Golf-Oosthuizen gets first win on European Tour (Reuters)
March 28, 2010
*Oosthuizen takes maiden tour title
*South African earns U.S. Masters start
(Adds details and byline)
By Norman Dabell
MALAGA, Spain, March 28 (Reuters) – South African LouisOosthuizen finally made his European Tour breakthrough when hetook the Andalucia Open title on Sunday.
A week after finishing runner-up in the Hassan II Trophy,Oosthuizen made no mistake with a final-round three-under 67 fora 17-under 263 aggregate that left him three shots better thanBritons Peter Whiteford (66) and Richard Finch (67).
As well as his maiden title, which came after foursecond-place finishes, and the $225,000 prize money, the27-year-old from the Western Cape earned himself a U.S. Mastersstart by entering the world’s top 50.
Oosthuizen’s one-shot overnight advantage quickly tripledwhen he birdied the first with a 20-foot putt and his chiefrival Robert Coles of Britain bogeyed.
Three birdies in the first five holes gave Oosthuizen acushion that left him virtually unassailable.
Whiteford did his best to catch up with a run of six birdiesin 10 holes from the fifth, taking him to within two strokes ofthe lead. However, a bogey on 15 ended the Scot’s hopes and hehad to settle for his best tour result.
Finch bounced back from a double-bogey just before the turnwith two closing birdies that earned him the share of secondplace.
Oosthuizen had taken a two-shot lead into last week’sclosing round in Morocco but wilted to winner Briton RhysDavies’s outstanding final 66.
(Editing by Clare Fallon; To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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