It has been an emotional year,” he said later. “I’m very proud of the fight and struggle she has been through. It has been very difficult and very emotional. To be on the other end and feel the jubilation is incredible.”

On the other hand, if one expected Woods to be gracious in defeat and happy with his fourth placing after his five months layoff, then one would be disappointed.

Perhaps you don’t get to be a champion like Woods by accepting anything less than victory under any circumstances.

“I finished fourth. Not what I wanted,” Woods said after finishing with a final round 69.
“As the week went on, I kept hitting the ball worse. I only enter events to win. I didn’t hit it good enough. Consequently I’m not there.”

Woods said he was going to “take a little time off and re-evaluate things”.

Scott an eagle, Green a hole in one

There were some moments of joy for the Australians but for extended happiness they will have to ponder the positives of competing and look to next year.

Adam Scott sinking his approach shot for eagle on the par-4 seventh hole - an Augusta special that seemed to sit there for a while, then agonisingly slowly take a very leisurely and circuitous route several metres down to the hole -and Nathan Green acing the 176-yard par-3 16th hole were the highlights.

Scott was the best of the Australians finishing with a share of 18th place at one-under, Geoff Ogilvy carded a 74 to finish one-over for the tournament, Robert Allenby finished at 10-over while Nathan Green had the ace, two eagles, five bogeys, a double and a triple in a topsy turvy final round three-over 75 and a tournament total of 14 over.

US Masters 2010 Final Leaderboard

GOLFING legends Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were back on the old turf together again today as they formed an enviable threesome playing in the traditional Par 3 Contest on the eve of the 2010 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

The “Big Three” old stagers hammed it up a little for an adoring crowd but there were enough birdies and good shots in there to keep everyone happy and show they still have what it takes.

Nicklaus, 70, won the championship six times, 80 year old Palmer won it four times and seventy four year old Player finally hung up his Masters boots last year with three championships in the cabinet.

The Par 3 contest today was won by South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, who risks the jinx that no player has ever won it and the Masters in the same year.

Oosthuizen was six under for the nine holes, two ahead of a group of four players including David Duval, Honorary Invitee Jerry Pate, 16-year-old Matteo Manassero and K.J. Choi.

Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell, both had holes-in-one on the ninth hole.

For the first time Par 3 contest was telecast on Australian free to air television on ONE HD.

The US Masters coverage will be show on TEN and ONE HD from 5.45 am to 9.30 am Friday and Saturday, 5.15 am to 9 am Sunday and the final round from 3.45 am till conclusion on Monday. (EST times)

WELL here it is, US Masters week and once again it should be a beauty.

We have six Australians, the now 50 year old Fred Couples in great form and rated a serious chance and Tiger Woods finally able to sit in front of an unrestricted media conference and empathically declare: “Nothing’s changed, going to go out there and try to win this thing.”

Australia’s contingent includes Robert Allenby, Nathan Green, Marc Leishman, Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott and John Senden.

Unfortunately, Michael Sim has been a late withdrawal from what would have been his first Masters because of a shoulder injury.

As we reported elsewhere, the rejuvenated Freddie Couples has won the past three Champions Tour events and after four tournaments is an amazing 77 under par.

But 18 years after winning at Augusta can he do it again?

At least, he may do what Australia’s 53 year old Greg Norman did at the British Open in 2008 and then Tom Watson repeated (oh so agonisingly) the following year – threaten to be the first over 50 year old to win a Major – and in doing so to give a further boost to all the older golfers around the planet.

The oldest major winner record currently stands with Julius Boros, who won the 1968 US PGA aged 48.

Jack Nicklaus is the oldest Masters winner, taking the 1986 green jacket at the age of 46.

Legendary coach Butch Harmon says Couples is hitting the ball longer and is brimming with confidence.

“The way he is playing right now, the way he is hitting the driver and putting the ball, I wouldn’t be surprised if he contended at Augusta National,” Harmon said last week.

But of course, this week more than ever is going to be the Tiger Woods show.

Woods appeared surprisingly relaxed and confident at his first full media conference since “the troubles” and spoke of his eagerness to be back on the first tee.

You can read a full transcript of the interview here, or watch the YouTube video below.

(Photo shows Fred Couples teeing off during a practice round this week at Augusta – a good photo to get you prepared for all the dappled foliage images you’ll be seeing relentlessly on your tv screen beginning Friday morning.)

ERNIE ELS is finally back in the winner’s circle after claiming the World Golf Championships $A9.26 million CA Championship by four strokes.

It seems ages since “The Big Easy” has tasted tournament success and it seems the popular South African agrees.

“I’m 40 years old. I’ve had a tough run,” Els said shortly after finishing with a bogey free 66 to finish 18 under par and four strokes ahead of compatriot Charl Scwartzel.

The three time Major winner has battled injury, form and family problems for several years as hasn’t had a tour win for two years.

He struggled with his putting during the third round and apparently was uncharacteristically on the practice putting green till nightfall on Saturday night in a largely successful effort to get his short game back on track.

That short game helped him pull away down the final stretch in a stiff breeze at Doral’s Blue Monster course.

“I’ve got a take a lot of positive from this heading into the Masters next month,” Els said, clearly excited not only by the win but by what a return to form would mean for his year.

Els’ house guest and final round playing partner Schwartzel showed plenty of talent and composure to be challenging for the win on what was the biggest day of his US golfing career.

Schwartzel stumbled late to finish runner-up on 14 under with Irishman Padraig Harrington, German Martin Kaymer and American Matt Kuchar another three shots back in third place.

One time tournament leader Robert Allenby started the day two strokes behind but never mounted a serious challenge to the South Africans, finishing with 73 and equal 11th with fellow Aussie John Senden on nine-under.

The surprise packet was one of the field’s lowest ranked competitors, Australian Alistair Presnell, in his first World Golf Championships event, who carded the day’s best round – a sparkling 64 which saw him the best finishing Australian on 10 under and  equal sixth.

“I’ve had some good last rounds but this is certainly the biggest tournament I’ve played in,” Presnell said.

Quote of the Day must go to former PGA Tour player and now NBC Television commentator Johnny Miller who explained why there were so few Americans (finally one at that point during the final round) in the top ten on the leaderboard (or top 20 for that matter).

Miller said in America they had so many other glamour sports like basketball, baseball etc that attracted top athletes.

“These other countries, they have soccer and golf,” Miller helpfully informed the audience.

These “soccer and golf” only sporting nations on the list at the time included Australia, South Africa, England, Ireland, Italy and Germany.