Louis Oosthuizen’s stunning victory at St Andrews last week not only marked his entry into the exclusive club of Open Champions who have triumphed at the Home of Golf, but also saw him become the first former Challenge Tour player to lift the Claret Jug.
Michael Campbell became the first Challenge Tour graduate to capture a Major when he won the 2005 US Open Championship, and three years late at Augusta National, his fellow Challenge Tour champion Trevor Immelman donned the famous Green Jacket after winning the 2008 Masters Tournament.
But no player had made the journey from Challenge Tour Member to Open Champion until Oosthuizen blew a world-class field away last Sunday.
Coincidentally, Oosthuizen’s win also marked the 250th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
The South African took his first tentative steps on the road which would eventually lead to Open Championship glory at the Zambia Open on the Challenge Tour in March 2003, when he finished in a tie for fifth place.
Two months later, at the Fortis Challenge Open, he secured the second top ten finish of his fledgling Challenge Tour career when he finished in a tie for eighth place behind the winner Johan Edfors, who would subsequently top the final Rankings.
Another eighth place finish alongside another Swede, Peter Hanson, followed at the Danish Open, which was won by Australian Marcus Fraser.
Oosthuizen then finished joint fifth – again alongside Hanson – at the Golf Alpin Open, before achieving the highest finish of his Challenge Tour career, a tie for third place at the BA CA Golf Open presented by Telekom Austria.
Yet despite five top ten finishes, Oosthuizen narrowly missed out on finishing in the top 20 of the final Rankings, thereby necessitating a trip to the Qualifying School – Final Stage, which was held that year at Emporda Golf Club and Golf Platja de Pals in southern Spain.
Six below par rounds of 68-70-70-68-67-68 saw Oosthuizen finish on 17 under par and so take the 34th card available, meaning he would enjoy a first full season on The European Tour.
From then on the 27 year old’s game continued to blossom and never really looked back, save for an indifferent 2005 season which prompted a return to the Qualifying School, where he comfortably regained his card.
Last year he achieved his highest Race to Dubai finish of 31st place, but the man from Mossel Bay is almost certain to better that after collecting a cheque at St Andrews for £850,000 which shot him up to fifth on the money list.
That figure rather dwarfs the €4,500 he collected at the Zambia Open, but Oosthuizen would doubtless concede that the season he spent gaining experience and honing his technique on the Challenge Tour contributed in no small part to the player he is today.
He said: “The Challenge Tour can be a tough Tour, but I really believe that if you come through the experience, then you emerge as a better golfer. It definitely made me stronger, and improved my golf. Sometimes the weather was tough, compared to what I had been used to back home in South Africa, and it certainly made you a bit stronger mentally and helped you prepare for life on The European Tour.
“I was often under a bit of pressure financially, and so sometimes when I wanted to go home I couldn’t afford it because it was too expensive, so I stayed out on the Challenge Tour and just tried to grind it out. At the start I found myself virtually alone in Europe, which was tough as a young guy from a farm in South Africa. It was tough not being able to go back and see my family. I suppose it was a bit of a culture shock, but I soon started to get to know the other guys a bit better, and it did me no harm in the long run. It’s a great foundation, and sets you up for the next stage of your career. If you manage to get your card through the Challenge Tour, then you’ve definitely deserved it.
“The standard seems to be getting higher every year. You just have to look at Edoardo Molinari this year, who has done amazing things. I felt that as soon as he got his card he would go onto bigger and better things, and he’s now won The Barclays Scottish Open just a week before I won The Open. So it just shows what a good grounding you get on the Challenge Tour.”
Alain de Soultrait, Director of the Challenge Tour, said: “We congratulate Louis on his tremendous victory at The Open Championship, and it is especially pleasing to bring up the 250th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player in such style. I’m sure Louis will go on to achieve more success in his career, and we are delighted to have played a small part in his golfing education. We now look forward to reaching 300 European Tour victories by former Challenge Tour players.”
