Louis Oosthuizen was once again the nearly man at the 149th Open Championship after failing to convert his 54-hole lead into victory over the links at Royal St George’s. The South African is no stranger to narrowly missing out on a major having finished as runner-up on a staggering six occasions as detailed below.
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He didn’t add to that tally at The Open after his final-round 71 left him in a share of third alongside Jon Rahm but it was another case of what could have been in golf’s most elite tournaments.
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But don’t feel too bad for the 38-year-old as this isn’t a case of always the bridesmaid and never the bride — Oosthuizen does have a major to his name after winning The Open in 2010.
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Masters 2012: The South African star started the final round two strokes behind Sweden’s Peter Hanson but quickly rocketed to the top of the leaderboard when he holed his second shot at the par-five second hole for only the fourth albatross in the history of the Masters. That took him to 10-under and though he dropped back midway through an absorbing final round, he climbed back up with a birdie at the 15th and carded 69 to finish on 10-under alongside playing partner Bubba Watson. The pair then shared pars at the first extra hole, the 18th, before Watson picked up the title on the next trip down the 10th after hitting a fabulous second to eight feet from the trees to the right of the fairway and had the luxury of two putts for the title after Oosthuizen’s bogey five.
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US Open 2015: Oosthuizen struggled early on at a much-criticised Chambers Bay and found himself at nine-over par early in Friday’s second round but two four-under-par 66s saw him start the final day at one-under and three shots off the lead. A trio of consecutive bogeys on the front nine looked to have put him out of contention but he brilliantly came home in just 29 shots, with six birdies in his last seven holes to take the clubhouse lead off Adam Scott before Jordan Spieth’s birdie at the last denied him a spot in a play-off.
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2015 Open: Following a pair of 67s and a 70, Oosthuizen found himself in a share of the lead after 54 holes alongside amateur Paul Dunne and Australian Jason Day. The South Africa played a solid round of golf but needed a birdie at the last to force a play-off after Marc Leishman and Zach Johnson both shot 66 to set the clubhouse target of 15-under par. Oosthuizen duly delivered to book his spot in the four-hole play-off at St Andrews but a bogey on the third extra hole and a pushed birdie putt on the last meant he had to settle as runner-up just a stroke behind Johnson.
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2017 PGA Championship: Oosthuizen accomplished golf’s runner-up Grand Slam in 2017 at the PGA Championship after finishing two strokes behind Justin Thomas at Quail Hollow. Having come into the final round just two strokes behind Kevin Kisner at the top of the leaderboard, Oosthuizen struggled to get to grips with his game and found himself one over for the day heading to the 15th tee. Oosthuizen then holed out from 34 yards for an eagle before picking up another shot at the last to join Francesco Molinari and Patrick Reed in a share of second and two strokes behind Justin Thomas.
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South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen on the 15th Green during his first round 71 on the opening day of the 2016 British Open Golf Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland.
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2021 PGA Championship: On the day Phil Mickelson became the oldest ever winner of a Major Championship at the age of 50, Oosthuizen was busy finishing as a runner-up for the fifth time in his career in golf’s four most prestigious events. He never strayed far from ‘Lefty’ for most of the final round at Kiawah Island but a double bogey at the 13th looked to have stopped him in his tracks of a pursuit at a second Major trophy. He then birdied the 16th to keep the fight alive but moments later, Mickelson hit the longest drive of the week — 366 yards — on the same hole for a birdie of his own to stretch his lead to three with two holes to play. The American finished with a bogey and par to win by two with Oosthuizen and Koepka sharing second place.
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2021 US Open: Oosthuizen started the final round in a share of the lead with Russell Henley and Mackenzie Hughes after superbly plotting his way around a notoriously difficult set up at Torrey Pines earlier this year. The 38-year-old struggled early on during the final round and was one-over for the day before making consecutive birdies on holes nine and 10 to get to six under and lead by two. Just as it was looking like Oosthuizen might end the run of second place finishes, he made bogey at the par-3 11th before another dropped shot at 17 left him needing an eagle at the last to force a play-off after Jon Rahm finished with magnificent back-to-back birdies to set the clubhouse target at six under par. The South African could only muster a birdie at the 18th leaving him as runner-up for the sixth time in a major.
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