Oosthuizen wins South African Open

JOHANNESBURG: Louis Oosthuizen ended a 33-month winless run by lifting the South African Open trophy for the first time Sunday after a six-shot victory at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg.

The 2010 British Open champion last triumphed on the European Tour in 2016 when he won the Perth International in western Australia.The 36-year-old South African closed with a four-under-par 67, shrugging off a poor start to eagle 14 and finish well clear of runner-up Romain Langasque from France.

“This is a very special victory for me as I become only the sixth golfer to win the two oldest national golf championships, the British Open and the South African Open.”Fellow South Africans Ernie Els, Bobby Locke and Gary Player, Swede Henrik Stenson and New Zealander Bob Charles previously achieved the ‘double’.

“I did not start well today, scrambling a par at one and dropping shots at two and three before recovering with four birdies to turn two under for the round,” said Oosthuizen.Oosthuizen opened with a 62 for the first-round lead, but trailed fellow South African Charl Schwartzel by two shots at the halfway mark having carded a 70.

A third-round 67 gave him a three-stroke advantage and the expected final-round challenges from Schwartzel and in-form Matt Wallace of England never materialised.Instead, Langasque, who trailed Oosthuizen by seven shots after three rounds, fired a five-under 66 that included an eagle and five birdies to surge into second spot.