Louis Oosthuizen’s fast start helped set the tone for the Internationals’ stunning start to the Presidents Cup, but the South African is bringing more than his game to the team.
Gary Woodland and Dustin Johnson. Bash brothers. A pair of US Open champs. A formidable team.
Surely a winning team when facing a rookie in Abraham Ancer and the world’s 20th-best player?
Woodland is three spots higher than Louis Oosthuizen and is a Major winner in 2019. DJ, is well, DJ – one of the best in the game but playing for the first time since August after after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
It was a small little gap that Oosthuizen and later his partner needed to get into the match.
The South African’s blistering start all but decided the contest as he birdied three of the first five holes, with Ancer doing his part on the 4th, as the Internationals stormed out to a 4UP lead.
The rookie did most of the consolidating on the back nine as they held out for a 4&3 win to put the hosts on the board.
It was a combination that worked for Els as he put his in-form countryman together with a first-timer with plenty to prove.
‘Louis is a master at this format,’ said 2006 US Open champion and vice-captain Geoff Ogilvy.
‘He loves it. He’s the clown on the bus. Everybody loves him. He fires everybody up.
‘And Ancer is our little secret weapon this week. He’s fired up and ready to go. He’s cocky and confident and he wants to take them all on. So, it was great for all the other guys to know that “up the back” they had a pair they could rely on.’
The Mexico star deserved his fair of credit and Oosthuizen dished it out freely.
‘We have a great bunch of rookies on the team,’ said Oosthuizen.
‘I’ve said this a few times; they are in great form. Watching them in practice round, we “senior” boys were just trying to feed off their energy. It was the same today. I was just a passenger in a car watching Abe playing unbelievable golf.
‘It was fun to see him, how motivated and focused he was on the course.’
Ancer acknowledged the calming presence of his more established playing partner.
‘It was truly a pleasure playing with Louis,’ said Ancer. “We do feel like a team out here, which is key. I was nervous. But he made it feel easy out there, which is not easy.’
