Silly Little Country

British Open Finish

There are many things one can enjoy in the final round of a major golf tournament; one is the topsy-turvy pleasure of the lead changing moment to moment over the last round. And that is a pleasure to watch.
Today's British Open finish provided a different pleasure, and it was a great one.
After three rounds Louis Oosthuizen (yes, nor had I heard of him before the tournament but he had credentials, and that is a measure of how great a worldwide sport golf is) had a commanding lead. To get to the above scenario you need to see him start making major mistakes and give up his lead; that is a scenario we have often seen.
Instead we saw this young, attractive, gap-toothed young fellow with a fabulous swing and no apparent fear simply increase his lead, maintain it where needed, and dominate an amazing international field. Also, toward the end, he had the good sense to play conservatively when he knew he had several strokes he could yield and still win. And all along the way he was a delight to watch with no petty outbursts, in fact laughter at one shot he had made poorly.
Can golf please produce more of these guys? He was just a treat!
(That his caddy was a black South African moves me more than some dumb movie like 'Invictus'; it was fun to hear them talk as their backgrounds were so clear in their speech.)
I am really hoping to see a lot more of Louis Oosthuizen in the future, and I would love to see younger players model themselves on his jaunty demeanor.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 5:44 PM