South Africa must be feeling on top of the world. After successfully hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup this month, where the only thing most viewers complained about were the infamous vuvuzlela horns, the Proteas now boast of a new champion golfer in the form of Louis Oosthuizen. The 27-year-old became only the fourth South African to lift the British Open trophy and that too with a margin of seven shots –—which also marked his first Major triumph. Oosthuizen shot 65 and 67 in the first two rounds for a total of 132, tying for a record lowest 36-hole score in the British Open.

Oosthuizen’s victory is a tribute to his determination and perseverance as he had missed the cut in seven of his previous eight Major championships, while many players and spectators attending the 139th edition of The Open could not even pronounce his name right! The champion has followed in the steps of his famous predecessors such as Gary Player and Ernie Els. Incidentally, Oosthuizen is Els’ protégé having trained at the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation. And that Els had won the British Open in 2002 and missed the cut in this edition is another story!

While it was celebration time for Oosthuizen, Rory Mcllroy would have felt extremely frustrated. It was sad to see how the game drifted away from the gifted 21-year-old from Northern Ireland after a spectacular first round lead. His nine-under par 63 on Thursday was the best start in the British Open in 150 years! But one bad round can ruin even the best of chances; this unfortunately turned to be true in the case of Mcllroy at St Andrews as strong winds literally blew his chances away as he posted a round of 80 in the second round. Golf can be the greatest leveller as we saw Paul Casey make a superb charge and reduce the lead to three shots until the 12th where he made a triple, while Oosthuizen made birdie, which sealed the match in his favour. Casey had to share the third spot with Mcllroy and Henrik Stenson. Lee Westwood, who carried the hopes of the home crowd, finished second.

There is an old saying “Beware the injured golfer”. Tiger Woods notably won the US Open at Torrey Pines with an injured leg only two years back, ignoring the blazing pain in his right knee, and Westwood had hoped to accomplish a similar feat here as he battled with a ruptured muscle in his leg. Coming to the Woods, who was splaying for a British Open hat-trick at St Andrews – having won the previous two editions held here – seemed a mere shadow of his former self. Finishing the championship at 23rd, he rarely looked as if he would be able to repeat the heroics of past years at St Andrews, and his comeback looks very much a work in progress. It is perhaps good news for the upcoming talent in golf. It would however, be foolish to take away the credit from Oosthuizen, who might probably still have won even if Woods was on top of his game.