Gutted Oostie ponders Masters 'every second'
11 Apr 2012 - 10:47:05
Louis Oosthuizen admitted Wednesday he mulled his US Masters near-miss "every second" of the flight to Malaysia -- but was now even more determined to finally claim the coveted green jacket.
The South African, shattered by a 30-hour journey to Kuala Lumpur for the Maybank Malaysian Open, said he had replayed time and again Sunday's gripping play-off won by Bubba Watson's wonder-shot on the second extra hole.
"About every second of the flight you think about things you would have done different but there's not much I probably would have done different," the subdued Oosthuizen told journalists at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
"I felt like I gave it my all, didn't throw anything away, played probably the best I could coming down the stretch in a major, and was outplayed.
"So at the end of the day it's a good and a bad thing. Being that close to the green jacket is tough to get over immediately, probably, but I think time will heal it and it just gives me more confidence to put (the jacket) on eventually -- then I'll be over it!"
The 2010 British Open winner added in an interview with AFP that he wouldn't seek any extra advice or consolation, despite missing a golden opportunity to realise his childhood "dream".
"I don't feel like I need to talk to anyone about getting any advice about it. It's just a normal tournament that I lost on a play-off," he said.
"There wasn't anything that I did wrong or felt like I threw anything, I'm just going to plod on. I think if you look too much into it you're going to start doubting yourself, so that's the last thing I will do."
He added: "You'll always be disappointed, especially losing in any major. If it was a normal tournament you'd probably be over it much quicker.
"But being a major and being the Masters, it's something you dream about as a kid getting the green jacket. But to me it gives me more drive to go out there and win it. It definitely just makes me want the jacket more."
Compatriot Charl Schwartzel, who won the Masters in 2011 and watched in anguish as Oosthuizen failed to follow suit, said the two had not talked much about the tournament on the journey to Malaysia.
"We've known each other for a long time and you know what a player feels like. Sometimes you don't have to say anything," Schwartzel said.
"You know what he's going through but he's the type of guy that seems to get over things a little bit quicker and sometimes you don't have to say anything. They know you've just got to be a friend."
Oosthuizen made history with an albatross -- just the fourth in Masters history -- early in Sunday's round, and skimmed the cup with a putt for victory on the first play-off hole.
But he was stunned on the second extra hole, the par-four 10th, when Watson bent a pitch shot from amongst trees on to the green, and managed to make it jag sharply right, setting up a simple two-putt for the championship.
"In any tournament you win you hit one amazing shot, and that was it for him. That shot started 40 yards left of the pin... it was an amazing golf shot," Oosthuizen said.
"If you were right-handed you couldn't play that shot, there was no chance. You had to be a left-hander to play it. So things like that happen and it's great for him. It's just the way it is and it's just unfortunate for me I was on the other side."
Both players have little respite with an 8:00 am tee-time on Thursday in the steamy Malaysian capital. "Tomorrow morning for both of us is going to be a tough round," Oosthuizen said.
