Louis Oosthuizen’s plan? Find a way to step over the line at a major championship.
LAS VEGAS – Lesser men may have crumbled.
Finish in a tie for second behind Phil Mickelson, who became the oldest player to win a major at the 2021 PGA Championship. Fall one shot shy of Jon Rahm in the 2021 U.S. Open after leading by one with two holes to play. Set the British Open 36-hole scoring mark and lead after each of the first three rounds but come up short as Collin Morikawa won the Claret Jug in 2021.
And then, the very next week — finish in a tie for second at the 3M Open.
It could have been a historical year for 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen but one that ended winless. But the soft-spoken South African, whether riding a tractor or a horse on his new farm in Florida or during other idle times, didn’t think back and wonder what could have been last season.
“Not really,” said Oosthuizen, who makes his season debut this week in the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin. “I think it was more just after the events that sort of you think what could have been and you try and shake it off really quickly because there was always the next one coming, the next event.
“It could have been a really good season, but my whole goal always is to try and get my game in a good spot when it gets to majors and try and give myself a chance playing the back nine of a major championship and see if I can do something. And I’ve done that pretty well last year and it’s now just getting that next step by winning a championship.
“Would have liked one win at least in the majors there, but all in all a good season and just ready to take the new season on.”
Not all was lost at the majors for Oosthuizen, 38, who has 14 worldwide wins but is still searching for his first on American soil. He has come upon a blueprint to follow when it comes to preparing for the game’s four biggest events.
“I think I’ve learned a way to do it; rest quite a bit before, take a bit of time off and then give a certain amount of time before the tournament to start working on things and always work short game,” said Oosthuizen, who tied for 19th in last year’s Shriners. “Doesn’t matter which event it is, you just try and keep your short game as sharp as possible. But there are certain things that you are looking for in your game, try and get it out in the other events and try things under pressure when you play other events. By the time you get to the major, you should know what to do when you’re in that situation.
“But I think my team has a pretty good way of preparing for (majors) and now it’s just up to me to step over that line to get that second major.”
