The ongoing British Open is getting more interesting and competitive with little-known Louis Oosthuizen evolving as a strong contender for the championship. The South African began the weekend with a massive five-streak lead. The conditions, however, was conducive on early Saturday for the players who gathered at the Old Course to wrap up the second round. British Amateur champion Jin Jeong birdied the 18th hole, finishing with an impressive 2-under 70. Of the last 105 players to tee off in the second round, only three broke par — Jeong, Alejandro Canizares (71) and Darren Clarke (70). All the players were chasing the surprise package, Oosthuizen, the 27-year-old regular on the European Tour. The player has give his homeland to cheer something about a fabulous soccer World Cup—no vuvuzelas please.
Oosthuizen’s performance was special in many terms. It was for the first time he made the cut at the British Open. And it’s only the second time in his nine big tourneys, he survived till the weekend. The player’s lead was massive but so was the pressure. And now most of the things depend on the weather at the seaside course. "It's everybody's dream to win the Open," said Oosthuizen, whose 12-under 132 put him in the final group Saturday afternoon with 50-year-old American Mark Calcavecchia, his closest challenger at 137. "But to win at St. Andrews ... you never really think it will happen."
Well looking back, the British Open is one of the special tournaments where we have seen some surprise champions—Ben Curtis (2003) and Todd Hamilton (2004). And chances are very high, this may be Oosthuizen's week. Only few months ago, he had clinched maiden victory on an European Tour. "Everybody around here is telling me, 'You've got the shots, you're playing well,'" Oosthuizen said. "That win earlier this season just got my mind set in a different way. I'm reading it really nice and looking forward to it from here on."
Oosthuizen kicked off with a 65 and caught a break Friday with an early morning tee time. Tiger Woods shot 73 on the day. He didn’t appear much complaining about it. Woods, perhaps, knew he had done enough damage to ward off the sort of collapse that ruined Rory McIlroy's chances. "You just have to go out there and deal with it, whether you're on the good end of the draw or not the good end," Woods said. "You just have to go out there and play and gut it out."
