Louis Oosthuizen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Louis Oosthuizen |
|
|---|---|
Oosthuizen after winning the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews.
|
|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Lodewicus Theodorus Oosthuizen |
| Nickname | Shrek |
| Born | 19 October 1982 Mossel Bay, South Africa |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Nationality |  South Africa |
| Residence | Mossel Bay, South Africa Ocala, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Nel-Mare Oosthuizen
(m. 2007) |
| Children | 3 |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 2002 |
| Current tour(s) | Asian Tour Sunshine Tour LIV Golf |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour |
| Professional wins | 16 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| European Tour | 11 |
| Asian Tour | 3 |
| Sunshine Tour | 10 |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 1) |
|
| The Masters Tournament | 2nd: 2012 |
| U.S. Open | 2nd/T2: 2015, 2021 |
| The Open Championship | Won: 2010 |
| PGA Championship | T2: 2017, 2021 |
Lodewicus Theodorus "Louis" Oosthuizen (born 19 October 1982) is a South African professional golfer. He is famous for winning the 2010 Open Championship, one of golf's four major tournaments.
Oosthuizen is also known for an unusual record: he has finished as the runner-up in all four major championships. These are the 2012 Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open in 2015 and 2021, the 2015 Open Championship, and the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2021. In January 2013, he was ranked as the fourth-best golfer in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Golf
Oosthuizen was born in Mossel Bay, a town in South Africa. When he was young, his golf career was supported by a foundation created by another famous South African golfer, Ernie Els.
He was very successful as a young amateur player, winning many tournaments. In 2002, at the age of 19, he decided to become a professional golfer.
Professional Career
After turning pro, Oosthuizen won five tournaments on the Sunshine Tour in Africa. He joined the European Tour in 2004. In March 2010, he won his first European Tour event, the Open de Andalucia de Golf in Spain.
His career reached a new high in September 2012 when he entered the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time.
Winning the 2010 Open Championship
Oosthuizen's biggest victory came at the 2010 Open Championship, held at the famous St Andrews course in Scotland. At the time, he was ranked 54th in the world and wasn't expected to win.
He started strong with a great score on the first day. After the second day, he was in the lead and stayed there for the rest of the tournament. He played so well that by the final day, he had a large lead over his competitors.
Oosthuizen won the championship by seven strokes, a huge margin in golf. He became the fourth South African to win the famous Claret Jug trophy. To help him stay focused during the tournament, he drew a red spot on his glove. He would look at the spot before each shot to clear his mind.
Career After the Open Championship
After his major win, Oosthuizen continued to be one of the world's top golfers.
At the 2012 Masters Tournament, he finished as the runner-up. During the final round, he made an amazing shot called an albatross, which is scoring three shots under par on a single hole. It was only the fourth albatross in the history of the Masters and the first one ever caught on television. He eventually lost to Bubba Watson in a playoff.
Oosthuizen has a unique record of finishing second in every major tournament. This is sometimes called the "runner-up Grand Slam."
- The Masters: 2nd in 2012
- U.S. Open: 2nd in 2015 and 2021
- The Open Championship: 2nd in 2015
- PGA Championship: 2nd in 2017 and 2021
In 2018, he won the South African Open, a proud moment for him as it is his home country's national championship.
In June 2022, Oosthuizen joined LIV Golf, a new professional golf tour.
Major Wins and Achievements
Oosthuizen has won 16 tournaments as a professional golfer. His most important win is his major championship victory.
- 2010 Open Championship: Won by 7 strokes.
He also had many impressive wins as an amateur before turning professional.
- 2000 World Junior Championship
- 2001 All African Games
- 2002 Irish Amateur Open Championship
Team Events
Oosthuizen has represented his country and the International team in several team competitions.
- World Cup: Represented South Africa in 2011.
- Presidents Cup: Played for the International Team against the United States in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Louis Oosthuizen para niños
- List of golfers with most European Tour wins
