The newly crowned Open champion Louis Oosthuizen recalled his first experience of playing golf in Scotland in the 2002 St Andrews Links Trophy at a press conference on the Old Course today.
As the magnitude of his achievement in winning the world's oldest major championship at the Home of Golf was beginning to sink in, the 27 year-old South African discussed his victory with the media today and recalled his first competitive golf in Scotland when his performance was not quite at the same level as in the last four days.
Oosthuizen finished tied for 20th in the Links Trophy 12 shots behind the winner Simon Mackenzie from West Linton but recalled finding the weather conditions of links golf in Scotland quite challenging. "I remember coming here in 2002 and playing the Jubilee. I didn't play well. It was raining and cold and not at all the sort of conditions I was used to in South Africa. It was a struggle but it was a beautiful place. I don't remember the scores but that is probably a thing I would try to forget. I think the years on the tour have toughened me up since then."
In 2002, Oostuizen shot rounds of 78 on the Jubilee, and then 74, 77 and 71 on the Old Course. Among his competitors in that Links Trophy field was fellow tour player and South African Charl Schwartzel, who finished in a tie for fourth, and Englishman Ross Fisher, who finished in a tie for twelfth.
Oosthuizen's rounds of 65, 67, 69 and 71 for a 16 under par total of 272 in blustery conditions on the Old Course this weekend demonstrate that he has learned a thing or two about links golf since then.