Oosthuizen's clubs go missing
2008-03-19 13:15
Florida - Louis Oosthuizen got off the plane in Miami after a flight from Johannesburg only to learn that his golf clubs were missing. This is his second time competing in the United States at a World Golf Championship, so it was a nuisance.
It became a bit more problematic on Tuesday when the pairings were released for the CA Championship.
Oosthuizen will be playing the first two days with Tiger Woods.
"It should be great fun," Oosthuizen said. "But I wish my clubs would arrive."
As he spoke, Ping representative Steve Zita pulled up in a cart. Ping is making a new set for the 25-year-old South African in case his clubs are not found, and Zita said a carry bag was being shipped to Doral.
Oosthuizen must have wondered why this had to happen now. Maybe he should call Marc Cayeux of Zimbabwe.
Cayeux made his US debut at Firestone in 2005. He burned the inside of his left hand on the grill two weeks before the tournament, and while he should have withdrawn, he couldn't miss a chance to play such a lucrative event. Just his luck, he drew Tiger Woods in the first two rounds.
Oosthuizen got to his hotel on Sunday and turned on the television to see Woods on the 16th hole at Bay Hill. He watched the final 30 minutes, including Woods's 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win by one shot.
"You would never bet against him to miss that putt," Oosthuizen said. "He's something else. People say that one of these days, the luck is going to turn. But I always remember Gary Player saying that the harder you practice, the luckier you get."
What to expect on the Blue Monster?
The last time Oosthuizen played in the same tournament with Woods was at the Dubai Desert Classic, where Woods charged from four shots behind in the final round with a 31 on the back nine to win.
"I've got to focus on my game, because I'll be looking at him the whole time," Oosthuizen said. "I want to see how he handles himself, because that's the level we all want to get to."
- SAPA